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Flowers for the Birthday Boi

WikiWaz

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Hi All,

I hope I am posting in the right place. Bowie the cockatiel turns three next week, and I want to give him some flowers as a birthday gift. I've seen other photos of parrots loving to chew and or destroy cut flowers. I'm wondering, have you ever given your parrot flowers and if so, which ones are safe?

Thank you in advance!
 

MommyBird

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Flowers grown for cut flowers and plants grown for greenhouse sales are treated with chemicals for pest control, fertilizer, and wilting.
Unless they are sold as organic, and even then there are undesirable chemicals considered organic.
They are not a great idea to give to your bird.

Some fancier grocery stores sometimes have in the vegetable section containers of nasturtium, violets, or marigolds for human consumption (NOT flowers in the bouquet section).
Investigate sprouts Sprout Kits & Samplers - For Non-Humans | Sproutpeople
or microgreens Micro-Greens | Sproutpeople AND super-easy- Grow nutritious greens year-round.
or grow your own greens and flowers hydroponically AeroGarden: Indoor Gardens, Grow Lights, Seed Kits, & More
 

WikiWaz

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Flowers grown for cut flowers and plants grown for greenhouse sales are treated with chemicals for pest control, fertilizer, and wilting.
Unless they are sold as organic, and even then there are undesirable chemicals considered organic.
They are not a great idea to give to your bird.

Some fancier grocery stores sometimes have in the vegetable section containers of nasturtium, violets, or marigolds for human consumption (NOT flowers in the bouquet section).
Investigate sprouts Sprout Kits & Samplers - For Non-Humans | Sproutpeople
or microgreens Micro-Greens | Sproutpeople AND super-easy- Grow nutritious greens year-round.
or grow your own greens and flowers hydroponically AeroGarden: Indoor Gardens, Grow Lights, Seed Kits, & More
Thanks @MommyBird I hadn't considered this and probably won't buy Bowie any flowers, maybe eucalyptus.
 

WikiWaz

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@MommyBird I'm going to save this site, China Prairie Products, it looks like a good natural products page for parrots. Thanks again!
 

fashionfobie

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I feed flowers regularly to my parrot, as he is a plumhead and it is part of his diet.

I buy edible flowers at the veg market. They are safe for human consumption. I would not buy flowers from a florist for your bird as mentioned already these can be dangerous. The other option is you can grow your own. I keep a pot of nasturtium to also give to my little loves. :)
 

WikiWaz

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Thanks @fashionfobie! I'm going to look into nasturtium as a houseplant. I'm careful about which houseplants I get, because so many are toxic to parrots. I got rid of my Aloe Vera plant, and opted for a Prickly Pear Cactus instead. I know Corn Plants are okay so I kept that. I don't know if my String of Pearls is alright, but my parrots are in a different room than the plants, and if they got close to the plants I'd monitor them.
 

dazz

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Are broccoli calabrese sprouts safe for my Amazon.. I read somewhere that theres a type of brocoli that is harmful..want to know if I got the right variety
 

fashionfobie

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Calabrese broccoli is safe. It is just a type of broccoli.

As with anything it is about quantity it shouldn't be the only food, but it is a wonderful inclusion for your bird's diet. You could also try lightly steaming it to make it easier to eat, but of course serve after it is cooled.
 

Toy

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I know this isn't for now, but you can do this next year. I get mine at Lowes & Home Depot. Tropical hibiscus are safe & can be grown in pots outside & brought inside over winter. It would require a southern sunny window for winter. They don't usually bloom over winter tho. Once inside they will drop leaves & grow new ones. You may get a couple flowers over winter, but they generally go dormant. I grow the bushes & trees every year. Mine are still pumping out tons of flowers. We just brought in 3 pots & I'll be digging up the yellow ones pictured below & potting them to bring in.

Single pedal orange hibiscus.
IMG_8430Orange Hibiscus.jpg
A few trees & bushes I have planted in front of my house (there are 2 more to the left of photo). They were in full bloom a few days ago & will be again in a day or so, as they are loaded with buds. Outside they will put out new flowers every couple days from spring to fall. They often have a dozen to 20 flowers. Because they are tropical they will not winter below 50 degrees outside.
IMG_8466Hibiscus.jpg

A double pedal yellow hibiscus
IMG_8470Yellow hibiscus.jpg

JaKhu ripping apart a double pedal peach hibiscus.
IMG_8014 JaKhu August 21, 2020.jpg

JaKhu ripping the buds off a double pedal peach hibiscus

IMG_8079JaKhu Hibiscus.jpg
 

dazz

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Calabrese broccoli is safe. It is just a type of broccoli.

As with anything it is about quantity it shouldn't be the only food, but it is a wonderful inclusion for your bird's diet. You could also try lightly steaming it to make it easier to eat, but of course serve after it is cooled.
Thank you so much for letting me know..
 
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