The peanut debate

[dblhelix]

This link has some good info (I think) about the "peanut debate", with the aflatoxin concern etc. Have a look at the peanut link and see what you think...

 

http://www.parrothouse.com/nutrition.html<br><br>Post edited by: dblhelix, at: 2007/08/13 08:09

[Guest Lidia]

I pretty much agree with the article, there can be a too much scaremongering about 'potential' dangers and there are MANY potential dangers in food we all regularly give our birds aside from peanuts.

 

A dose of common sense would suggest you have a look at what you're feeding your bird before you feed it. This will usually eliminate possible problems with peanuts.

 

I would also suggest sniffing the food to see if it smells all right.

 

Actually, this is one of the reasons I don't use pellets (aside from the difficulty in acquiring them regularly here in Ireland), because I suspect that highly scented foods can mask any noxious smells. Smell is an important thing to keep an eye (nose) on.

 

Our AGs are pretty robust birds, if they are healthy. And quite sensible and intelligent. They won't usually touch something that seems "off" to them.

 

I'll be putting a fairly lengthy food FAQ into the FAQ section sometime this week (it's turning out to be a major opus and I want to edit it down to something readable).

 

Thanks for the link.<br><br>Post edited by: Lidia, at: 2007/08/13 12:08

[danmcq]

Thanks for the link Mark.

 

I agree that the alarm raised by some people of Peanuts and other products are simply over reaction and doomsday type scare tactics.

 

It all boils down to common sense.

 

I eat and love peanuts as do most all people and they are contained in thousands of products consumed by us Humans everyday.

 

If people want to stop feeding peanuts based upon the scare posts and articles, then they should research all food articles. They will be shocked at the "Possible" health risks involved with everything.

 

Everything we consume has a "Potential" to be lethal for various reasons.

 

My personal belief is to just use balance and common sense. :laugh:

[lovemyGreys]

A good link dblhelix, I'm sure the "peanut debate " will be one that rumbles on & on !

Personally my greys have peanuts, always human grade.

I'm sure as with many foods there is always potential dangers, i think human common sense is one of the best judges.

It is also up to the individual to weigh up the pros & cons with the information available & then they can make an informed choice.

[dblhelix]

I agree with Lidia's post regarding our Greys in general. Time and time again I see reference to how "sensitive" or "delicate" Greys are. I think this sensitivity is also over stated. Don't get me wrong, Greys have some special care needs for sure and owners must be educated (along with common sense), but any animal with avg life expectancy of 50+ years is not delicate, on the contrary they are quite robust.

[judygram]

This brings up some interesting debate material, for I am one of those who do not feed peanuts because of the danger of the presence of aflatoxin in them. I have heard from so many sources that I should not be giving them to my grey. I may read more on this and possibly change my mind about feeding peanuts, I know Josey would probably love them.

[Snow]

well, I am not an experienced Gray owner but I was a parrot breeder before..

 

I believe that it's like anything else.. don't feed in excess of anything!

 

Our birds, and now our Grey, gets some peanuts but they are limited to just a few a week. But then, I don't feed him anything excessively and his diet is wide ranging.

 

I still can't get him to do more than nibble once in a great while on pellets though. I finally decided he might know something I don't so we are trying a new brand today.

[judygram]

Thats a good idea, Snow, there are many brands out there and he might just like another kind, just keep trying and one day he will eat them. Try mixing them in with seeds and see if he eats some by mistake, or try soaking them in some juice, some of the members have had success getting them to eat them that way.

[danmcq]

Good advice Judy, I mix in some Sunflower seeds with Dayo's fruity smelling fruit shaped pellet food.

 

Dayo eats some of the Pellets that way.

 

I want to ensure he is getting all his vitamins and minerals that may be lacking in the fruits, vegetables, seeds and nuts I give him.

[judygram]

Dan, I would try to give Dayo some Harrison's High Potency pellets and see if he will eat them, thats what I feed Josey, organic and very nutritious.

[danmcq]

Yes, I may try some Harrisons. After he finishes the zupreme I presently have. Which is what the Breeder was feeding along with seeds, fruits, veggies etc.

 

But, as you saw in Harrisons contents, Sunflower seeds and peanuts ground up were the #1 and #2 main ingredients.

 

So why not just feed them the real deal? :laugh:<br><br>Post edited by: danmcq, at: 2007/08/15 20:08

[judygram]

You got a point there, Dan, why not feed them the real deal. Maybe that is why they eat them so readily. Hmm, hmm, got me thinking, and that is not easy to do.

[danmcq]

:-) Thinking is good Judy :-)

 

That is my question? Seems healthier and more natural for them to me.

 

But, maybe I am missing something???

