Bricks for parrots?

[Nightstar]

Around here in my city it's not uncommon to spot wild parrots and parakeets clinging to brick walls to eat clay, similar to what they do in the wild. I saw they do it today again and wondered, would it be ok to give my amazon a brick to chew on?

 

[Shezbug]

Burt tries to chew chunks of the mortar out from between the bricks so I’m guessing that is what those birds are doing?
I don’t think it will be the actual red brick they are chewing chunks off but I could be wrong so if I am please someone tell me!

 

[Nightstar]

I don't see wild parakeets do the same to buildings without a brick finish though. If it was only the mortar, I think they would be spotted chewing it on other kinds of walls too. Plus, they are doing the same kind of social gatherings as parrots feeding on natural clay banks, which suggests they are doing this same behavior and looking specifically for the clay.

 

[Feather]

A quick search brought up this product. I'm not familiar with it at all, but it seems to be what you're looking for:

Orlux Clay Bloc Amazon River 550 g

Clay Bloc "Amazon River" is a pickstone for big parakeets and parrots on the basis of clay, oystershells, seashells, redstone and flint. Source of minerals and trace elements. Make freely available. Replace frequently. Clay stone for big parakeets and parrots Composed based on the analysis of...

newyorkbirdsupply.net

 

[Mizzely]

So the reason that they eat clay is because of nutritional deficiencies. People think that just because that's what they would eat in the wild means that that's what's best for them. Animals in the wild often have shorter life expectancies than in captivity, for a variety of reasons, one of which being diet. Wild animals are opportunistic and will eat what is available, not necessarily what is best for them.

If your bird is eating a balanced diet, there should be no reason to feed them clay or bricks.

 

[Hankmacaw]

And before anyone feeds their bird bricks/clay, they sure as heck had better have a complete scientific analysis of what the materials consist of.

 

[MommyBird]

My Amazons would get out on the floor and chew the mortar between the bricks of the fireplace hearth.
Plexiglass to the rescue. I never have and never will use any fireplace, so I'm not worried about heat by plexiglass, I don't know if it would be a problem or not for others.

 

[Nightstar]

Oh I mainly thought about it as a chew “toy”, not really a dietary supplement XD. Specially because I think my Amazon’s beak is a bit too long.

Either way I’m not just going to dump a brick in his cage, this is mainly a thought that popped in my head and really got me wondering for a while, haha.

As a side note, I can’t help but find interesting how common it is for animals to instinctively search for clay as a mineral supplement... even humans do it. My family actually has a history of pregnant women “eating” bricks(they’d scrape it with spoons and eat the powder) because their body craved for more iron in their diet.

 

[mak]

Pictures - Best foraging toy on the planet.

And it’s just a big old brick in a box. Dulls the beak and nails. Lots of hidey places. Anyone can do that. :-)

forums.avianavenue.com

 

[JLcribber]

My birds have had concrete blocks forever. They don’t eat them. They do try to whittle away at them. Manicures the beak pretty good.

 

[Nightstar]

That's really simple and ingenious. There's something very funny about the mental image of a human turning to their bird, smacking a concrete block and proudly announcing ''This is your toy now''. XD