Green beans, wax (yellow) beans

[Strawfrawg]

I keep forgetting to ask my vet about green and wax (yellow) beans. They aren't on my "approved foods" list. Are they safe? I've been buying fresh green and wax beans lately and of course Marvin wants them. He loves anything stick-shaped that's good to hold with his feet.

I could also use some clarification on what varieties of beans need to be cooked before feeding, and which ones are not okay to eat at all. I have a partial list of safe beans, but when I say partial I mean it's very, very short!

[KimberlyAnn]

I don't know about the yellow greenbeans (Wax), but normal greenbeans are safe. Emmi just takes the peas out of them.

But wax beans are so good! For yourself...try steaming the green and wax beans with some cranberries and pinenuts with a little garlic in the water. So good! I bet Marvin will eat that too as the whole thing is bird safe if wax beans are safe...and I bet they are.

[Eric&Rebecca]

IS garlic ok for birds... I've never checked with my AV or the visiting Avian Nutritionist at the surgery. I know you shouldn't feed it raw... is it ok when its cooked or baked, I've seen Garlic sticks available for birds..

[KimberlyAnn]

I've heard the same about garlic. This is just garlic essence. It gives a very slight taste. You just put it in the water and not on the beans or it over powers the cranberries. You can use rosemary instead or any herbs you think will go good.

Oh! Lemon is also good with this mix! Just put the juice I'm the water. Never a slice. Steamed lemon peal can make things taste really weird.

[Pajarita]

Green beans are fine, wax beans have a little bit more oxalic acid than the green ones but they are also OK. Garlic is fine, too. You just can't feed it in large quantities or all the time but a little bit once a week is actually quite beneficial for their health.

As to beans, they all have to be thoroughly cooked at high temperatures (NEVER in a slow cooker because it actually increases the toxicity while cooking them with high temperatures decreases it) but the ones that have the least hau (it's the acronym for the unit that measures what is normally called red kidney been toxin) are the small white beans. I also use chick peas (garbanzo beans) in their food but just a few of them and only during the warm weather months because they are good for lowering cholesterol and birds' digestive systems are very weak in metabolizing it (their natural diets don't have any) but I use lentils all year round (good methionine source).

The other problem with feeding too many beans is the purines which increase uric acid (another problem with pet birds because we tend to feed them too much protein all year round).

[Eric&Rebecca]

Ah so its more about feeding it in smaller quantities... I've heard its good for their irculation too and I imagine nice for them because its a strong taste.

So referring to my other post if I cook my soaking mix after soaking this should be ok?- I can do this on the hob or microwave... I don't believe I have a slow cooker... Would that be ok?

[Pajarita]

Yes, cooked beans are OK but I don't know about nuking them -they always say high temperatures OK, slow cooking (or low temperatures) not but I don't know how the nuking affects the phytohaemagglutinin (which is the 'bad' lectin in them). I buy them canned just to make sure.

And yes, my parrots love garlic but they should never end up with garlicky breath hours after eating -that indicates you put way too much garlic.

[Eric&Rebecca]

Apparently if you boil on the hob and then rinse after in cool water something happens to get rid of it (from some quick googling) its OK but I'll check this up more throughly. I might try steaming as suggested by Kimberly.

I've always been warned of canned stuff because of all the artificial stuff that goes into the surrounding liquids and the high salt.. perhaps packaging is different in the US though... I've always gone fresh but maybe I should try canned...

as for the bean topic I THINK kidney beans have to be cooked!

[Strawfrawg]

Thanks for all of the info. I am under the impression from my organic-vegetarian British boyfriend that canning in the U.S. is less regulated than in the UK. I've always just assumed canned stuff is out. I can always taste the can in the contents, which I reckon can't be good!

Good information about slow-cooking vs. high temps. I have been told that nuking is okay for bird foods. Please, let it be so. That's how I heat up frozen foods for Marvin, including the pellet "cookies" I bake for him.

[janetafloat]

This is all good information, thanks! And yes, kidney beans definitely need to be boiled, for at least 10 mins, as they have toxins in the skin, after soaking for at least 8 hours, then rinsed.
Question: I've been feeding Alfie quinoa every day, in a carrot/sweet potato/quinoa mash that he's crazy about. Could this be contributing to his health problem's as it's high in oxalic acid?