A List of Toxic Foods for Birds

[Aban]

is this suppose to be a list for chickens too or just parrots? I was looking for a list of things my chickens can/can not eat.

 

[FaithVondras987]

I let my chicks and chickens free range and I give them many of these as treats, Iv had chickens for 5 years. None have died from any of these, and I get great tasting eggs. My hens have their likes and dislikes, I even feed them jalapeños from time to time. They do all their own scavenging, although yes people have their opinions on what should be fed to chicks and chickens. But it’s more of the how often and how much if u are using them as treats. My hen is given some of my scraps, and rarely gets cat food but steals some anyway. I also give her egg shells and oyster shells, I try to minimize how much we r wasting. She even eats pizza when I toss it to her

 

[Shaquawna]

This list is full of a things that I know are NOT toxic to birds..

Honey? What about all those seed sticks they sell in the stores? They're held together with dried honey and to add a sweeter flavor. I certainly wouldn't recommend feeding it as the sole source of food for the bird, but as a treat or part of a treat, its fine. My conures and cockatiels will nibble from a spoonful of honey without ill effects. They even make funny expressions trying to get it off their beaks.

Tea? My conures will actively steal any hibiscus tea I'm drinking (as well as anything else I drink) and they've taken sips of others with no ill effect.

Tomatoes? Papaya? Mangos? Grapefruit!? What do you think the wild birds in Latin america eat? Fruits are a main part of their diet and a method the trees use to spread their seeds! One of my fondest memories of my cockatiel (who is still alive after almost 20 years) was watching him attempt to feed papaya to his reflection.

Zucchini? Cactus? While probably not part of the birds normal diet, the edible varieties have nothing harmful in them to the bird. There's no harm in offering these as treats if the bird is interested.

Avocados.. well, certainly the pit is toxic to most animals (even people, I think), but the green flesh part can be safely eaten.

Bamboo Shoots? How would these be toxic? I could see an argument being made for them having no nutritional value, but I think they'd be a good way to alieve boredom and give the bird something to destroy.

Aloe Vera? That's not toxic.. its actually considered a natural remedy to alleviate feather picking... you squeeze the gel stuff directly from the leaf into their water.

Celery? Like the bamboo shoots, at most this is just empty calories since celery is mostly water anyway. My birds enjoy tearing celery sticks to shreds and making a mess from them.

Lettuce/Cabbage and Spinach? This is a recommended veggie to use if trying to get a bird to transition from a purely seed diet to eating some fresh greens. My birds like using the spinach bunches as a rope swing.

Meat? What's wrong with meat? Its just protein. They eat insects and small lizards in the wild if they can catch them. Small amounts of meat aren't going to hurt them. Mine have all eaten everything from pork, beef, chicken, turkey (I did call them cannibals), and fish.. although they weren't fans of the fish. Mind, they only ate small amounts, like a tiny strip that they pulled off with their beaks.

Insects? Insect larva? I'd certainly hesitate feeding them just any old bug I found, but there's no harm in feeding them insects from reputable sources. And that's saying the bird will even take them.. we offered the cockatiels a feeder cricket once, but they showed absolutely no interest in it. However, my sun conures go NUTS for dried or live mealworms.



Your list pretty much eliminates anything as a food for your bird. I really think you need to scrap it and start over from scratch. When/If you do, keep this in mind.. Anything in excess can be harmful for a bird (and the same thing goes for what you eat yourself). Most people (exempting those who have the time and know how to prepare fresh food for their bird every day) should feed their bird a quality commerical diet.. be it of seeds or pellets (I would personally recommend a mixed diet of seeds and pellets). This balanced diet should make up the majority of what they eat.

Anything else should only be offered in small amounts as treats or snacks. Keep in mind.. birds WANT variety. They don't want to look at the same thing day after day with no changes. Boredom will often lead to feather picking and screaming. Different fruits, both fresh and dried, keep life interesting. What you want to avoid are things like preservatives, dyes, and overly processed foods. If you slathered that chicken with barbucue sauce and who knows what else.. its no longer a wholesome treat for your bird. If you just baked the chicken with a few herbs, a tiny bite or two isn't going to harm your bird and might even be appreciated.

The only problem I can see with the foods I've pulled from your list are that you may not be sure of the place you're purchasing them from. Are you worried the grocer might have drowned those green leafy vegetables and fruits in pesticides?

I agree I feed my chickens almost everything in moderation and they are all fine and it's February 2025 and all are still laying they didn't stop

 

[Perris]

hello @Shaquawna - welcome to BYC

This thread is a decade old so you may not get a reply from Moonkit. It's pretty obvious from the replies that the OP (original poster) was clueless about the topic they presumed to post on, so I wouldn't worry about any of the things they said.

 

[Finchbreeder]

Well I know that green seeding grasses are good for caged birds of any kind, because I have been growing them and feeding them to mine for over 30 yrs. So I will continue to do so, and encourage you to do so also.