Peanuts and Corn maybe causing Plucking and Hormonal issues
The problems with peanuts (which are not actually a nut, but a legume that grows underground) lies not so much in their fat content, which is average compared to tree nuts, or their nutritional content, which is also good, but in the fact that they harbor mycotoxins & aflatoxin, a fungal toxin that can cause cancers, liver damage, and the potentially fatal respiratory disease Aspergillosis. This fungus is in the soil the peanuts grow in. Most of the fungus is found on the peanut shell, but some is on the nut itself. Roasting peanuts reduces but does not eliminate these toxins. Anecdotally, some parrot owners have reported that their birds have allergic reactions to peanuts, causing feather destructive behaviors. If you choose to give peanuts to your parrot, ONLY give human grade, out of the shell, roasted, unsalted peanuts, and keep this to a very few only for special treats.
The better choice would be to introduce your parrot to a variety of healthy tree nuts. Most tree nuts are excellent sources of vitamin E, essential fatty acids, protein, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium. Due to their high oil content, nuts in the shell should be stored in a cool dry place. Out of the shell nuts should be refrigerated or frozen in airtight containers until ready to use, to prevent them from becoming rancid. Any nut with mold, fungus, or unusual discoloration on the shell should be discarded.
Almonds contain 54 grams fat per 100, contain the highest amounts of calcium and fiber of all nuts.
Brazil nuts contain 67 grams fat per 100, are an excellent source of selenium, a mineral important for the immune system.
Cashews contain 46 grams of fat per 100, contain twice as much iron as most nuts, are also a good source of zinc, essential for the immune system and healthy skin, contain magnesium and copper which help prevent heart disease . Cashews contain a small amount of oxalates, so should be used in moderation.
Hazelnuts contain 62 grams of fat per 100, are high in both manganese and vitamin E.
Macadamia nuts contain 72 grams of fat per 100, contain the highest levels of monounsaturated fats of all nuts which help to reduce unhealthy cholesterol levels, and are an essential part of the diet of Hyacinth Macaws.
Pecans contain 74 grams of fat per 100, are high in flavonoids with support a healthy immune system.
Pistachios contain 54 grams of fat per 100, are high in carotenoids and lutein which are an anti-oxidants usually found in green leafy vegetables and brightly colored fruit, which reduce cholesterol, are exceptionally high in the critical vitamin A.
Pine Nuts contain 47 grams of fat per 100, are a good source of manganese, and are high in antioxidants.
Walnuts contain 65 grams of fat per 100, have the highest concentration of Omega3 of all nuts. Omega 3 is required by every cell in the body for rebuilding and producing new cells, the key building blocks of brain cells and nerve tissue, and aids in the assimilation of the fat soluble vitamins. Walnuts are a rich source of protein, at 24% total protein which is higher than that found in eggs.
Mycotoxins: The Hidden Hormone Danger in Our Human Food Supply.
Over 30 years ago, scientists observed mycotoxin contaminated animal feed (grains) interfering with normal sexual development in young female pigs, resulting in estrogenic syndromes and precocious puberty. Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced by organisms of the fungi kingdom, commonly known as molds.
The Science of Total Environment found that the estrogen-disrupting mycotoxin known as zearalenone (ZEA), produced by the microscopic fungus Fusarium graminearum, was detectable in the urine of 78.5% of New Jersey girls sampled, and that these Zea-positive girls, aged 9 and 10 years, “tended to be shorter and less likely to have reached the onset of breast development.”mycotoxins-the-hidden-hormone-danger-in-our-food-supply
Interestingly, derivatives of ZEA mycotoxin have been patented as oral contraceptives. Also, according to a recent article “[zearalenone] has been widely used in the United States since 1969 to improve fattening rates in cattle by increasing growth rate and feed conversion efficiency. Evidence of human harm from this practice is provided by observations of central precocious puberty. As a result, this practice has been banned by the European Union.” Other research has confirmed the link between mycotoxins and premature puberty.
