The Hotter the Better!!

[Saemma]

Ever wonder how your parrot is able to tolerate extremely HOT PEPPERS!!??Apparently they lack the receptor that detects capsaicin - which is the chemical which makes peppers HOT!!

Every day I serve SAchi and Emma their vegetables.. and almost everyday, I crush Dried chilli peppers or some type of equivalent on top of their portions. They both gobble it up like it is "no biggie". Tonight at dinner time my boyfriend decided to sprinkle some on my spaghetti sauce. It was not very long before I was running for the Aloe Vera gel to smear on my lips and even that wasn't taking the BURN away.
It took about 20 minutes before I felt any type of "cool" soothing relief. I still feel a little zippy tingle on my lips as I write this post.

Right now I'm wondering whether their skin can tolerate the burn too? i.e if I give my parrot a pepper to hold .. will they feel a "burning sensation" on their foot?

 

[GG.]

Sugar loves peppers, loves, loves them!!

she hold them in her foot all the time and it does not seem to bother her

next time - grab the milk - it helps stop the burn the fastest

 

[JLcribber]

Skin doesn't have "any" tastebuds.

 

[Saemma]

Skin doesn't have "any" tastebuds.

My lips felt like they were on fire!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Saemma]

Sugar loves peppers, loves, loves them!!

she hold them in her foot all the time and it does not seem to bother her

next time - grab the milk - it helps stop the burn the fastest

Thanks Gg. I never purchase milk.. unless I intend to have hot coacoa.

 

[GG.]

Skin doesn't have "any" tastebuds.

JOHN!!!

depending on the pepper (like the habeneros from the garden) I could feel the 'heat' if I handled them and then touched my face (not mouth)

 

[GG.]

ok

I am down to a gallon a week since the boys moved out.

I use it in cooking and cereal and I drink a lot of it too

 

[Saemma]

Some of it must seep through their pores doesn't it if their holding it? What if they go to scratch their face afterwards?

 

[GG.]

I would think they will be ok, they eat them in the wild

I have to remember when preparing food to separate Pearl's out if serving hot things

 

[Babybreau]

Looks like the Avian Organics Mango Ginger Sticks and Minis will go over very well with the fids!!
I can't wait until my order arrives!!

Out of the last order they really liked the peppers from the Jungle Trails - it was the one thing they always gobbled up!!!

 

[Saemma]

Looks like the Avian Organics Mango Ginger Sticks and Minis will go over very well with the fids!!
I can't wait until my order arrives!!

Out of the last order they really liked the peppers from the Jungle Trails - it was the one thing they always gobbled up!!!

Exactly.. that is how I discovered they like peppers. Now I buy VERY hot bags of chili peppers and they seem to enjoy them immensely.

 

[wezl]

LOL! I always figured they like it "spicy"! To me, it's not hot unless my ears are burning and I have tears running down my face! If you drink milk, it has to be whole milk. It's the dairy fat that eases the sting. That's why sour cream is usually served with hot pepper dishes. And going fat-free won't do a thing if that's your choice. Mmm... I can't wait for my Thai hots, Serranos, and cayenne to start producing. They're all about 2" tall right now! I'm also trying Poblanos, jalapeno, some New Mexico hybrid, and some sweet peppers this year. Kato won't eat them. Does the taste receptor thing relate to all parrots, or just So Am ones?

 

[Saemma]

It seems to be related to all parrots. That's not to say that too many hot peppers won't give them digestive problems though.

I think some, may be more sensitive to peppers than other.. but in general parrot's will not feel the "BURN" on their tongues.

 

[GG.]

peppers taste different too and I think sometimes they like one over the other

 

[Gen120]

I know, my conures eat them like they are nothing also, but Sammy and my cockatiels do not like peppers at all, they do like the dried chili pepper seeds in their bean/rice mix though, LOL!

 

[drop]

Not only parrots, but all birds seem to lack these receptor according that what I have read up on it.

The heat is much more elaborate when it comes into contact with mucous membranes (eyes, mouth, nose) then when it comes into contact with other parts of the body, but it can still burn hands, for example.

I was once washing some homegrown hot peppers and I was pulling the seeds out (the highest concentration of capsaicin is said to be in the fleshy part that holds these) and pulling off the white stuff. My hands burned for days. This had never happened before, I guess the water helped disperse it or something, or my grandma had grown some wicked peppers. During the day it was a tingle, but in the evening it would get really bad nearly to the point where I had trouble sleeping.

I have never noticed any of my birds having a discomfort while eating them.

 

[rockoko]

a couple weeks ago, I sprinkled cayenne pepper on Rocky's warm mash, and I stupidly started blowing on it to cool it down and all the cayenne pepper blew up into my eyes
Thankfully I had saline solution and I drenched my eyes!! Ouch!!

 

[Lobby]

LOL! I always figured they like it "spicy"! To me, it's not hot unless my ears are burning and I have tears running down my face! If you drink milk, it has to be whole milk. It's the dairy fat that eases the sting. That's why sour cream is usually served with hot pepper dishes. And going fat-free won't do a thing if that's your choice.

This explains why I've never thought the milk thing worked, I always have skim milk here and fat free sour cream.

 

[allison]

Kei's old dry mix had peppers in it. I once somehow got pepper in my eyes once. I seriously thought I was going to go blind it hurt so bad!

 

[chompie_puppy]

Wow, I never realised that all birds are "immune" to hot peppers!

I once gave Clopin a fresh chilli after reading how beneficial it is. She took one bite, looked at me in horror, and then flung that chilli right out of her cage! She wouldn't even come outside her cage after that! If she could talk she would have cursed at me! I just figured it must have been too hot for her.

I guess she just didn't like the taste.