Possibly the most tasty, and convenient vegetable of them all.
Not to mention the fact that it’s probably the most nutritious too.
It also has the added advantage, that it seems to be suitable for almost any pet to nibble on.
What’s the vegetable in question of today’s article?
That’s right, today we’re discussing the delightful carrot.
I’m going to guide you through the various types of carrots, whether you should feed them to your parrot, and what kind of benefit each of them can have for your parrot.
So first of all. To answer the question: yes! Parrots can certainly eat carrots. Not only can they eat them, but they come with their own set of somewhat unique blend health benefits for our feathery friends. A source of fibre, vitamin K and potassium, the list goes on and on.
If I were to list all the nutritional benefits of carrots in this article.
I think you would be reading all day long.
So I’m going to keep it short instead.
I’m going to outline the following topics for you in today’s article:
- Can parrots eat carrot tops?
- Can parrots eat raw carrots?
- Can parrots eat boiled carrots?
- Should we cut up the carrots?
- Can parrots eat carrot cake?
- Can parrots drink carrot juice?
So let’s not waste any more time and delve into the good stuff.
Can parrots eat carrot tops?
Nowadays, most of the carrots that we buy come from supermarkets.
So unfortunately for us and our parrots, the long, leafy, green carrot top has been cut off before we even see the carrots.
Unless you grow your own carrots, you may struggle to find carrots at your local supermarket with the carrot top.
However, if you do still find it, I would highly suggest that you take it and feed it to either yourself or your parrot, (perhaps just split it between the two of you!)
Why? Because the health benefits are incredible.
With a bitter, herbaceous taste, and a little sweet finish, these carrot tops are loaded with healthy vitamins and other minerals including, vitamins A & K, which support a healthy immune system within our parrot, whilst keeping its bones strong, manganese, which is high in anti-oxidants, meaning your parrot will have a reduced risk of disease.
Not to mention the high levels of potassium, which can help your parrot relieve high blood pressure, and increase nervous system functioning.
It seems then that there are a wide range of benefits to feeding our feathery friend a few our carrot tops.
What is important to bear in mind, however, is that we should always make sure our carrot leaves are thoroughly washed before serving them to our pet parrot.
Whilst there is little risk posed by carrot tops when they’re unwashed, it’s always best to remain on the safe side, to avoid the risk of any illness to our parrot.
Parrots and raw carrots
I suspect that at some point, you have been tempted to hand your pet parrot a little bit of raw carrot.
It’s easy to make, it’s delicious and you’re sure that it’s nutritious enough for a healthy little snack.
Well, the good news is, that you can now have peace of mind, as I would encourage you, in the future, to hand your parrot some raw Carrots.
Not only is it extremely tasty, easy-to-make and a colourful snack for your parrot, but like the carrot tops we spoke about earlier, it is also packed with nutritional benefits that shouldn’t be overlooked.
Let me explain some of them here, and also tell you why they’re so beneficial to your feathery friend.
Fiber
Fiber is extremely beneficial to both humans and parrots.
What we know as “soluble fibers”, are very good at lowering blood sugar levels, by lowering the digestion of sugar and starch.
They are also useful in feeding the bacteria that can be found in your parrot’s gut, leading your pet parrot to improved health, and a lower risk of various diseases.
Not to even mention the lower cholesterol levels within our parrot, and the promotion of regular bowel movements.
Beta Carotene
That’s probably something that you’ve never heard of before, right?
Unless you’re a biologist or some kind of carrot expert, it’s possible that you’ve never heard of Beta-Carotene before, so let me quickly explain some of its benefits to you.
Beta Carotene is essentially converted into vitamin A by the body of parrots.
Which is important for growth, development and immune functioning.
Also, studies have proven the added benefits of improved vision. S
omething which is very important for all avian birds.
Can Parrots Eat Boiled Carrots?
Possibly the most common form of carrots that us humans eat are boiled carrots.
Therefore you’re probably likely to have wondered whether or not boiled carrots are suitable for your pet parrot.
Well, the answer is: yes.
Boiled carrots can bring many added health benefits compared to just regular, uncooked carrots.
Here are some of the health benefits which have been discovered.
Less falcarinol
Falcarionol, is essentially a fatty chemical which can be found in rather small quantities within carrots.
Therefore, it is obvious that we wouldn’t want our parrots to consume it.
The process of dicing carrots can reduce this chemical by up to 25%, which was discovered by a team of researchers within the UK, using experiments.
Sugar & Vitamin C
Another benefit of boiling carrots and feeding them to our parrots is that when we slice the carrots and then boil them, the carrots will lose some of their sugar content.
This means that our parrots would experience more stable energy after eating one of these carrot slices.
Unfortunately, however, this does come at a cost.
There will also be a small portion of Vitamin C that is lost, this means that our pet parrot may miss out on the “ascorbate acid” which comes from this part of the carrot, often used for growth and development.
Can parrots drink carrot juice?
Unfortunately for parrots, most of them cannot eat enough raw fruit and vegetables in a single day in order to get optimum levels of valuable nutrients.
For many reasons, including the fact that our foods are grown predominantly in poor, overused soil.
Once you consider the long term storage that supermarket fruit and vegetables will undergo, many of the nutrients and vitamins that are essential to the diet of our parrot have been stripped.
This is why juices are extremely beneficial for us, as pet owners, because they can be used not as a substitute, but as a supplement to ensure our pet parrot can stay in peak condition.
Carrot juices are a useful way to enhance the nutrition of your parrot’s diet.
Here is an example of a basic, yet incredibly effective carrot-based juicing recipe.
An effective carrot juice might be a nice blend of 4/5 carrots with half of any kind of apple, (we advise to take out the seeds.) and about a quarter-inch slice of ginger.
This juicing recipe can be a quick and easy way to boost the health of your parrots.
Luckily, it is also a very tasty recipe for them, one that they are bound to enjoy.
Just earlier I described the health benefits that come with these juiced carrots, including Vitamin A, B, K and Potassium.
The boosted immune functioning that comes from apples, mixed in with the various benefits that come from ginger, all make for a delightful and convenient recipe for your feathery little friend.
Parrots & carrot cake.
Carrot cake appears to have come back into fashion around the 1960s/1970s.
Since then, it appears to have become one of the most appreciated and popular items on the dessert menu.
Largely, due to its perceived health benefits and the lack of guilt that one obtains from ordering a dessert with a little bit of fruit in it.
As you might have guessed, however, just because it has a fruit in the name, carrot cake is still not very healthy.
Let me explain some reasons why below, but more importantly, why you shouldn’t feed it to your parrot.
Of course, if you decide to make a homemade carrot cake, the following paragraph does not really apply, as you can use the advice in this article, and other articles for further guidance.
Although commercialised carrot cake may have some nutritional benefits, arising from the vast amounts of healthy vitamins and nutrients which I have outlined earlier.
It is still extremely high in sugar & fat.
Whilst sugar in itself is not poisonous to parrots, it can have some serious long term effects on health.
The refined sugars in commercialized cake products can harm the immune system, and even create digestive problems for your feathery friend.
So whilst a little bit from time to time won’t do any harm, it’s best to keep the servings in moderation, to have to avoid any future trips to the vet with our pet parrot.
In conclusion, then, it seems that there are lots of benefits to feeding your pet parrot some carrots, through a myriad of forms.
Be it cooked, boiled, raw, juiced or even in the form of a sweet treat.
The high levels of Vitamins and nutrients can be extremely useful in ensuring that our parrot can stay in peak condition, so we never have to worry about irritability, or other health problems again.
Thank you for reading, I hope you found this article useful, and I’ll see you again soon.