Protein opinions please

[lovemyGreys]

My supplier has just started selling a new product of protein treats,would like to know if anyone else has feed their greys anything similar to this ? Below is a brief description.

 

 

It has always been important to give all parrots a source of protein in their diet. With this product made from chicken you can easily feed a small amount of protein as a treat which they will love. Simply give them two pieces of Protein Natural a day to a parrot such as an African Grey or Amazon to balance your parrots diet. The 100g pot contains over 200 pieces and is made from approximately 500g of dehydrated chicken. £3.95 100G.

[Guest Lidia]

Personally, I'd prefer to give them the occasional piece of chicken, nuts on a daily basis (almonds are particularly good), and small amounts of cheese. I also give my Joshua meat (both raw and cooked) occasionally (except pork, because it can have parasites in it that are not killed by the cooking process).

 

Dehydrated bits of chicken is all very well, but who knows how it has been prepared (and meat used for animal feed is not always high quality) or even what part of the chicken it comes from. I'd give it a miss personally, there are easier and fresher ways to give your bird protein.

[judygram]

I agree, Lidia, I give Josey small pieces of chicken and other meats on almost a daily basis, and of course the little bits of cheese, of which she goes nuts for.

I would be skepical of the dehydrated chicken, too, as fresh is always best.

[lovemyGreys]

Thanks They do have nuts & adore the cheese which they get as a treat, i will try them with the meat.

[judygram]

One note of warning, give the cheese sparingly, they do not handle the dairy very well, it should be an occasional treat, not a daily staple.

[lovemyGreys]

Thanks, they only have a small cube of cheese as a treat about once a fortnight & that's the only dairy product they have,

My little rescue Coco who has been with me just 3 weeks was fed yogurt by her previous owners !boy did i have to bite my tongue :angry:

[judygram]

Now I don't really know the reason why and I am sure one of the members knows, but it is ok to feed them some yogurt, even good for them in small amounts. Maybe it has something to do with the live cultures, I am not sure.

[lovemyGreys]

I always thought yogurt was bad for them, I also belong to a UK forum & i know that no one there feeds their greys yogurt, that's why i wanted to join a second forum that didnt just exist of us Brits,I really wanted to broaden my knowledge & get other peoples experiences & opinions from outside the UK

[Guest Lidia]

Low fat, natural yoghurt is fine, but most yoghurt is fine for them. Judy, it is the live cultures, you're right, karma for thou! As with anything, you just have to do things in moderation because they are lactose intolerant.

[lovemyGreys]

Thank you lidia, i know that greys are lactose intolerant & thats why i have never fed yoghurt, but as with many things in moderation its ok.

[Guest Lidia]

lovemyGreys wrote:

I always thought yogurt was bad for them, I also belong to a UK forum & i know that no one there feeds their greys yogurt

 

There is always more than one way of looking at things, and I kind of feel a little sad about these forums that have what is effectively, an "official line" concerning foods. This usually manifests in the seed -v- pellets diet, but extends to other things.

 

My sense is that moderation in all things (for our birds) is the way to go. My lovely eighteen year old Joshua has been brought up since babyhood on a diet of seed, fruits and vegetables and a bit of whatever I'm having myself! He is a beautiful, healthy, strong bird and I'm sure he'd be exactly the same whether his staple was seed (as it is) or pellets. It's variety in the diet that makes the difference in terms of nutritional balance.