Potatoes are loved in many households across the planet, the cheap price combined with how easy it is to grow them out your back make them a popular food for many. Another reason why potatoes are a favorite is the variety in which they can be cooked. For example you can have baked, mashed and roast potatoes.
I was having some steak and potatoes for dinner last night and I usually give my Parrot some scraps if it’s something I know he’s allowed to eat. However I wasn’t too sure what the verdict is so I did what any Parrot parent would do and researched it! Here’s what I found.
Can Parrots eat potatoes? Yes Parrots can eat potatoes and they won’t harm your bird however there’s not much nutritional value in them and should be treated as a snack for your Parrot every few weeks.
Potatoes are more of a filler food than something your Parrot needs in its diet to get the quality vitamins and nutrient it needs.
Read on to find out about the nutritional information, how they should be cooked for your Parrot and other important information you should know about feeding your Parrot potatoes.
Potato Benefits For Parrots
We know potatoes aren’t a great source of nutrition for our Parrots, but why? Let’s take a closer look at the nutritional content.
One medium baked potato (6.1 ounces or 173 grams)
| Calories | 161 |
| Fat | 0.2g (grams) |
| Protein | 4.3g (grams) |
| Fiber | 3.8 (grams) |
| Carbohydrates | 36.6g (grams) |
The first thing that should stand out to you is the amount of calories in one medium baked potato, a whopping 161 calories! Feeding your Parrot potatoes regularly is a one way ticket to a fat bird, especially if they aren’t particularly active.
Potatoes, as you can see are pretty high in carbohydrates. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing as carbs provide your bird with energy to play with you and not act like a zombie. However like most things in life moderation is key and too much carbohydrates will have a negative effect on your Parrot.
Something I make sure to look out for when I’m introducing something to my birds diet is the vitamins in a certain food. However the lack of vitamins in potatoes pretty much guarantee for me that my Parrot doesn’t need them as a staple food in his diet.
How You Should Feed Potatoes To Your Parrot
If you are going to feed your Parrot potatoes then make sure you cook them first. This is because raw potatoes are very starchy, meaning the starch tends to lie in the intestines which can go bad and ferment leading to a sick bird.
Another reason to cook your Parrots potatoes is that raw potatoes contain enzyme prohibitors that stops the food from breaking down in nutrients, making it harder to digest.
After you’ve fully cooked your potatoes it’s time to decide how you want to serve them to your Parrot.
Are There Any Risks To Feeding Your Parrot Potatoes?
The only risks that come from feeding your Parrot potatoes is if you don’t cook them which I’ve covered in the paragraph above.
What Other Foods Can Your Parrot Eat?
You know potatoes are safe for your Parrot to eat but if you’re like me then your always looking for new foods to improve your Parrots diet to create some variety and and include vital things that aren’t already in your birds diet.
So what other foods can your Parrot eat?
- Fruit & Vegetables
Foods like asparagus, broccoli, carrots, peppers, bananas, blueberries and pineapples are all fine and encouraged for your Parrot to eat.
- Nuts
Things like almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, pistachios and walnuts can be fed to your parrot. Just be wary of the fat content in some of them so they may need to be treated as a snack for your Parrot. We don’t want them getting fat!
Potatoes For Parrots – Final Thoughts
We know that there is nothing harmful about feeding our Parrots potatoes however after this article it should be obvious that they shouldn’t be too involved in your Parrots diet due to the lack of good nutrition and vitamins. If your Parrot loves potatoes that much and you have no choice but to feed it them, keep them in their diet but only as a snack.
There are many other vegetables you can replace potatoes with that are going to benefit your bird so much more.
Related reading : Can parrots eat carrots?