Flahmingo
Walking the driveway
While at the feed store yesterday, I met a Macaw breeder. He told me that monkey chow is good for birds. Any comments?
Monkey chow and/or monkey biscuits, have been a diet staple used by macaw breeders for decades.Well, this Macaw breeder told me that 2-3 times a week a little monkey biscuit/chow was good for birds. Guess I'll pass on it though.
The discussion starts with chicken and fish in moderation and degrades into beef, pork, sausage, bacon (yes bacon), dog food, cat food, monkey chow, blah blah.
Meat eaters have incisor teeth for ripping meat and molars for grinding meat. Parrots have beaks for gently shredding leafs, shoots, fruits, buds, roots, nuts and the occasional grub or insect. They are not meat eaters and if you feed them much at all, you are decreasing their lifespans. Talk to your veterinarian about the meaning of moderation. It is more like once every week to month and the size of you small fingernail. It is not much at all. Many very reputable vets discourage any meat. If they are given any meat it should only be chicken and fish, the very lightest meats.
If your bird will eat any legume (bean) and brown rice, it is getting every amino acid and protein that it needs. Parrots do not require animal protein.
Perfect description of any unethical, uncaring breeder who got into breeding purely for the *supposed* money to be made.The breeder is not comcerned with the health and welfare of the birds. He is concerned with the cheapest way to quickly get them to selling age (in his opinion) and get them out the door at maximum profit so he can start over and do it again.