The natural diet of all parrots mainly includes seeds and nuts. However, some seeds may harm the parrot and cause serious health problems, such as apple and avocado seeds. But what about sesame seeds? Can parrots eat sesame seeds?
Can parrots eat sesame seeds?
Yes, parrots can eat sesame seeds, and it is safe to include them in the parrot’s daily diet as they are healthy and parrots will benefit from eating them. However, it should not be the main ingredient. Instead, it should be accompanied by other ingredients of seeds, nuts, fruits, and vegetables.
No such food can provide any parrot with its daily need for nutrients. Parrots can get enough of these parts if they live in the wild, but as a pet, it is very difficult to satisfy these needs. And splitting food parrots is the closest way for owners to mimic the natural food eaten by a wild parrot. And in this article, we will cover everything about feeding sesame seeds on porridge, why you should do it, and much more.
Why Adding Sesame Seeds To The Parrots Food Is Good?
Small amounts of sesame or quinoa seeds can provide parrots with many benefits that they may not get when kept as pets. And according to the USDA, every 9 grams (tbsp) of sesame seeds contains the following nutrients:
- Protein 1.59 g
- Fat 4.47 g
- 2.11 g carbohydrates
- Fibre 1.06 g
- Sugar 0.027 g
- Calcium 87.8 mg
- 1.31 mg of iron
- Magnesium 31.6 mg
- Phosphorus 56.6 mg
- Potassium 42.1 mg
- Sodium 0.99 mg
- Zinc 0.698 mg
- Copper 0.367 mg
- Manganese 0.221 mg
These nutrients are important for domesticated parrots and are not limited to this list, but these are the nutrients that are found in high amounts. See the USDA website above for the full list.
In addition to its high nutrient content, sesame seeds can help the parasite fight inflammation, keep bones healthy, be an excellent source of vitamin B, help regenerate cells, fight cancer especially in older parrots, and can support and strengthen the immune system.
Besides, the high protein content of sesame seeds makes them one of the best sources of vegetable protein, and yes, parrots need protein, the best vegetarians. Not to mention the vitamin that can help the parrot’s body to function properly and can promote a positive attitude, especially during festive occasions.
How Much Sesame Seeds Can Parrot Eat?
The amount of sesame seeds is something to consider. You do not want to feed your bird with too many sesame seeds because it will not suffice what the parrot needs, and in fact, it may cause serious side effects over time. But do not let this scare you, and small portions of sesame seeds can provide valuable benefits for the bird.
How To Serve Sesame Seeds To A Parrot?
Just a small amount of sesame seeds sprinkled on any fruit, a veggie, before serving it is enough. Or you can put them in a food bowl inside the cage, but I don’t like this because sesame seeds are too small and will just leak up to the bottom of the bowl, and in most cases, the parrot will not be able to eat them.
One way is to grind sesame seeds and spread the powder over any other fruit or vegetable. This way the sesame seeds of the soil will stick to the food, and the parrot will eat most of it.
Are There Drawbacks?
Of course, there may be obstacles when parrots eat sesame seeds, for example, allergies. Although parrots may have allergies to any food, sesame seeds are generally safe, unlike apple or avocado seeds that can cause intoxication.
Can Quaker Parrots Eat Apples?
Also disturbing is the high-fat content, which can be up to 50%, and this can cause the parrot to gain unwanted weight if eaten too much. It may lead to fatty liver, a disease common in domestic birds that eat a lot of food otherwise.
Can All Breeds Of Parrots Have Sesame Seeds?
Yes, African grey, macaws, cockatoos, cockatiels, Quakers, lovebirds, Pionus parrot, Amazonian parrot, Eclectus, conures, Caïque Parrot, Rose-ringed parakeet, Senegal, and budgies can safely eat sesame seeds. It benefits from a good deal of nutritious sesame seeds offer.
However, all species of parrots should be moderately sesame. Especially cockatoos tend to gain a lot of weight, thus, serious health problems.
Can Parrots Have Sesame Oil?
Sesame oil itself is safe and non-toxic, but concentrated oils are made from sesame. It means that the oil is even higher than the seeds. Therefore, this may cause allergies in parrots if overused. However, parrots should contain sesame oil in small portions, smaller than a teaspoon. And this is another way to serve and provide the benefits of sesame porridge without having to deal with seeds.
Conclusion
Sesame seeds are one of the best additions that parrots can have during their daily diet, due to the nutritious content of these seeds. However, feeding sesame seeds should be moderate due to the high-fat content that can cause parrots to gain weight and possibly improve the fatty liver status, which is common in domestic birds.
And yes, it’s about it. I hope you found this article informative and easy to digest. Thanks for reading …