Do you remember when you were a child, sitting at the dinner table?
Your mom tells you to finish you broccoli and unless you do there won’t be any dessert for you.
However you’re just right there making a face like a kid swallowing cough syrup… Yeah, those were the good old days.
Now you’ve grown a little older and bought a parrot as a pet.
You might have heard that birds that mostly live on seed diets tend to develop severe nutritional imbalances and become susceptible to diseases or medical complications like fatty liver, obesity, egg binding, etc.
You start wondering, can I feed my parrot some broccoli or would the poor bird hate it as much as I did?
The answer to this question is yes. Broccoli is definitely safe for your bird, both cooked and raw! In fact, aside from being a tasty treat for the birds, broccoli can give them a few kinds of supplements that they may be passing up just in light of the fact that they are in captivity.
Let’s dive deeper into the topic of Broccoli and find out how it can be given to your parrot and what kind of health benefits it has.
Can Parrots Have Uncooked Broccoli?
Boiling destroys up to 90 percent of the nutrients in this vegetable.
Broccoli contains a higher level of heat-sensitive nutrients.
Some water-soluble vitamins can be lost in the cooking water.
By consuming raw broccoli, your bird will get more vitamins A and D.
Raw broccoli is safe for parrots and unlikely to cause allergic reactions.
Can Parrots Have Frozen Broccoli?
In the event that parrots can eat raw broccoli, at that point they can likewise eat it frozen.
It’s never going to hurt to feed your parrot some frozen broccoli.
You can definitely thaw it too.
Parrots tend to like it hot.
Frozen broccoli is believed to maintain more nutrients over time as they are well preserved as soon as they are harvested.
However, what most people tend to ignore is that cooking frozen broccoli would destroy nutrients.
Whereas microwaving wouldn’t make such a noticeable loss in nutritional value.
What’s Better Frozen Broccoli Or Fresh Broccoli For Parrots?
Frozen or fresh vegetables: a debate that never ends.
Nobody really knows for sure as it is up to your bird.
Some people believe that fresh Broccoli, which hasn’t been processed, is better.
Yet, others believe frozen vegetables retain more nutrition because they are frozen right after harvest whereas fresh ones could spend weeks and months in between during which time they can lose most if not all the healthy benefits.
In reality, it would be ideal to mix a bit of both.
With a dominant part pellet diet as the staple and some raw/frozen veggies, what’s more, I’d envision be most advantageous for most parrots (barring budgies, cockatiels, parakeets, and parrots with special needs)
Do I Have To Chop Up Broccoli Before Giving It To My Parrot?
Spending hours upon hours slicing your bird’s food into small pieces might be so onerous.
Truth be told, a bird is not a little baby, it can handle itself just fine.
How do you think it gets its food in the wild?
Nobody’s there to slice it.
Parrots are among the smartest birds.
They can eat like humans.
They use their feet to grip the food, lift it up and eat it.
Their fleshy claws act like human fingers.
Save time and let the parrot do its job.
They can really get into a large Floret and really tear the good part off themselves.
On the other hand, getting your parrot to try new veggies is much harder than you think.
However, there are few techniques that can make broccoli and other veggies more appealing to your parrot.
Feed Smart
Keep servings to just one serving at a time.
Nobody likes a little tower of floret, especially not your parrot.
The bird’s cage isn’t a trashcan that is dumped every few days.
Feed your bird regularly and always get rid of leftovers within a reasonable time frame.
Serve it warm
Nobody likes cold food that tastes like leftovers (Except for Pizza though).
A parrot would always choose a warm meal over a cold one.
There’s a reason for that; a warm meal is the closest to what they find out there in nature.
Food presentation for a better appetite
A good position and presentation would make any food more appealing, especially to parrots.
Instead of stacking up the florets, try to push them slightly half way through the cage.
Maybe try to place them at the cage’s ceiling facing downward.
You can also slice, dice, and shred the broccoli.
The suggestions are limitless, unleash the power of creativity, and never serve it the same way twice.
Create a stress-free environment
Unlike hawks, parrots are not trained to dive right into action and catch a prey.
They are peaceful and docile creatures.
Before they start eating, they must make sure that no threat is around.
By creating a stress-free environment at home, you can get your bird to eat more comfortably.
Just tidy up your house, keep it clean and well-lightened.
Or you can simply serve food outdoors.
Placing a parrot in the daylight lets him see his food in a significantly more appetizing manner.
What Are The Nutritional Benefits Of Broccoli For Parrots?
Broccoli has a notoriety for being a superfood.
It is low in calories but contains an abundance of supplements.
The dietary benefits that broccoli contains are extremely fundamental in building a solid way of life for your parrot.
Broccoli is a precious source of vital fiber and proteins.
It contains a wide variety of vitamins and minerals which play a huge role in improving your parrot’s health.
Vitamin D
Wild parrots can get vitamin D from the sun yet a parrot in imprisonment tragically can’t.
Ideally, Broccoli is likewise so plentiful in vitamin D and can compensate the loss of the sun at home.
Vitamin K
Broccoli is a good organic source of vitamin K. It is necessary for bone health and metabolism.
It also regulates blood calcium levels. Unlike other manufactured diets, that claim they’re rich in ‘vitamin K’ whereas they have nothing to do with it, broccoli doesn’t cause cancer.
It is a safe source of vitamin K for your parrot.
Vitamin A
It is viewed as a significant skin nutrient that assists with the wellbeing of the eyes, quills, conceptive framework, and immune system of your lovely parrot.
Vitamin B
Parrots have an expanded need for vitamin B, particularly when they are stressed or sick.
Broccoli is plentiful in vitamin B and will forestall genuine mood swings and melancholies among these winged creatures.
Calcium
It is likewise significant in keeping up a solid skeletal structure, permitting the strong sensory systems to work appropriately, as it is also required for blood to clump in wounds.
Potassium
Broccoli is also rich in Potassium. It directs liquid equalization, muscle compressions and nerve signals.
It can likewise help the parrot’s vitality and assume a job in keeping up your feathered creature’s wellbeing.
Iron
It is a significant mineral expected to make the oxygen-conveying proteins; hemoglobin and myoglobin.
Insufficiency in Iron can bring about anemia.
Nonetheless, iron admission must be adjusted as it might truly hurt your parrot’s indispensable organs whenever taken with substantial doses.
There you have it! Parrots can eat broccoli! See you next time!