BellaOnline Forums Home and Garden Birds Lettuce for birds?????

Hi Mavis,
Can birds eat lettuce? I had read somewhere before not to give lettuce. I had already given Maggie lettuce before, with parsley etc. This is the first I've heard of this.
Also not to give too many lima beans.
Thought I would ask before I ever give her more. lol
Thanks
Dawn <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Well Dawn - diet is one area that I don't have a lot of experience with. My birds get their basic 2 pellet mixture and seeds along with a variety of veggies & fruits & a portion of whatever I'm eating. I have given some lettuce, but I don't think there is much, if any, nutritional value in it being mainly water. I've never given parsley, but I personally don't think there would be a problem with that. My birds don't get the bean mixes so I don't know the best or the worst of those. So - since I'm not a nutritional expert, I can't give any definite answers - I'm just letting you know what I THINK (& I could be wrong).

I think the main reason people don't offer lettuce is because of it's zero nutritional value. Try collard greens, parsley, cilantro, beet greens. Lima beans are ok, just make sure they are cooked some first. You can feed spinach, but because of the iron content you want to feed sparingly. conniem

Thanks for the info. I thought maybe it had something to do with nutritional value. I was giving her it from my salad. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Take Care
Dawn

Hello,
On the topic of diet I just wanted to question how much of the parrot food should be eaten in a day. I'm noticing that my amazon (Bert) doesn't eat a great big amount. I've notices he loves the sunflower seeds, pumkin seeds, the corn but doesn't touch much more than that. He may just eat more than I think I guess, but I expected to have to feed him that food more than I do. He loves to eat what I'm eating and I don't know if I should feed him less of mine so he eats a little more of the other. I know I was told to look out for runny poops and I find that a little hard because of the texture anyway. I'm always worried if something I give him would cause this. Any suggestions or comments are VERY welcome. Thank you very much. :rolleyes: Kim R.

Hi Kim, when you feed fruits/veggies this will make your birds poop watery. Do you have access to a gram scale? I weigh Miss P occasionally to see how much she weighs. I just fill her bowl every few days. She eats pellets, but the amount depends on what else she has that day. She gets fresh fruits/veggies and one day a week I give her seed. She has a tendency to be on the heavy side so I try and limit her seed....it is like a treat. I read once that you could check your birds chest and if the skin seemed a yellowish color then your bird was overweight. I have never tried that with Miss P, I tend to rely on her weight. But it is hard to judge eyeball weight with all of those feathers! If you are trying to get your bird to eat fruits and veggies you should try first thing in the morning. Take the normal diet out and put the new foods in for an hour or so and then put the normal diet in. Maybe someone else will have better advise for you! Connie

Thank you Connie:
My next question would be, "How much should an Amazon weigh?" Does anyone happen to know. :rolleyes: Thanks again. Kim R.

Hi Kim,
So many different types of Amazons, which can differ by weight. My Maggie a BF zon, is 450grams, my breeder said not to exceed 500. Now Joey the OW is bigger and heavier. Will Have to check his weight again. Also don't give too many sunflower seeds very fattening. I give them once in awhile for a treat.
I am checking what is a good weight for a Yellow.
Take Care
Dawn <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I have read that you can also test for overweight in a bird by gently feeling its chest. If the keel bone is prominent and sharp the bird is probably too thin, if you can't feel it at all then the bird is too fat.

Hi Kim,
This what I was told by my breeder.
There are 2 sub species,