[dblhelix]

I dont think you are missing anything. Its all about balance, common sense and staying away from the few true no no's (like avocado). Pellets are a good way to attain balance (based on current, but changing data) that most people from the "old" school would never achieve by a seed only diet. However, if seeds are supplemented with nuts, rice, grains, veggies, fruit etc then you not only get a good balance, but arguably better than any one pellet alone could ever be. Birds do not find "pellets" in the wild. Natural unprocessed foods no doubt contain components that may well be missing in a pellet, simply due to the procesing involved.

 

I think that pellets are great for many owners, but they are not a requirement and I agree...look at the ingredients in there...if peanuts are bad, then pellets are bad! I say feed em fresh, in moderation with reasonable measure to ensure they have no fungus, just like you need to do for about everything else fed to them and us!!

[Guest Lidia]

I agree, it's all about a balanced diet and the way you achieve that balance doesn't really matter.

 

I think part of the pellet thing is the PR push to get people to commit to a way of feeding their pets that ties them to a company or brand. Not that the pellets aren't a good basic diet, just that they are by no means a necessary part of the diet if you're providing balance and variety by other means.

 

The fact, as Dan pointed out, that the two main ingredients of the various brands (including Harrisons) is crushed or chopped peanuts and sunflower seeds proves this point.

 

The seed mix that I give Joshua, for instance, contains many types of seeds and varieties of sunflower, including safflower, millet, grains, groats, oats, dried corn, pine nuts, some peanuts, chillies, pellets, dried fruit, nuts, peas, and a number of other things. Along with the fresh vegetables and fruit and other stuff Joshua gets every day, I think this is a pretty comprehensive balanced diet and, more to the point, he thrives on it.

 

I've never liked the idea of being tied to a manufacturer or a brand, either for human or bird food.

 

My tuppence worth.:whistle:<br><br>Post edited by: Lidia, at: 2007/08/16 11:30

[danmcq]

Thank You both Mark and Lidia :-)

 

Very well put and informative.

 

I am on the same page and will continue offering a plethora of seeds, nuts, fruits, veggies, pasta and have pellets mixed in with it.

 

It's interesting to watch Dayo eat. He will eat something one day and then eat something the next.

 

Much like us humans not wanting to eat the same thing all the time.

 

This is a great Topic and perhaps should be put up with a posty?

[Guest Lidia]

danmcq wrote:

This is a great Topic and perhaps should be put up with a posty?

 

ALLEY OOOOP AND SHAAAAAAZAAAM! Consider it done!{Characters-00020078}<br><br>Post edited by: Lidia, at: 2007/08/16 14:58

[danmcq]

Wow Lidia - Your pretty fast with one wooden leg and an Eye patched over ....

 

Thanks!!!

[birdgranna]

At the moment I have a sick Amazon, who has been on medication for 2 months so far for Aspergillosis. She got this from peanuts in the shell. She is old and is hypothroid so was more vulnerable than my other parrots. Aspergillosis has a high mortality rate. My girl is holding her own but her lungs did collapse and that has left her weak. She seems to be rallying round. My girl is not going to add to the mortality rate as we are going to beat this. Also, the daily med doses with the towel is one we both hate and she is hesitant to step up at all now. It is so not worth the treat of a peanut.

 

Jackie

[lovemyGreys]

birdgranna,I am sorry to hear about your amazon, & i do hope that the treatment & your determination & love for your bird will beat this.

 

Peanut shells and peanuts can carry concentrations of spores from the aspergillus mold.LIke many things. there is always a risk.I personally feed nuts as i have said before, always out of the shell & human grade quality.It is a personal choice.

 

I will do a new thread on Aspergillosis, so the information is available for members to make an informed decision.

[Falconeer]

Hi all,

 

What if we roast the peanuts at home? Or atleast freeze them for 48 hours and then put them in a pre-heated oven to kill anything that was on it.

 

I think that would kill any fungus/mold whatever on the peanut shells. I do the freezing bit with all the seed mix I buy.

[lovemyGreys]

Hi Falconeeer heres a link to read about roasting nuts

 

http://www.greyforums.net/forums/bird-food/27169-monkey-nuts-do-u-cook-yours.html

[Falconeer]

Hey, thanks for the link buddy!

 

The bottom line of that post is that we can roast the peanuts and all will be fine. Makes sense too.

 

Answers my question too.

 

Thanks!

[lovemyGreys]

No problem , Anything you are unable to find just give me a yell :laugh:

[chapala]

We all decide what is appropriate to feed our birds. I rarely feed peanuts, because almonds and other nuts provide better nutrition. They can't have that many nuts or the diet becomes way too high in fat, so I choose the ones (almonds first, walnuts second, and others a distant third) that I think are best. Almonds are a source of Calcium among other nutrients. Kali though learned the Spanish word for peanut (cacahuate) when I first got him and treated with peanuts. He still calls ALL nuts cacahuates!

Reta