Organic Red Palm Oil

[Nikomania]

I just picked some of the organic RPO from our local health food. I was wondering how much I can safely give to my fids? Is it a good supplement for all of them? Can I give it to them daily?

Do you add it to their water, pellets (most of my fids don't like pellets) or drizzle it over their fresh fruit & veggies?

Thanks!

 

[Karen]

I frost baked birdie bread with it. My birds get a piece every day with their dinner.

 

[wonderb]

Don't add to water-- as an oil it will just pool in the water. I add to mash or birdie bread. They only need a very small amount, depending on how often you feed it. Harrison's recommends 0.06 mL per 100 grams of body weight for their RPO products.

 

[Hankmacaw]

RPO is good for all parrots. probably with your bunch it would be easiest to just dribble some over their fresh fruits and vegetables. With Jasper (1100gm macaw) I bake it into her bird bread and give her .3ml along with her .3ml milk thistle by syringe every morning.

 

[KimKim]

I pour it in a Tupperware and put it in the fridge. Then I give them each a tiny chunk (about the size of a small bean or a pea) with their chop in the mornings. They both LOVE it this way, it's the first thing they eat!

 

[pajarita]

I never use it, my birds get enough betacarotene in their daily diet and too much of a good thing can be as bad as too little (yes, betacarotene, too). But, even if it was 100% proven that it's a 'miracle' oil -which is not, I still would not feed it to my birds. I love all animals, not only birds and I would not endanger one species just to offer another something that can be easily replaced by another product that won't cause any harm (sweet potatoes, carrots, melons, etc) - see this: Red Palm Oil Touted By Dr. Oz As A Diet Miracle Could Lead To ‘War On Orangutans’

 

[Hankmacaw]

Far more important than the betacarotene in RPO are the Omega 3 & 9 and the unsaturated oils

 

[pajarita]

Easy piecey lemon squeezy! A little flax seed, a little sesame seed (also for methionine!), a nice half a pecan, a drizzle of olive oil every now and then and voila! Omega 3 and 9 without killing orangutans or destroying the environment!

 

[Karen]

without killing orangutans or destroying the environment!

Good point. Everyone should be sure to only purchase Organic RPO from sources where no animal or environment is harmed; only buy sustainable red palm oil. Most organic companies will clearly state in their advertising that they only use certified sustainable oil.
This is just a few of many:
Organic Red Palm Oil - Nutiva
Responsibility | Palm Oil and Health | Earth Balance
Virgin Red Palm Oil - Tropical Traditions
Natural Red Palm Oil » Wilderness Family Naturals

 

[Nikomania]

Oh wow. That's a disturbing article. I purchased this oil because of the lack of palm nuts in my CAG's diet. Fortunately I'd purchased a sustainable oil.

 

[Karen]

Fortunately I'd purchased a sustainable oil.

I thought they were all sustainable now, at least all the organic ones.

 

[Bokkapooh]

I buy Avitech's. I believe it has the " sustainable" on it.

Id hate to buy something that kills wild cockatoos

 

[pajarita]

Well, the 'sustainable' label is tricky because the ONLY thing it means is that the product can continue to be harvested with little impact on the environment - which sounds great, doesn't it? - but it doesn't mean that the initial clearing of the land did not destroy the natural habitats of a number of species or that some of them became endangered because of it AND will not be able to survive precisely because of the continuing planting on what used to be their natural habitat. So, although RPO you buy today can be rightly called 'sustainable', it doesn't mean the environment was not damaged when they first started or that the natural habitats they destroyed are been allowed to grow back.

 

[Bokkapooh]

But that could be said about any sort of farming. Could it not?

 

[Karen]

For those that do want to purchase; there are many sources that offer RPO that does not harm the orangutans and helps the workers that harvest. As long as we stay aware and educated of the problem we can buy smart.

Responsibility | Palm Oil and Health | Earth Balance
Thirty percent of our palm oil comes from Brazil. Our Brazil-sourced palm oil is 100% organic and is used in all of our organic products (and because orangutans are not native to South America, the Brazilian palm industry does not adversely impact their wellbeing). The remaining 70% of our palm oil comes from responsible sources in peninsular Malaysia (also a non-native orangutan habitat), which are all members of the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), the leading global organization developing and implementing global standards for sustainable palm oil production.

 

[Hankmacaw]

The major portion of the RPO's that are suitable for parrots, that I have seen, are either from South American RPO farms or West Africa RPO farms.

These farms are important financially to the native populations in these areas - but then there are folks who don't think that humans have any importance.

 

[Kiwibird08]

Once you find a reputable source- It's fatty stuff, so they don't need a whole lot. Especially amazons, who are little chunky monsters by nature and prone to obesity and related conditions like fatty liver disease. I'll mix in a "drop" to Kiwi's morning meal (he eats all wet foods, grains, fruits and veg). A "drizzle" is too much. Alternatively, you could offer a small amount in the more "solid" form (put it in the fridge and it hardens up) once a week as a treat (many birds like the taste, mine does not so I have to mix it in to be masked by better flavors). I would try 1/2tsp. Also helpful to note, it stains any porous surface neon orange, including your clothes, countertop, plastic dishes, perches, toys and feathers (if it gets on your bird). It's also difficult to wash off utensils, even metal ones. Keep in mind it is oil and will have a similar effect on their digestion as it would yours if you were to consume straight oil.

 

[JLcribber]

For picky eaters you can mix some into a batch of Almond butter and give them a small blob on a popsicle stick.