Apples

[GreenWing]

I give Chance apple slices every morning as I eat apples often, too -- she loves them, and I enjoy hearing that slicing sound she makes as she eats them.

Do you give your birds organic apples in their diet? Does an apple a day keep the avian vet away?

(Note: never feed a parrot the apple core, as apple seeds are toxic)

[cml]

I give Chance apple slices every morning as I eat apples often, too -- she loves them, and I enjoy hearing that slicing sound she makes as she eats them.

Do you give your birds organic apples in their diet? Does an apple a day keep the avian vet away?

(Note: never feed a parrot the apple core, as apple seeds are toxic)

Yes, 1-2 times a week . Always organic apple and never the seeds (as you said, they are toxic and actually contain small amounts of cyanid).

[LadySaphine]

Peanut LOVED apples. Especially Granny Smith ones- my favorite, too! She would take a bite out of the slice (making a little 'v') and get all the juice out, then drop it. She loved the sour flavor, I think. She wasn't as crazy for red/macintosh apples.

Steve and PJ aren't too crazy about fruit in general, PJ especially. He doesn't like grapes either. Steve will eat apples in small amounts.

[GlassOnion]

To be honest- I don't really feed sugary things to my birds on a regular basis unless they are nutritional powerhouses like dark berries or pomegranates. To me, apples have too much sugar for their nutritional content..and I really don't think that my guys need any more energy to burn off from the extra sugar. It'd be a once in a while treat.

[GreenWing]

To be honest- I don't really feed sugary things to my birds on a regular basis unless they are nutritional powerhouses like dark berries or pomegranates. To me, apples have too much sugar for their nutritional content..and I really don't think that my guys need any more energy to burn off from the extra sugar. It'd be a once in a while treat.

Hmmm, I didn't consider that. Maybe I should go cml's route and feed the apples 1-2 x a week, rather than everyday. (It's just that I eat apples often, love to share with her, and I RARELY get sick -- seriously. ^^)

[laducockatiel]

Apples are great. Ladu loved them so I used to feed them as a training treat...

[Graeme]

Bailey gets his apple pieces, along with other fruit once a day. He loves apple and it is the first thing he eats then it's onto what ever is left.

[KimberlyAnn]

I enjoy hearing that slicing sound she makes as she eats them.

That is one of the funniest sounds! Like a chipmunk! When we give Emmi a bit of apple, she just sits there with it in her mouth looking at us like, what are you laughing at?

[Pajarita]

My birds get organic apples washed in soap and water and with the seeds taken out once every 8 to 10 days (but the canaries and finches get them once a week). This is not because I think the sugar in them is bad (see below the more detailed explanation on this) but because they get only one type of fruit a day (if I give them more, they pick and choose) and in order to offer a wide range, I offer a different one every day not repeating the same one for 8 to 10 days.

Now, as to the sugar and other stuff that apples have. Apples are high in fiber and water (two VERY good things for parrots) and they also have quite a bit of vit C and a tad of calcium but this is not what makes them so good, it's the phytonutrients. Apples have quercetin, a powerful antioxidant which does not only enhance the benefits of vit C but also acts as an anti-inflammatory, inhibitor of histamine (think allergic reactions) as well as improving the integrity of connective tissues (think veins, arteries and capillaries). They also have pectin (lowers bad cholesterol and inhibits fat absorption), malic and tartaric acids (slow down fermentation and aids in digestion) and phlorizin (reduces glucose in blood and is believed to be linked to lung health).

As you can see, they are not just fiber, water and sugar! Now, as to the sugar... not all sugars are created equal and not all animals metabolize them in the same manner. There is the crappy white sugar we buy at the supermarket and which is bad for every living creature, there are the man-made high fructose syrups which I don't like at all, and then there is the plain fructose which is the natural and highly digestible form of sugar we find in fruits. Parrots are fruit eaters and they are able to metabolize this sugar without a problem and without getting a 'sugar high'.

[cml]

This is not because I think the sugar in them is bad (see below the more detailed explanation on this) but because they get only one type of fruit a day (if I give them more, they pick and choose) and in order to offer a wide range, I offer a different one every day not repeating the same one for 8 to 10 days.

Ive found a way around the picking and choosing, and it's to combine the fruits and veggies that they like as much (so they dont choose the one they like the best) on a given day. Also, food management helps, I know how much my parrots eat and should weigh so they always eat up . Well, save from cauliflower, thats not a hit with Leroy ...