Can Parrots Eat Corned Beef? (Answered!)

Corned beef is an odd food even for humans.

A meat that can be packaged in a can already seems suspicious.

However, this food can actually be prepared and enjoyed in a variety of ways.

Also, with a major food brand for canned beef being “Parrot Brand” canned beef, consumption for parrots seems relatively okay.

Still the question stands- is corned beef safe for parrots?

Can parrots eat Corned Beef? The answer is yes, but with strict limitations. Corned beef can be served to parrots, but not in every form. There are dangers associated with the preparation of corned beef and the nutrients within that we should be wary of.

When it comes to your parrot, you want to feed them the most nutritious foods.

Let’s dive into what nutrients are found in corned beef for your bird, what ways you can prepare and serve your parrot corned beef, and much more.

We will discuss:

What corned beef is
Nutritional advantages and disadvantages of corned beef for parrots
How often your parrot should eat corned beef and portion size
Dangers of serving your parrot corned beef
Ways to cook and prepare corned beef for your parrot

With so much information to discuss, let’s dive in!

Table of Contents show

What is Corned Beef?

To simplify the process of making corned beef, it is essentially pickled beef.

A thick cut of brisket will be soaked in a salt mixture, marinating the beef until it is tender and considered “corned beef”.

Because of this soaking process, the meat becomes extremely tender and easy to cut.

Corned beef can be seen used on sandwiches because of its easy to cut, tender texture.

Can My Parrot Eat All Types of Corned Beef?

Corned beef can be packaged a few different ways. If you want raw corned beef, you can buy plastic wrapped product.

This means the corned beef is frozen and sealed so it can stay fresh longer.

However, your parrot should never consume raw meat.

We will get into why later, but know that if you choose to buy frozen corned beef, you should cook the meat before serving it to your parrot.

Another popular way to buy corned beef is from a can.

Much like spam, the pork cousin of corned beef, this preparation is ready to eat.

It is not raw, but instead preserved so it doesn’t need refrigeration.

Since it is not raw, your parrot can eat this corned beef right from the can.

Nutritional Advantages and Disadvantages of Corned Beef for Parrots

Now that we know what corned beef is, let’s dive into the nutritional benefits found in corned beef for your parrot.

Nutritional value is important to consider when selecting what foods your parrot eats on a daily basis.

Knowing how corned beef can affect your pet and how much of the meat you can feed them, can help keep your parrot’s diet unique and healthy.

Advantage- Protein

The main advantage of serving meat to your bird is that it’s packed with protein.

This is no exception for corned beef.

The nutritional value of corned beef is 30% protein, so if your parrot is lacking protein, this is a good food to try supplementing into their diet.

A deficiency in protein may cause your bird to not feel full.

This results in your parrot over eating to compensate for the lack of protein.

This can lead to obesity and a myriad of side effects.

Disadvantage- Vitamins and Minerals

Not surprisingly, corned beef has very low vitamins and minerals.

The packaged beef has 0% Vitamin A, Calcium, Vitamin D, and Vitamin C.

Your pet can get their daily dose of vitamins from leafy vegetables and fruit, but will not receive them from corned beef.

Advantage- Iron

On the topic of minerals, corned beef does hold a great deal of iron.

Any red meat is usually high in iron.

Deficiency in iron can result in anemia in your parrot.

If your parrot is lacking iron, a little portion of corned beef a day can be beneficial for them.

Disadvantage- Iron

Conversely, too much iron can be a disadvantage to your parrot’s diet.

A build up of iron in a parrot’s system can result in iron storage disease.

This disease is extremely common in birds and can cause scary side effects like liver failure in your parrot.

It’s important to closely monitor your parrot’s intake of iron and make sure to slow back on foods like corned beef if an influx of iron is found in your parrot’s blood tests.

Advantage- Vitamin B6

The only vitamin that is presently found in corned beef is Vitamin B6.

Having a healthy amount of vitamin B6 in your pet’s diet is important for immunity function.

A deficiency of vitamin B6 can result in poor immunity because of a lack of antibody production.

Disadvantage- Cholesterol and Sodium

Since corned beef is marinated in a salt mixture, it’s no surprise that this food is high in cholesterol and sodium.

The amount of sodium and cholesterol is more than the amount of protein in corned beef.

This is a concern for many reasons.

Too much salt can be toxic to parrots.

Salt toxicity can lead to dehydration in the short term and kidney failure in the long term.

Salt is still necessary in a parrot’s diet.

However, your parrot can gain the mineral in a healthier way through potassium rich foods, such as various fruits.

Sodium chloride and potassium are interconnected, so potassium can fill the gaps in a parrot’s diet without causing salt toxicity.

How Often Should My Parrot Eat Corned Beef?

Corned beef should be a supplement to your parrot’s diet, rather than a staple food for your bird.

If your parrot is lacking protein, iron, or sodium, corned beef is a good supplemental food for your parrot’s diet.

However, it is best to consult with your vet about proper supplements if your parrot has a deficiency, so as not to make the problem worse.

What is a Good Portion Size of Corned Beef for My Parrot?

Portion sizes of corned beef should be small.

The smaller the size, the better, to stay on the safe side of feeding your parrot.

Parrots are omnivores, so they can eat meat.

However, their diet in the wild mainly consists of fruit, vegetables, seeds, and small insects.

We don’t want to stray too far away from this natural diet when feeding our pet parrots.

A parrot in the wild would most likely not eat meat scraps, so a pet parrot’s diet should be treated similarly.

What are the Dangers of Serving My Parrot Corned Beef?

Beyond the nutritional disadvantages of serving your parrot corned beef, there are other dangers associated with the packaged meat.

Dangers of Raw Meat

If you choose to serve your parrot corned beef, make sure it isn’t raw.

Either feed them corned beef that is preserved in a can or cook the meat before giving it to your parrot.

Canned corned beef is not raw, so it is safe to give right out of the can.

Raw meat can spoil very quickly and can grow bacteria that is dangerous to birds.

These bacteria can be hard to detect, so it’s best to keep the raw meat away from your parrot entirely.

Dangers of Preservatives

There is no definitive evidence that chemical preservatives have an effect on parrots.

However, let’s circle back to the point of feeding your parrot as if they were in the wild.

You wouldn’t find preserved food like corned beef in the wild.

Preservatives were made for the luxury of storing and shipping food to different places for humans.

It’s best to avoid preservatives when feeding your parrot as they are unnatural to what your parrot is used to eating in the wild.

How Can I Serve Corned Beef to My Parrot?

Again, small portions are the best when it comes to meat for your parrot.

Also, canned corned beef is safer that frozen raw corned beef.

If you decide to buy vacuum sealed frozen corned beef, grill the corned beef all the way through and make sure no raw pieces are being served to your parrot.

Also, remove any scraps of corned beef your parrot leaves behind in its cage.

Since beef can spoil quickly, it’s important to throw away any uneaten meat, as letting it sit and ferment can attract bacteria and pests.

Corned Beef is not the ideal choice of food for your parrot.

The meat can be used as a supplement if your parrot is missing out on protein, Iron, and other minerals found in corned beef.

However, with low vitamin percentage and high sodium, corned beef should not become a staple in your pet’s diet.

When feeding your parrot corned beef, make sure to never serve it raw and remove all left-over food scraps once your parrot has finished eating.