Having parrots around is such an amazing experience.
They can complete your life in some sense since they tend to outlive most of the other pets and in some cases even their owner.
If you have a parrot at home, you may find yourself sharing virtually everything you love with him or her, from music and stories to foods.
Since we humans can eat a wide range of foods and nothing can happen to us, we might be forgiven to think that parrots can also just east everything we eat.
But the truth of the matter is, there are foods that we eat that can kill a parrot instantly.
Have you ever noticed your parrot salivating on sausage and wondered if it is safe to share it with him or her?
The answer to the question, can parrots eat sausages, is yes they can. Sausages are not recommended however and should only be given in moderation as they are not part of a usual parrots diet. A little sausage now and again will not do any harm.
In the wild, parrots primarily eat a plant-based diet, though they are also omnivores and eat insects sometimes.
So it is completely safe to feed your parrot sausage as long as you don’t give it too much.
Knowing what to feed your parrot and what not to is essential for your pet bird’s overall well-being.
In this article, we are going to discuss how you can properly feed your bird sausage as well as how to incorporate it into other food items.
How many sausages should I feed my parrot?
When it comes to sausage and meat in general, you want to stay at the minimum.
But this is not to say that this food cannot be a fit addition to the diet of your parrot.
Sausages have high protein content.
Parrots need to eat a lot of protein for the best overall health since it aids tissue and muscle growth and development.
Inadequate protein intake can lead to muscle loss and ultimately hurt the organs of your parrot.
I know this sounds counterintuitive – parrots need plenty of proteins and sausages are high in protein, but don’t serve too much sausage to your parrot.
Just because sausages have lots of protein and parrots need protein, doesn’t mean that you should load up your parrot with sausages as there are plenty of other foods that are a lot healthier for parrots and would give them the required amount of protein they need.
You can give sausages in moderation to top up their protein requirements.
In short, how much sausage you should serve your parrot depends essentially on its diet composition.
This simply means parrots that eat a lot of pellets and seeds should eat less sausage compared to parrots that consume fruits and vegetables.
This also calls for us to always check the nutrition labels on our parrot’s food in order to know the proper mix of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals to serve our birds.
You also need to pay attention to the amount of sausage and other meats you feed your parrot to prevent obesity, which can lead to a bunch of health issues.
What are the risks of feeding too much sausage to my parrot?
If you give your parrot sausage frequently, it will not refuse to eat it.
In fact, chances are, it will enjoy eating it.
But just because it enjoys it doesn’t mean too much of it is safe.
Here are some of the potential risks of feeding too much sausage to your parrot.
Sausages are high in calories
Sausage is packed with lots of calories.
If your bird eats a lot of sausages, it can increase the chances of becoming obese.
Don’t get me wrong, a chubby parrot can be darn adorable, but too much weight is detrimental to the health of your bird.
Saturated fats and high cholesterol
It can have saturated fats and high cholesterol.
These two are not very common in most parrot’s diet, and the reason is that too much of saturated fats and cholesterols can increase the risk for developing cardiovascular issues like heart disease.
Too much protein
Too much protein is not good.
Sufficient protein is necessary for the well-being of your parrot, but too much of it can be harmful.
If you feed your parrot too much sausage, it may result in kidney damage from excessive protein buildup.
Too fatty
Sausage can be too fatty.
Protein is not the only element present in sausage, it also has fat.
And excess fat in your parrot’s diet can increase the odds of hepatic lipidosis, which is a phenomenon where excess fat is kept inside the birds’ liver.
Origins of the sausage
We all know sausages are processed in the factory, with meat that we don’t know where it came from.
Factory-produced meat tends to have loads of antibiotics, which can be harmful to your parrot’s health.
This list is not meant to deter or scare you from feeding your parrot sausages.
What we are trying to say here is that you serve sausages, but only in moderation.
How do I prepare sausage for my parrot?
This is where things get complicated.
Sausages are prepared with seasoning and spices, and the thing about seasoning and spices is that they are harmful to parrots.
So if you want to serve sausages to your parrot without having to worry if it will harm your bird, you will have to prepare it yourself, plainly.
Just follow the normal recipe but don’t add spices and seasoning.
Once it’s ready, serve it in small pieces.
What can you feed your parrot along with sausages?
The best foods to serve with sausages to your parrot are the kitchen scraps.
There are varieties of kitchen leftovers that can appeal to your pet bird, such as:
Baked goods
Dry or stale bread, donuts, bread crusts, cakes, crackers, and cookies are just some of the most suitable kitchen scraps that you can feed your parrot along with sausages.
Break them down into small bits in water and then put them in the feeding bowls.
Uncooked pastry can also be offered, but less processed baked goods and whole grains are the most preferred.
Pasta and rice
Scrap cooked plain rice or pasta will supply your parrot with clean carbohydrates.
However, make sure the leftovers are soft and cut into small pieces before feeding your parrot.
Pasta rice and sausage is a very nutritious meal.
Vegetables
Since parrots tend to eat a lot of plants and seeds, scrap vegetables can be an appealing treat.
For instance, discarded baked potatoes, frozen corn, or peas but should be thawed first, or some canned veggies or soups can be a welcome treat to your parrot.
Fruit: bruised or windfall fruit from your yard always proves to be a welcome treat to parrots.
The fruit can be gathered and chopped into small pieces and add to feeding bowls and mix with the pieces of sausages.
Other fruits like raisins, old berries, bananas, grapes, grapefruits, oranges, and watermelon seeds, pumpkins seeds, honeydew melons seeds, and cantaloupe seeds can also be fed to parrots along with sausages.
What type of sausage meat is best for parrots?
As we know, sausages are made from ground meat, usually pork, poultry, or beef.
But are all meats safe for your parrot?
Absolutely not, as you will see below, some types of meat are much suitable for parrots than others.
Here are the best types of meat to prepare sausages from for your parrot.
Poultry
Ideally, this is the best meat when it comes to feeding your parrot.
Poultry meat is lean protein, which means your pet bird will benefit from additional protein without excess fat.
Roasted turkey, chicken, and duck all make for great options.
Fish
This meat is usually high in healthy fats, which cannot be obtained from fruits and vegetables.
But make sure you opt for fish like mackerel, sardines, or trout since they have low mercury.
Chicken bones
Sausages made of chicken bones are also great options.
Just strip the bones and ground them and you are good to go.
What type of sausage meat should I avoid with my parrot?
Not all types of meat are healthy for your bird; some are very dangerous even in a small amount.
Below is a list of different types of meat that should never be used to prepare parrot sausage.
Cold cuts
The reason you should avoid cold cuts is that they tend to contain a lot of preservatives and fillers as well as sodium.
So avoid baloney sausages or ham.
Cured meat
When it comes to parrot’s diet, cured meat absolutely a no-no.
This is because cured meat is usually loaded with sodium, harmful nitrates, and fat.
Cured meat can be found in store-bought sausages, bacon, and ham steaks.
Fried meat
For the obvious reason, which is they are loaded with fat, fried meat should avoid at all costs.
Fatty red meat
While red meat is fine to prepare sausages with, avoid the steak due to its high-fat content.
Also, you should avoid skirt steaks and veined rib eyes.
Parrots can eat sausages, but meat is not part of the natural parrot diet.
Therefore, you should feed your bird with moderation.
Besides watching the amount of sausage you feed your parrot, you should also watch out for the type of meat used in the sausage since some meats might harm your bird.