Pumpkins?

[Randall]

I'll be craving a Halloween pumpkin tomorrow night and I'm sure that Gizmo my Senegal will be wanting to "help out"

Now Gizmo has never even seen a pumpkin before so I have no clue if he would like it anyways. Does anyone know if pumpkin is safe for parrots?

I will for sure be drying out some of the seeds for him to use at a latter date

Thanks

[Bird woman]

Be sure to wash the whole pumpkin throughly as they grow on the ground and yes pumpkin is good. BW

[liz]

Mine pick the seeds out of the mess coming from the pumpkin. It keeps then busy for a while.

[Pajarita]

My birds get butternut squash every single day and all kinds of squashes, pumpkins and calabazas as the veggie of the day. I cook them but I know a lady who gives them to her birds raw...

[Navre]

I read that sweet potatoes need to be cooked, but I think the squashes can be given raw. I give my birds butternut squash in their gloop. I buy frozen bags and just let it thaw. Pumpkin seems similar.

[Bird woman]

Really any root crop that grows in the ground or on the ground should be handled carefully. This is why peanuts and such foods that have porous exteriors and not smooth outer skin or shells should be handled and prepared properly as they could contain mold spores such as aspergillosis or botchulisum .all fresh foods should be washed regardless of what it is but there are several that need extra caution! BW

[Navre]

And meanwhile, entire colonies of seagulls thrive by eating at the dump!

[Bird woman]

After meal time it looks like mine made a garbage dump to eat out of! Maybe they share some genetic traits with the seagulls BW

[Randall]

So Gizmo was pretty afraid of the pumpkin once we started craving it, but once he figured out what was going on loved picking seeds out of the guts. He did eat some of the guts but seemed to prefer the seeds. He did not like the roasted seeds however!

All and all it was a successful night and I think Gizmo had as much fun as I did!

sorry the pictures are sideways! not sure how to rotate them

[Pajarita]

On the second one, he looks like he was the one carving it!