Can Parrots Eat Eggs? Vet Approved Facts & FAQ
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Eggs are an excellent and affordable way to add a protein boost to your diet, and you might wonder if it’s okay to offer them to your parrot. Indeed, you can feed eggs to parrots. If you’re looking for ways to increase the protein in your parrot’s diet, then eggs can be a great addition. Before offering eggs to your parrot, though, there are some things that you should know.
Are Eggs Good for Parrots?
Eggs are a safe food for parrots and can provide them with excellent nutritional value, but they aren’t something to feed your pet every day. In the wild, some parrots may consume the eggs of other birds when they need a boost, but the fat and cholesterol content of eggs can be a problem for birds over the long term, particularly for those kept as pets. In the wild, birds can eat a higher fat and higher calorie diet because they are far more active than most captive birds. Pet parrots are at a disadvantage when it comes to exercise, so we need to be careful with their calorie intake.
The other consideration is what species of parrot your pet belongs to. Whilst most parrots are considered to be omnivorous, and able to thrive on a varied diet, some require more specialized ingredients. There are three broad categories of parrot diets:
- Granivores – diet predominantly seed-based. eg. Parakeets (Melopsittacus undulatus)
- Nectarivores – specialist nectar-eaters eg. Rainbow Lorikeet (Trichoglossus moluccanus)
- Frugivores – the fruit eaters. eg. Rose-ringed Parakeet (Psittacula krameri)
So it’s important to know all there is to know about your parrot, and what their requirements are; some may really benefit from the nutrients found in eggs, whilst others won’t need them at all.
How to Feed Eggs to Parrots
While some people do advocate for feeding raw eggs to parrots, we advise against this due to the risk of Salmonella and other dangerous food-borne illnesses.
You can offer just about any form of cooked eggs to your parrot, from hard-boiled to sunny side up, provided they are plain cooked, with no oil, butter or seasoning. And there’s no need to get rid of the shell; eggshells are high in calcium and a great way to boost your parrot’s levels of this vital mineral.
How Often Can Parrots Eat Eggs?
In general, it’s advised to offer eggs to parrots only once or twice weekly, at the most. This frequency may need to be reduced for more sedentary birds. Overfeeding eggs to your parrot can potentially lead to obesity.
There are very few studies that have been done on the effects of feeding eggs to parrots. Because of this, some avian veterinarians recommend avoiding eggs entirely, but eggs are often used as a protein source by parrot keepers and breeders. Make sure to talk to your vet or avian specialist about the potential pros and cons of feeding eggs to your parrot.
Conclusion
Eggs are a tasty, nutritious food that many parrots will enjoy eating, shell and all. There can be health concerns with feeding eggs frequently, though. Make sure to only offer eggs as part of a balanced diet to your parrot, limiting their egg consumption to only once or twice weekly. Always talk to your avian vet before introducing eggs into your parrot’s diet, and monitor for any adverse reactions when offering it for the first time.
- Related article: Can Parrots Eat Mushrooms?
Featured Image Credit: Lina Keil, Shutterstock
