Including Honey in Lorie Diet

[Arrhidaeus]

I have searched (maybe not with the right words) and have found no threads which specifically list feeding honey to Lorikeets.

Only bee pollen and nectar.

Is there any reason it is not commonly used?

We have a neighbour who has a business selling her organic native honey and we get is cheaply.

[Rahni]

It is believed that honey may cause botulism. I haven't heard of any specific examples of this before, but perhaps someone else has.
Personally, I don't think it is a problem, however others may disagree. My main reason for thinking this is that I know of a world renowned lory and lorikeet breeder, who has bred most of the available species, with great success, and he makes his own nectar mix which is fed to all his birds and it contains honey as the sweetener. I just think that if honey is such a risk, surely this aviculturalist would have had issues with it in his 30 years of lory breeding.
Also, research has just come out saying that melaleuca honey has these amazing antibacterial properties, and is a more effective antibiotic to the superbugs then normal man-made antibiotics.

[Arrhidaeus]

Interesting.
If honey causes botulism, as in carries it, then humans would be susceptible also logically?

Tea tree honey has been scientifically proven to have healing properties.
It is sold locally for an arm and a leg. But not all species produce this in their pollen.

[Rahni]

Originally Posted by Arrhidaeus

Interesting.
If honey causes botulism, as in carries it, then humans would be susceptible also logically?

I would think so. I also noticed some commercial mixes contain freeze-dried honey as well.

[iami68]

Well my Black Capped Lories get honey twice a week and love it..I just mix it in there nectar..

[magdalena]

I think fresh honey from your neighbor would be fine. Botulism occurs in stuff that's been sealed and stored. I think with honey and lories the issue was also something about pasteurized vs unpasteurized.

[Lori~D]

Well you cant feed honey to babies under one!

Warning! Honey is not for babies!
Although honey is a natural, healthy food that normally cannot support bacterial life, it's important to note that it can carry C. botulinum spores which may be harmful to the undeveloped immune systems of infants. The old practice of dipping pacifiers into honey to soothe crying babies should be aborted.

Infants up to one year of age should not be fed raw honey, as their immune systems are not yet developed enough to fend off this normally benign strain. Infection can cause a flaccid paralysis weakening the baby's muscles, causing a "floppy" baby. Other symptoms include constipation, lethargy, poor feeding, weak cry, droopy eyelids, expressionless face, drooling or swallowing difficulty, and occasionally, respiratory arrest. By the age of one year, most children develop enough to resist this normally benign strain of botulinum.

Infant botulism is rarely lethal, but is obviously easy to avoid in this instance. Although food manufacturers make extensive use of honey in their products, baby food manufacturers, as a rule, will not include honey in their foods recommended for those babies under one year of age.

It must also be pointed out that infant botulism is not exclusive to the ingestion of honey. The botulism spore can also be found in dust, soil and other uncooked foods that older children and adults are exposed to daily. The risk is minimal. Yet, it is an avoidable risk, and honey should not be fed to infants under the age of twelve months. Don't play the odds.

[Ashling]

I did a project on botulism last term. Yes honey can be dangerous and should never be fed to humans under 3 year old, as it CAN contain botulism spores- I don't think the actual bacteria can survive in honey. I just had a thought- maybe honey is bad for baby parrots as well, because their immune system isn't fully formed either. When is a parrot mature? 2 years old for lories right? So perhaps only lories over 2 should have honey? Just a thought...

I feed honey to Ash occasionally. She got some just 10 minutes ago actually. I read somewhere that lories should have honey every day?

[Arrhidaeus]

Thanks for those explanations.
I was talking to a local wildlife farm manager. He told me not to leave honey out in the enclosure because it will attract bees to drink it, may be carrying foulbrood, a bee disease.

So I will feed it on food and not leave it out.

[Jessica23]

I've always used honey in the diet with no problems. I use manuka honey :)

My birdies are always in the house so its not an issue with bees :D