Your parrot’s everyday diet is essential to get enough nutrients. So, arranging nutritious food for the pet is a concern of every parrot owner. While a pellet diet for a bird is an excellent, well-balanced choice, adding variety is also crucial.
So, how can you do that? The way is simple – supplement pellets with grains, fruits, and vegetables. In this case, you’ll get a healthy diet for a parrot.
But what cereal can you give to a parrot? Can you give popcorn to a parrot?
And the answer is again YES. Parrots can eat popcorn but as an occasional treat, same as melon or raisins. It would be best to give your parrot only unsalted plain kinds of popcorn without any flavors or chemicals. Also, avoid any microwavable and sweetened popcorns as there are additions that can be harmful to a bird. Parrots can eat both popped and unpopped corns. It’s OK if you boil kernels or soften them in water before giving them to a parrot. Also, you can add some flavor to the treat by adding some coconut to it.
As you know, most ready-made bird seeds already contain some cracked kernels of corn. However, if you want to make good nutrition for your parrot, remember to include more corn along with other healthy-giving foods into its menu.
Let’s also discuss some questions that may pop up when you give your parrot popcorn seeds.
So, Can Popcorn Benefit Your Parrot?
Chicken can live on a plain corn diet. That means that corn already has lots of nutrients enough for a bird. I’ll list some of them below.
Plus, parrots adore eating popcorn. Like humans, parrots also like to snack eventually with something tasty. So as long as you’re not giving a whole bowl of popcorn to your bird – you’re fine.
And it’s very beneficial for their beaks.
What Are the Nutritional Benefits of Popcorn?
Eating popcorn, your parrot ingests a whole set of antioxidants. By the way, they are also beneficial for humans.
Popcorn provides enough fibers and is an excellent source of whole grain for a bird. When it’s air-popped, the number of calories is lower because of the high amount of fiber and low sugar inclusion. And it bears useful microelements, like iron.
Fiber
As you may already know, higher content of fibers in the bird’s diet assures its digestion works properly.
Calcium
This micronutrient allows your parrot to build strong bones for the years to come. Calcium also participates in forming healthy and shiny feathering. Add to that list that your parrot’s reproductive system stays healthy. Improved blood clotting gained with sufficient calcium intake helps prevent excess blood loss in case of an injury.
Iron
Like humans, iron takes part in hemoglobin production to supply enough oxygen to all the organs. With a parrot, the level of its hemoglobin should be balanced. With excess iron intake, your parrot can get an iron storage disease, but if it’s not enough iron in his blood – it’s prone to anemia.
Carbohydrate
This microelement provides lots of energy for your parrot. So after feeding your parrot with air-popped corns, expect it to be more active.
Can Your Parrot Safely Eat Grapes?
Can Parrots Eat Popped Popcorn?
As you may understand from the previous text, the answer will be “Yes.”
The parrot will gladly eat corn when it’s popped. There is no limitation or difficulty for a parrot to peck or digest it.
The only thing you should avoid is using ready-made popcorn for microwaves. Such treats often include butter, caramel topping, lots of sugar or salt. All these supplements are dangerous for a parrot. And frankly, for a human too.
So it’s a better idea to prepare the popcorn by yourself. In this case, use only vegetable oil for cooking as it’s safer for a parrot to eat. Also, don’t add salt to the popcorn because parrots can digest only nanoscopic amounts of salt.
Is It Best to Give Your Parrot Stovetop, Raw, or Microwave Popcorn?
Apart from microwave popcorn, a parrot can be given any form of corn as a supplement to their regular diet or as a treat.
Raw kernels are fine. Trying to eat it raw, the parrot will have to make efforts to crack it. That stimulates its activity, both mental and physical.
Stovetop popcorn is good too, as you can share this meal with your parrot. As parrots are very social pets, building a connection between you and the bird is essential and sharing food is a part of this.
How to Prepare Stovetop Popcorn for a Parrot?
The recipe is straightforward:
- Preheat the frying pan on a stove
- Pour a tiny amount of vegetable oil on the pan
- Toss corn kernels into the pan and close it with a lid
- Wait until you hear the sound of popping and start shaking the pan with a closed lid
- And that’s all! Let it cool down and share it with your parrot
Can Parrots Eat Coconut Safely?
What Popcorn Flavors Can I Give My Parrot?
In general, parrots are ok to eat plain popcorn without any flavors.
But if you want, use natural flavoring for this dish. Some coconut oil will do.
Avoid any artificial flavors and additions because they can be harmful to your bird, even if you give them once and not regularly.
Do I Need to Give a Parrot More Water after He Eats Popcorn?
Fresh and clean water is a must for parrot pets. So make sure your pet has free access to it.
You may also give it some extra water after feeding it with popcorn, especially if you flavored the corns with coconut oil.
How to Make Popcorn Balls for Parrots at Home?
If you aren’t lazy enough to give your parrot raw corn kernels, there is a good chance that you are fancy preparing lovely popcorn balls for your pet.
To make the treat even tastier – add some nuts or cereal to create some menu variety. Dried cranberries are another excellent option for this fun mix.
Nuts will help your parrot to train its beak cracking.
Here’s a short guide on how to make it:
Put some raw corn kernels into a frying pan and add a little bit of vegetable oil. Would you mind avoiding using butter as it bears too much fat for a parrot? Also, don’t use salt or sugar.
Next, add extra yummies like blueberries, cranberries, or cereal and stir it with a wooden spoon.
After that, get a saucepan and put a tablespoon of honey into it. Warm it up until honey melts. Stir from time to time. Mix honey with a spoon of peanut butter (not salted), stir, and take off the heat.
Untie both mixtures in one bowl. Make sure the popcorn coats well with honey-peanut butter sauce. Put the whole thing aside and let it cool down.
Rool cold mixture into balls. You can use some string to wrap the balls and hang them conveniently into the parrot’s cage.
Be sure your parrot pet will enjoy nibbling this superfood treat.
Can Eclectus Parrots Eat Walnuts Safely?
Conclusion
To sum up, you can feed your parrot with popcorn as long as it’s not for microwave cooking.
Adding plain popcorn (popped or unpopped) and raw corn kernels will make your parrot’s diet healthier and mouthwatering for your bird.
Sharing a meal with a parrot is a great way to communicate, build trust, and bond with your pet. In the end, you will be recognized as a member of a flock.
If you have any minor doubts about giving popcorns to your parrot, you should consult a vet or breeding expert for more advice.
Knowing this, get a bag of popcorn and have some fun with your parrot!
