Nuts

[Toggsy]

This may sound a bit of a daft question but whats the best way to feed nuts shelled or unshelled will an Indian Ringnecks be able to get into a Brazil nut for instance ?

[liz]

the only thing my amazons will break into is an almond.

[Wolf]

It depends on the nut, and not many parrots other than a Macaw can shell a Brazil nut. You could put a variety of nuts in the shell in a bowl and see which ones the IRN opens, but I wouldn't think that it would open any more difficult than an almond. Surprisingly enough a hazel nut is harder to crack open than what it would appear to be.
You could try shelled nuts to learn which ones they prefer and then offer those nuts in the shell to see which ones they can shell.

[Pajarita]

IRN's don't really eat nuts. They have 'softer' beaks, like the ekkies do, because they mostly eat fruits and some little seeds.

[Toggsy]

IRN's don't really eat nuts. They have 'softer' beaks, like the ekkies do, because they mostly eat fruits and some little seeds.

confused ???
It was suggested that feed my IRN nuts in different thread now I'm being told they don't really eat nuts

[Wolf]

According to The World Parrot Trust they do eat nuts in the wild. Now that doesn't say what nuts nor how many nuts, just that they are a part of their natural diet. I suggested that you try a few tree nuts in the diet of your two IRNs along with gloop and fresh fruits and vegetables instead of so many seeds and pellets. Like seeds nuts are a source of both protein and fat, so you don't want to feed very many at any feeding, but they are also a source of several vitamin and minerals not found in seeds and it was due to the other vitamins and minerals that I suggested that you include a few in their diet. To be more specific you could try two or three pieces of shelled walnuts or perhaps one or two almonds per day. They will either eat them or not.
Unfortunately, there are very few foods that we feed our parrots that they actually have in their natural environment. That is because they simply are not available in most places so most of their food is a substitute for what they would naturally have to eat. I mostly give up to one or two tree nuts to my birds on any given day and mostly as a treat.

[Pajarita]

As far as I know, the only real tree nut that is native to India is the almond which is a soft nut, especially when green. The other nut that grows there -but it's introduced- is the cashew (native to Brazil) and which is also quite soft. There are palm trees and they do produce a fruit that is similar to a nut (we have them in my country, too) but, again, not hard-shelled like, say a walnut, would be.

Now, if one was to choose between nuts and seeds in terms of nutrition, usually, the nut would win hands down. But there are seeds that have better quality protein than nuts, like quinoa and hemp seed, for example. In any case, the trick to getting a bird to eat a rounded up diet is wide variety so, as long as you don't over do it with the protein intake, a bit of seed and a couple of soft nuts should do it.

[seagoatdeb]

There are differences of opinion on how to serve nuts, but what I do is give them the ones in the shell of the ones they can get open, even if I have to crack them to get them started so they can open. I serve nuts I have soaked or sprouted out of the shell. With Walnuts I crack them in half and give them to them still in the shell.

[Wolf]

I try to give them nuts in the shell mostly, but I watch when I first give them one to see how much difficulty they have with them and let that guide me for that bird. As a result there are some nuts that I offer shelled and others in the shell, it seems to me that if they can handle them in the shell that they enjoy the experience more.

[seagoatdeb]

They do love the nut in the shell experience. Mine even want to keep chewing on the shells when the nut part is gone.