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I just read a really good thread about good food/bad food, but couldn't ask a question there as the thread is locked.

There are a lot of fruits which are good for IRNs, but their seeds are toxic. Kiwi fruit is mentioned as a good food, but no mention of the seeds. I've been feeding Merlin kiwis for a couple of days now, but only giving him the flesh. Is it OK to feed him the whole thing?

The abovementioned thread also mentions tomatoes, but is that just the plant and seeds, or ANY part of the tomato?

It looks to me from the lists I've been reading that, as a general rule of thumb, Fruit seeds are taboo, vegetable seeds are OK. Would that be an accurate summation?

If my assumption is in the ballpark, what about passionfruit? The albino ringneck we met camping - passionfruit was his favourite. I didn't ask, but I assumed the owner meant the whole fruit?

passion fruit is fine
not sure about tomatoes
kiwi fruit is fine too

bec wrote:passion fruit is fine
kiwi fruit is fine too

What about the seeds of the above?

I just gave my two house boys tomatoes with seeds, it doesnt seem to bother them.I also give them kiwi fruit with seeds. I take the seeds out with papaya though, im not sure if they are ok.

muz wrote: It looks to me from the lists I've been reading that, as a general rule of thumb, Fruit seeds are taboo, vegetable seeds are OK. Would that be an accurate summation?

If your 'vegetable' has seeds - it's a fruit regardless of what category we put it in the supermarket.

The only seeds that I know of that you have to watch out (at least in fruits) for are the hard shelled seeds like in apples - they have cyanide in the seed coat. Softer seeds like tomato and passionfruit are fine.

But I have been known to be wrong before!!

Never feed any part of a tomato plant or green unripe tomato fruit (tomato is a member of the nightshade family). Fresh, ripe tomatoes are fine. I've read that some avian enthusiasts are cautious about feeding too much tomato on the basis that it might be too acidic. I've never seen anything about toxicity in the seeds besides this: Sprouted tomato seeds are poisonous.

Kiwi and passionfruit are fed with the seeds intact. I have not come across anything saying they are toxic as of yet.

Iv never fed tomatoes i thought they were toxic but i might try them now as people feed them to thier IRN's.
Im pretty sure kiwi fruit and passion fruit are fine. My breeding pair of IRN's love them both!
They dont eat the skin of the kiwi fruit but they do with the passion fruit

I dont give mine very much tomatoes, just the little bit that is left over.

Koko has a small cherry tomato at least every second day. I never thought of them as being bad for her.

Hi Guys, I gave my IRN a watermelon fruit, is it ok to give them? I just try a while ago

vheejhay wrote:Hi Guys, I gave my IRN a watermelon fruit, is it ok to give them? I just try a while ago

Yup, it's fine. Just like grapes though watermelon is mostly water and sugar so is mostly a treat food for me.

Melika wrote:

vheejhay wrote:Hi Guys, I gave my IRN a watermelon fruit, is it ok to give them? I just try a while ago

Yup, it's fine. Just like grapes though watermelon is mostly water and sugar so is mostly a treat food for me.

i give it to my birds sliced and frozen on realy hot days they love it its like birdie popcicles!!!!!