Coconut!!!

[kendrafitz]

Anyone else have a parrot that is kookoo for coconut? :super-happy-dance-s

Spring is here and for me that means gearing up for flea markets, which also means farmers markets. While meandering though the other day I remembered one of Rosie's favorites that I had completely neglected, coconut! I got a few of them and cracked one open yesterday. Rosie was so happy, I forgot how much she loves fresh coconut. Teddy, my yorkie-bichon loves the water so he gets that and eats whatever meat the diva drops. I love it too, I think I may eat just as much as she does. :)

It's a pain to open and messy, but what a yummy treat!!!

[Honesty]

Now this is one thing I have never tried Codie with! I will give it a go :)

[kendrafitz]

You will have to let me know if he enjoys it. :)

[Honesty]

Will do :)

[plax]

My guys aren't terribly crazy about coconut (except Salsa likes it fairly well - but he loves most any food!). However, Zaf absolutely adores anything that contains coconut oil. He'll practically kill for a piece of toast if it has some on it!

[Grey]

just dole it out in moderation, that's a very high fat snack

[kendrafitz]

True George. But since Rosie doesn't have much interest in food besides dumping it, I'm not too worried. ;) I always worry she is too thin, my poor girl.

Now Teddy the dog is another story!! Lol

[plax]

just dole it out in moderation, that's a very high fat snackReasonable advice... especially when it comes to saturated fats. However, as far as the coconut oil and Zaf are concerned, Hys require more nut-type oils than many other species. Their metabolisms are a bit different from most parrots. Also, most Macaws metabolize fats better than other species. I say "most" because some Macaws aren't very good at keeping off the grams. Salsa happens to be one of those who tends to accumulate extra weight. If I allow him to eat as much as he would like, he simply becomes fatter and fatter. Consequently, I stopped allowing him to eat as much as he wished to eat and I'm now careful about which foods I give to him. He surpassed an empty weight of over 1700g at one point! That's when I decided to modify his diet and put him on a regimen of vigorous daily flapping. He dropped the weight and he's in far better shape now :). My other 3 are lean, strong and very picky about what they eat and how much of it. None of them besides Salsa has ever been overweight. It's still good to watch the fats in all cases, though!

[Turquoise]

None of mine care for coconut at all. They don't like it when I add coconut oil in their foods either & no matter what I hide it in, they just know! But they do enjoy chewing up a coconut shell attached to rope. Go figure!!