Shredding Foods (greens) Vs. Eating Them

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Donovan
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Joined: Tue Oct 08, 2013 4:18 pm
Location: North Carolina

Shredding Foods (greens) Vs. Eating Them

Post by Donovan »

My IRN loves broccoli and collard greens, but he doesn't actually eat them. He destroys them. He reduces them into confetti.

Is he still getting the nutritional benefits?
(I assume he is because if he were shredding up something poisonous it would make him sick, so by that thinking i suspect that shredding up collards and broccoli will benefit his health)

I asked this on another site and they immediately told me i was poisoning him for giving him fresh vegetables and that he should be on nothing but pellets.

I have two issues with this:
- Eventual build up of certain vitamins in the body without the benefit of being properly derived from natural food sources (do your homework)
- And psychological value. Taking away his apples, greens, bread, rice, noodles, corn on the cob, popcorn, etc, would probably depress the hell out of him

The moment the other so-called expert started spouting off about how i was poisoning the bird for giving him vegetables from the grocery store and telling me i should give -only- pellets they lost all credibility with me. There is something to be said for quality of life. Why don't you just eat unsalted crackers for the rest of your life?

Anyway, again, is my IRN getting the nutritional benefits of collards and broccoli even though he's only destroying them?
MissK
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Joined: Sun Jul 22, 2012 3:46 pm
Location: Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A.

Re: Shredding Foods (greens) Vs. Eating Them

Post by MissK »

Hi Donovan,

If he plays with the food, sooner or later he may start eating. Might help if you grab a separate serving and chow down with him. Also may help if you offer him bits by hand in between eating your own. If you can arrange another bird to model eating the stuff, that would be ideal, as long as the other bird being there was acceptable to him.

Is he getting benefits? Well, I would think he would have to consume to get nutrition, but you are smack on about the physical and mental enrichment shredding veggies provides. Keep them coming!

In addition to Collards, try Kale, and Brussels Sprouts. These are all Cabbage family greens, and there are many others as well. Believe it or not, my Rocky prefers Kale for eating and Collards for shredding. I kid you not. Keep trying. It took a wee Budgie to teach Rocky to eat his vegetables.
Donovan wrote: I asked this on another site and they immediately told me i was poisoning him for giving him fresh vegetables and that he should be on nothing but pellets.
Thanks for that - we can all use a belly laugh from time to time!!!!
-MissK
Skyes_crew
Posts: 1946
Joined: Thu Feb 28, 2013 12:49 pm
Location: Hawaii

Re: Shredding Foods (greens) Vs. Eating Them

Post by Skyes_crew »

I was seriously rolling on the floor. And I probably can guess which forum you were on :lol:

If she believes that, I have a bridge I can sell her :lol:
I am owned by my birds...and I wouldn't have it any other way :D

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InTheAir
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Joined: Sat Jan 12, 2013 4:24 pm

Re: Shredding Foods (greens) Vs. Eating Them

Post by InTheAir »

It does you good to laugh!
Btw I shredded some kale with my teeth and I definitely got some of the juices in my mouth, yuck! I feel too healthy now.
Our irn loves red cabbage this week, he actually eats it not just shreds it.
Skyes_crew
Posts: 1946
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Location: Hawaii

Re: Shredding Foods (greens) Vs. Eating Them

Post by Skyes_crew »

InTheAir wrote:It does you good to laugh!
Btw I shredded some kale with my teeth and I definitely got some of the juices in my mouth, yuck! I feel too healthy now.
Our irn loves red cabbage this week, he actually eats it not just shreds it.
Additional uncontrollable laughing going on here...the image in my head of you shredding kale with your teeth.....priceless :mrgreen:
I am owned by my birds...and I wouldn't have it any other way :D

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InTheAir
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Joined: Sat Jan 12, 2013 4:24 pm

Re: Shredding Foods (greens) Vs. Eating Them

Post by InTheAir »

Next time Nila and I have a greens shredding contest I'll film it for you, Mel.

Donovan, the pellets we have been feeding recommend only feeding vegies as treats, like 80% pellets or more if I remember correctly (ringneck ate the packet). I don't know what type of bird they tested that stuff on, but our one loved pellets for less than a week before he explained to us on no uncertain terms that he would rather eat cardboard because pellets everyday is boring. :mrgreen: We were free feeding lots of veggies too.

Our avian vet recommends lots of leafy vegetables be provided, more for the enrichment of shredding than the nutrition though.

Regards,
Claire
Melika
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Re: Shredding Foods (greens) Vs. Eating Them

Post by Melika »

Hane also does not adore eating the greens. I mostly offer them for shredding, and figure he's probably getting something out of it, whether that is psychological or physical doesn't really matter to me because he simply enjoys it. :) I imagine that getting used to the flavour makes him more likely to take an actual nibble here and there.
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I've been called 'birdbrained' before, but somehow I don't think this is what they meant. say:hah-nay
Donovan
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Location: North Carolina

Re: Shredding Foods (greens) Vs. Eating Them

Post by Donovan »

So... for a long time Bell has really enjoyed tearing up collard greens... suddenly lately he wants nothing to do with them. So I decided to go back to some foods he ignored in the past... and it's been very successful.

I will say he doesn't seem to be eating these foods. He just tears them up as though they're great toys.

Today he's enjoying radishes, asparagus, and acorn squash..... a couple days ago it was cucumber and regular squash. All of these foods have to be hung up on little chains or wedged into something.. I can't just put them in his food bowl or he'll ignore them.

Something I spotted somewhere on this forum indicated that their tastes can change with the seasons, so i've decided to give him different stuff and it's working like a charm.

I can only assume that he is getting some nutritional value from shredding up these vegetables.

Most people say seeds during the day.. vegetables at night.. but i've learned that -my- bird is more willing to try new things in the morning than the evening. In the evening he is more concerned with seeing what -I- am eating
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