Nuts, as food that is.

[entrancedbymyGCC]

So, the dry food mix that Scotty has been eating has pellets and extruded nuggets of various sorts, banana chips, cinnamon, star anise, pistachios and almonds. He seems to pick out his favorite bis an is particularly fond of the nuts. In fact, we bought him some additional nuts (human grade in shell) and I think if we aren't careful he'll stop eating everything else! He really likes them and he seems to enjoy cracking them, so they work as a toy as well.

I have read two very different viewpoints on feeding nuts. One is that Capes should be fed a LOT of them (Both Eb Cravens and Jean Pattison seem to have said this) and another is that nuts are prone to be contaminated and should be avoided or shelled. Does anyone have any further insight into this?

[Azure Hanyo]

I give my caique nuts, she loves them. I give them to her whole and fresh, except almonds because she can't quite open them herself. However, I make them treats due to fat content, and if she is particularly active one day she gets some extras with her daily feed. I know this isn't helpful at all... Just showing support.

[Rue]

I feed nuts too. The birds have too much fun eating them, they`re good nutrition AND it`s part of their enrichment.

I can`t worry about every possible contaminant...but I do smell the nuts to make sure I can`t detect anything moldy on them or otherwise unpleasant. I also inspect individual nuts to make sure they`re not already cracked, where they could prove to be a source of bacteria, or have spoiled...

[Michael]

Let's clarify some things first.

A) This is specific to Cape Parrots and not for all parrots
B) I wouldn't go so far as to say "a lot" of nuts but they can definitely have more than usual for other similarly sized parrots.

The rule of thumb Jean Pattison told me is an almond a day as part of the diet. Sometimes a different nut can be used in place such as a walnut. Beyond that, nuts should be treated as treats as for any other parrot. So if I'm giving my Senegal about 5 nuts a month, then that is the same bonus the Cape gets. The only reason he gets more now is cause of injury. Otherwise I serve the one diet nut in pieces as training treats.

Cape Parrots require the higher fat content that is normally terrible for other parrots.

[Azure Hanyo]

In all fairness I DID specify that I was in no way helpful...

[Michael]

Peanuts are the ones you have to particularly worry about fungus in the shells. For a Cape Parrot, let me correct that, for any Poicephalus Parrot, peanuts are a joke.

For a Cape Parrot, an Almond hardly presents any challenge at all. You gotta step it up to walnuts. Thus far Truman has not been able to break a walnut entirely on his own, but if I get a crack going, he can rip the thing into a pulp in under an hour.

[entrancedbymyGCC]

YEah, Scotty found the almonds no challenge, but a hazelnut took awhile to open and he needed help with the walnut. Yes, we gave him too many nuts at one time!

How MUCH does Truman eat. I kind of feel like Scotty is eating less than Scooter. We'll get a weight at the vet's today and I'll start working with him on the kitchen scale so we can see if he's maintaining.

[Michael]

Between Jean and I, the consensus is that Cape Parrots don't eat very much. They barely eat any more than a Senegal Parrot although thrice the mass. They have a slower heat loss and metabolism so they get by on roughly the same amount of food.

[pchela]

My guys get nuts pretty often. They are hidden as foraging treats and are in shell so it's an additional forage opportunity.

I'd say they each get an almond, pistachio and a couple of pine or cedar nuts each day. Pine nuts are the favorite.

Jardine's apparently also require a higher fat diet. I've read to supplement with olive or other oils but that seems like so much fat!

[67gtonut]

Buddy loves nuts....

Ceder nuts and Almonds.... Gets a few Almonds a night.... keeps him quiet

Loves the peanuts, but just too easy to go thru..... gotta keep him challanged!!