Are clementines Conure catnip?

[Lwalker]

So this is new. I wish I got a video. Cricket and Watson normally share a food bowl, feed each other and can often be seen offering each other bites of nutriberries. Today I gave them each their first clementine segment. Cue the jungle soundtrack - all hell broke out. After one taste they started squabbling and chasing each other off. Cricket nipped Watson's foot. Watson stole Cricket's piece. In between bites Cricket did this weird neck stretch and head whip thing (as if saying Bwah-ha-ha). Watson's eyes rolled back as he sucked the juice out of his. Needless to say, anymore clementines will be carefully supervised.

 

[JLcribber]

Amanda loves Clementines. She knows the difference between them and ordinary oranges. If I show her a wedge she will drop whatever she has or is doing and comes running over for it.

 

[Clueless]

I've not given my zons these, oddly I thought citrus was bad for birds?

@JLcribber I know you're surprised by this (not).....

 

[expressmailtome]

I've not given my zons these, oddly I thought citrus was bad for birds?

Citrus fruits are not good for softbills such as toucans due to their susceptibility to hemochromatosis.

 

[DQTimnehs]

I've not given my zons these, oddly I thought citrus was bad for birds?

@JLcribber I know you're surprised by this (not).....

I just read that somewhere recently too - that it is too acidic and stays in the crop too long.

Quack & Darwin do like oranges and I limit them to a small piece of a section each not too often. Darwin just sucks the juice out.

 

[Lwalker]

I understood small pieces once in awhile are okay. It was just a special treat.

 

[JLcribber]

There's nothing wrong with oranges. If that's all a bird eats then it's aproblem. If the bird has a varied healthy diet its just part it.

Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant. It is a natural preservative. It helps in the absorption of iron and is totally water soluble.

Seems like all good stuff to me.

 

[Jaguar]

Puffy loooves clementines and mandarins, too. But maybe not that much

 

[DQTimnehs]

And @Lwalker your 2 do seem CRAZY for clementines!

 

[Heather F]

That's wild! Your sweet polite little guys turning into ferocious savages over such an amazing treat!

 

[BirdGuy21]

Haha I like how you said "cue the jungle sound track".

 

[Clueless]

I understood small pieces once in awhile are okay. It was just a special treat.

I may try giving mine a small piece the next time someone is eating one here....

I know I err on the side of caution but better safe than sorry. Six years and I still don't know for sure what I can safely feed them.

 

[safehaven]

I wish mine liked different fruits. They only eat grapes or apples.

 

[Lwalker]

I wish mine liked different fruits. They only eat grapes or apples.

Have you tried blackberries and raspberries? Mine love those.

 

[safehaven]

Have you tried blackberries and raspberries? Mine love those.

Raspberries yes, they run, lol!

 

[Pipsqueak]

I have to figure out what mine like best, haven't even had them a week yet but they di not pick up the clementine piece offered, I made them a fruit salad all in little cubes that they ate (papaya, apple, pomegranate, plum, guava) . I loved watching them eat it but the mess......... and that pomegranate poop.....

 

[BrianB]

We just got a few conures for breeding and while I was giving them food and water this morning I decided to see what kind of foods they would eat. They came with only seed and water, so I have no idea what they have been fed before. I gave them a piece of dried mango and they loved it, but when I pulled out a clementine they went crazy. Before I had even peeled it, they were all at the side of the cage squawking for it. The green cheeks nibbled and then dropped it. They weren't all that excited once I gave it to them. They still loved the dried mango and some fresh broccoli that I gave them later. The crimson belly conures went crazy for the clementines. Both of them had diarrhea later, so I won't be giving it to them again. The other green cheeks played with it a bit and then got bored. All of them loved the broccoli and fresh greens I gave them later, as well as a blackberry that they shredded. It looked like a murder scene in the cage.