Pigs fed zearalenone contaminated corn fed pigs has resulted in estrogenic syndromes including uterine enlargement, swelling of the vulva and mammary glands, and pseudopregnancy,
There are already over 40 mycotoxins of great enough concern to be subject to regulation by over 100 countries.[vii] And yet, most of these have not been fully characterized or evaluated for their potential health risks.
Aflatoxins are highly carcinogenic (cancer-causing) toxins produced by certain Aspergillus species. Aflatoxin contamination is especially common in poorly stored foodstuffs, especially peanuts and corn (maize). Animal studies have linked foodborne zearalenone exposure to a wide range of reproductive health problems including infertility, low birth weight, birth defects, and major hormonal changes.
Parrot food list
- Most domestic birds are deficient in vitamin A, food that have lots of Vit A are red or orange vegetables (carrots, sweet potatoes, red peppers, squash, mango, papaya) and dark green leafy vegetables (spinach, broccoli, collards)
- Spinach contains oxalic acid, which binds with the calcium and reduces its absorption. So, spinach should probably be fed less frequently than other leafy greens.
- 3/4 cup of collard greens contains as much if not more calcium, then is found in one cup of cow’s milk.
- African Grey Parrots in particular need higher amounts of calcium and Vitamin A in their diet. So, ensuring that these birds get their leafy greens is a crucial aspect of a healthy diet.
Your parrot can eat the following vegetables:
Amaranth – raw or cooked
Asian Vegetables
Asparagus
Beans
Beets
Bell Pepper
Berlotti beans
Black-eyed Peas
Broad beans
Brussel Sprouts
Bok Choy
Broccoli
Butternut Squash
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Ceylon spinach
Chickpeas
Collards
Common Beans
Cilantro
Celery leaves not stalks too stringy
Collard greens
Courgettes
Cucumbers
Dandelion greens
Endive
Garbanzo beans
Garden Rocket
Green Beans
Hemp
Hot peppers
Kale
Lentils
Lima Beans
Mung Beans
Mustard greens
Navy Beans
Okra
Pak Choy
Parsley
Peas sprouts/leaves
Pinto Beans
Red Chilies
Span Peas
Snow Peas (Raw)
Sorrel
Spinach (see above)
Squash
Sweet Potato Raw/cooked
Sprouted Seeds
Swiss Chard
Tomato (fruit only not the leaves or stem, also not too many, too much acid)
Winter squashes
Watercress
Winter grass
Wheatgrass
Zucchini
Your parrot can eat the following fruit:
Apples
Apricot
Bananas
Grapes
Blueberries
Blackberries
Black Currant
Cherries (no Seeds)
Coconut
Crabapples
Cranberries
Dates
Dragon Fruit
Fig
Oranges (not too many, too much acid)
Gooseberry
Grape
Grapefruit
Guava
Huckelberry
Honey dew
Mango
Nectarine
Papaya
Passion fruit
Peaches
Pumpkins
Orange
Papaya
Paw Paw
Peach
Pear
Plume/Prune
Pineapple
Pomegranate
Purple Mangosten
Raspberries
Rock Mellon
Serviceberries
Starfruit
Strawberries
Tangerine
Watermelon
Blossoms such as sandpaper fig hawthorn cotoneaster (pyracantha) berries and blossoms of the grevillea (bottlebrush) shrubs.
Fresh greens such as dandelion including the roots and flowers
Foods that should never be fed to your bird include:
Alcohol
Apple Seeds
Avocado
Cassava (tapioca)
Chocolate or cocoa
Coffee
Dairy products
Fatty foods or takeaway, e.g. Chinese food, beware of additives such as MSG, preservatives and un natural flavors
Meat (very little) especially raw
Peanuts
Rhubarb
Soft Drinks
Not too many Sunflowers seeds
Fruit seeds and pits When giving fruit, make sure to remove seeds or pits, as they can be toxic
Onions
Xylitol
We do our best with our Birds if you are going to feed Corn use Human grade another great food list is Food Pyramid for Parrots We now Carry Bird Street Bistro Organic Healthy Food Christine’s Chop Shop Tops Food and Pellets Organic Hemp, Milk Thistle and Safflower Seeds