Are nuts safe for your parrot?
By Danielle Haupt
A lot of new parrot owners may think that nuts are a staple food for birds, especially peanuts. This is not true and not all nuts are safe for your birds.
Peanuts receive a mixed reaction as peanuts are particularly susceptible to contamination during growth and storage. Poor storage of peanuts can lead to an infection by the mould fungus Aspergillus flavus, releasing the toxic substance aflatoxin. Birds with acute aspergillosis have severe difficulty breathing, decreased or loss of appetite, frequent drinking and urination, and even sudden death. Peanuts grow underground, making it more susceptible to fungus and other bacteria. Aspergillosis fungus is sometimes found in peanuts and causes a respiratory disease in birds which is very serious. Often symptoms don’t show immediately, and a bird’s instinct is to not show that they are sick. Due to this, your bird could die before you even knew it was sick. Birds with other underlying health problems are most at risk for the infection but the disease can infect any bird. Symptoms of Aspergillosis include; lethargy, poor appetite, gradual weight loss and difficulty breathing.
Blanched peanuts of human grade consumption quality are the safest (least likely to have the Aspergillosis fungus)
Peanuts are also high in fats and should thus be fed sparingly (if at all)
Almonds
Brazil nuts
Blanched peanuts
Cashews
Coconuts
Hazelnuts
Macadamia nuts
Palm nuts (ethically sourced)
Pecans
Pine nuts
Pistachio nuts
Walnuts
Feed all nuts in moderation. This is not a complete list. Please always research whether or not a food is safe before feeding it to your bird.
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