Parrots are like children. They completely rely on you to feed them the quality nutrition they need and deserve. The fact that you are on this page and learning more about what parrots can eat is a great thing and shows you care for your bird and want the best for them.
A common food my parrot loves are raisins, they are dried grapes and extremely nutrient-dense with there being so many quality vitamins and nutrients inside such a small food.
Can parrots eat raisins? Yes parrots can eat raisins, they are a completely safe food for your parrot to snack on. Not only are they safe for your parrot to eat but they provide your bird with so many different health benefits like better heart health, lower risk of disease due to the antioxidants in them, supports gastrointestinal health and many more things we are going to cover in this post.
However raisins aren’t perfect, like many fruits they contain a high natural sugar content so it’s important they don’t eat too many and you give them in moderation.
In this article I’m going to explain the various health benefits of raisins, any risks they pose and much more so read on!
What Benefits Do Raisins Give To Your Parrot?
Iron
Iron is found in raisins, a mineral that’s important for multiple functions in your parrots body. It helps with body temperature, improving and maintaining the immune system, helps with the digestive system and overall energy and focus.
It’s also important for the function of hemoglobin, a protein that helps get oxygen into the blood.
Potassium
Potassium is a mineral that many parts of your parrot body needs to function and work properly. They include the brain, nerves heart and muscles. Making potassium pretty important so it’s vital they get enough.
It’s also an electrolyte that manages how much water is in the body and helps with the body’s electrical system. Along with this potassium helps bring vital nutrients into the cells along with taking waste out at the same time.
Finally it helps counter sodium, leading to a lowered pressure.
Copper
Raisins also provide your parrot with a healthy dose of copper, an important mineral mainly found in seafood, fruits, nuts and vegetables.
The list of copper benefits for your parrot is almost endless it helps support your birds immune system, keep nerves healthy, helps absorb iron better, turn sugar into energy and makes red blood cells.
Vitamin B6
Raisins also contain vitamin B6, which brings a list of advantages your parrot can benefit from :
- Improved brain function
- Better mood due to vitamin B6 creating neurotransmitters that produce feel good chemicals like dopamine and serotonin.
- Better immune system function
- Creates hemoglobin
Manganese
Manganese is a trace mineral that helps with normal functioning of the brain, the nervous system and multiple of the body’s enzyme systems.
Improved Heart Health
Studies have shown that raisins can actually decrease the chance of getting heart disease, this is because they reduce blood sugar and blood pressure meaning less strain is put on your little feathered friends heart.
Lower Risk Of Disease
Compared to other fruits raisins have a high antioxidant presence, this is due to raisins being dried this in turn preserves a lot of the antioxidants that fresh fruits would lose.
In raisins they are called phytonutrients which have been shown to reduce the risk of getting cancer among other serious illnesses.
Supports Gastrointestinal Health
Due to raisins also containing fiber, they help with the digestive system to prevent things like constipation. In raisins there is also a thing called tartaric acid research has sown this protein can benefit the body by :
- Helping intestinal function
- Regulate the bacteria in the gut
- Provide anti-inflammatory properties
Are There Any Downsides To Feeding My Parrot Raisins?
Like most things in life too much of something can cause damage, even water in high amounts. Raisins are no different.
Stomach Problems
This is due to the fiber in raisins, it provides many health benefits to your parrots digestive system, although too much of it can make your bird sick in the form of : diarrhea, gas, bloating and stomach cramps.
Pesticides
Grapes that are sprayed with pesticides may still have some on them even after the drying process to make raisins. High amounts of pesticides aren’t good and can cause things like cancer so it’s best to go with organic raisins.
Weight Gain
Due to raisins contain many calories in a serving, it’s easy to lose track and overfeed your parrot leading to some unwanted weight gain, so depending on the size and activity level of your parrot you shouldn’t feed them too many.
What Other Foods Can I Give To My Parrot?
You know raisins 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!
Raisins For Parrots – Summary
Raisins are a great snack that your parrot can benefit from as they contain vitamins, nutrients and antioxidants that possess an array of health benefits for your feathered friends.
However they aren’t perfect and should only be treated as a snack and given in moderation. Your parrots diet should mainly consist of pellets, seeds and fruit and vegetables. Also try and use organic ingredients when possible.
I hope you found this article useful and your bird enjoys their new snack!
