Need Advise on Warm food vs Room temp

[Stellas Mom]

HI!

I was talking to someone that is a Parrot owner about Stella's (GCC) eating habits and the fact that he enjoys food warm instead of cold. I was talking about a product I buy him called "Beak Appetit". It comes dry and you have to cook it and I freeze it in portions in a ice cube tray... So I was telling this person that I leave one cube size portion in the fridge. I slightly warm it in the morning and I add green tea powder & wheat grass to it (not every morning at all) and he enjoys it. I don't over heat it by any means. Its on the colder side of warm but not room temp and she said that wasn't right. I need to give everything to him at room temp only.

I realized after our chat, Stella eats dinner with us every night and no our food isn't "hot or steamy" but not room temp and now i'm kinda flipping out hoping I haven't been doing the wrong thing and allowing him to eat warm food......

Need your input on "warm vs room temp"

Thanks!

[jenniferag]

I think room temp stuff is totally fine... especially since it's not just sitting out all night... it's in the fridge keeping it good so it should be fine!

We do the same thing with our beak apitite as well... I keep it in the fridge and heat it up a little in the mornings and feed....

[Newticus]

The reason some people suggest not feeding warm food is because it can initiate breeding behaviours. The warm food whether hand fed or not is reminiscent of being reguritated to by a mate. In some birds this, along with other environmental stimuli can cause severe aggressive breeding behaviours, on going breeding behaviours or chronic egg laying. There are lots of other things that can contribute to such situations even including certain vit contents in certain foods.
If your bird does not exibit these behaviours you are probably fine to keep feeding how you do, BUT it can also eventually lead to those behaviours. Maybe you want to cut back the warm feeds to 2 times a month, and the rest offer his fresh food at room temperature.

Melanie

[expressmailtome]

There is nothing wrong about feeding warm food. You just need to remove it from the cage sooner. Also, if you heat in the microwave be careful for hot pockets.

Matt

[Stellas Mom]

Originally Posted by Newticus

The reason some people suggest not feeding warm food is because it can initiate breeding behaviours. The warm food whether hand fed or not is reminiscent of being reguritated to by a mate. In some birds this, along with other environmental stimuli can cause severe aggressive breeding behaviours, on going breeding behaviours or chronic egg laying. There are lots of other things that can contribute to such situations even including certain vit contents in certain foods.
If your bird does not exibit these behaviours you are probably fine to keep feeding how you do, BUT it can also eventually lead to those behaviours. Maybe you want to cut back the warm feeds to 2 times a month, and the rest offer his fresh food at room temperature.

Melanie

Stella is male! There will be no eggs! LOL

Thanks for your reply!

[Stellas Mom]

Originally Posted by expressmailtome

There is nothing wrong about feeding warm food. You just need to remove it from the cage sooner. Also, if you heat in the microwave be careful for hot pockets.

Matt

I bought a new microware and a week later I found out that a microwave will remove all nutrition out of your foods, so I gave it away!.. I lightly heat his beak appetit in a little pan (teflon free of course!)

Thanks for your reply! You made me feel better!

[NotEnoughTime]

My girl likes extremely *cold* water... like fresh from the refrigerator water and preferably with a few ice cubes in it... and slightly warmed food...

I have not noticed "breeding behaviours" and I tend to think that is more associated with hand feeding, petting and so on... I have not read any research that indicates warm food is associated with breeding - so this strikes me as an "old wives tale..."

The funny thing is - if I give her very cold water with ice cubes in it - she wants to have a bath... I can hardly believe that it is good for that little body of hers - but... If she doesn't get hypothermia who am I to argue... Maybe she needs a "cold shower" after the warm food...

[brdfvr]

With beak appetite, I will slightly warm it (about 30s or less in the microwave), however I add other things to it that are straight from the fridge so it makes everything a little cooler-cold. Whether it is cold or warm, my fids eat it just as well. It just depends on what it is as to whether I will toss it in the nuke or not.

[Stellas Mom]

Originally Posted by NotEnoughTime

My girl likes extremely *cold* water... like fresh from the refrigerator water and preferably with a few ice cubes in it... and slightly warmed food...

I have not noticed "breeding behaviours" and I tend to think that is more associated with hand feeding, petting and so on... I have not read any research that indicates warm food is associated with breeding - so this strikes me as an "old wives tale..."

The funny thing is - if I give her very cold water with ice cubes in it - she wants to have a bath... I can hardly believe that it is good for that little body of hers - but... If she doesn't get hypothermia who am I to argue... Maybe she needs a "cold shower" after the warm food...

You are the best! After I wrote the post about warm food, I thought "what about the fact that Stella loves a good cold (out of the fridge) water".... and thought I'd post that today... and you cleared that up for me!... I felt much better giving him his beak appetit (slightly warmed) this morning.

So, I guess I worried for nothing! You're right, everyone has their own opinion and perhaps the person that told me "ONLY room temp food" got her info years ago. I will now carry on with the warmish food and cold water!


I bought him a basket ball set! Going to do his first clicker training while teaching him how to play basket ball this weekend! I'm excited about it!
I'll post the results asap!

Have the most fantastic and safe day! because you made mine!

Huge hugz
Marilyn (aka Sir Stella's Mom!)....

[Stellas Mom]

Originally Posted by brdfvr

With beak appetite, I will slightly warm it (about 30s or less in the microwave), however I add other things to it that are straight from the fridge so it makes everything a little cooler-cold. Whether it is cold or warm, my fids eat it just as well. It just depends on what it is as to whether I will toss it in the nuke or not.

I normally add Green Tea Powder & Wheat Grass Powder to it... He just loves them! He doesn't like the beak appetit on its own but once I add the powders, he loves it!