Cantaloupe, melon, or rockmelon are all names for the same delicious fruit. And personally, I love this fruit as a smoothie with a little sugar. This mix always makes my day. Something delicious like this fruit will always make me wonder if I can feed it to my parrots safely. And luckily with melon, cantaloupe, or rockmelon, it’s totally safe for them to eat it.
So, Can Parrots Eat Cantaloupe?
Yes, parrots can eat Cantaloupe safely. This fruit can make a substantial source of nutrients and minerals. It also helps in hydrating the body of the bird and it’s good as a snack. However, serve them in moderated pieces because of the high content of sugar.
And in this article, we will find what nutrients your parrots will get when eating cantaloupe, and what about the seeds and skin, can parrots eat them? This is what we are about to find out, and many more.
What Nutrients Your Parrot Will Get
Melons or cantaloupes are just like many other fruits or vegetables, they are mostly water. However, don’t let this amount of water in them tricks you and make you think that there are no benefits from consuming them.
In fact, 1 cup of cantaloupe cubes with the daily requirements of Vitamin C, Vitamin A, and 12% of the daily potassium needed. These are important to:
- Protect the body cells from getting damaged
- It will help to keep eyes, skin, bones, and immune system healthy
- Help the heart, muscles, and blood pressure to function correctly
Along with that, cantaloupes contain the following as well:
- Folic acid
- Calcium
- Zinc
- Copper
- Iron
- Vitamin K
- Niacin
- Choline
- Magnesium
- Phosphorus
- Manganese
- Selenium
Just remember that these are all based on the human body. Parrots will require lesser than these amounts. A couple of small cubes of cantaloupes can provide and make up for any deficiency in any of these nutritional requirements.
How to Serve Cantaloupe to Your Parrot
This may look like an obvious question, but parrots need to be introduced to new things, otherwise, they are going mostly to be wary about it. And this, of course, includes food.
However, most parrots are curious about food, so it’s a good idea to let your parrot see you when you are enjoying the fruit. This way the bird will realize its food and he will feel the urgency to try it.
So, before you make the show for your bird, cut the cantaloupe pulp into small pieces and eat them in front of the bird, and then give one cube to the bird in a teaspoon or in its food bowl.
After this, the bird is really going to love the cantaloupe. Some parrots will just dislike it, and it’s totally normal if they refuse it after they had a taste.
How Much Cantaloupe is Safe For Parrots
Although birds, including pet parrots, can handle 3 times the amount of sugar compared to mammals in their blood with no dangerous symptoms, it’s still a bad idea to feed your parrot whatever he wants from cantaloupe. And in extremely rare cases, this can lead your bird to have diabetes, which is already hard to diagnose in birds.
Feeding your parrot a lot of cantaloupes can lead him to show diabetes-like symptoms like stress, or a hard time sleeping and staying asleep. So, slicing 2 pieces or cubes of cantaloupes and sufficing with them is the best and healthiest amount of this fruit for your bird.
Can Parrots Eat Cantaloupe Seeds?
Of course, parrots can eat cantaloupes seeds safely as they contain many nutrients that your bird will benefit from. In fact, seeds are one of the natural food for parrots and are widely used in commercial pet bird food. So, it’s ok for them to consume them.
How to Prepare Cantaloupe Seeds for Your Parrot?
Remember, don’t serve the seeds fresh for your parrot. You actually 2 options instead, either you dry the seeds and then serve them, or you can serve them after they sprout.
To make the seeds sprout, just scoop the seeds out of the cantaloupe and put them in a bottle of ajar and fill it with water, let there for 2-4 days and then you can serve them.
Can Parrots Eat Cantaloupe Skin?
Yes, the skin of many fruits and vegetables will increase the benefits for whoever eats them. However, this can pose a risk to your parrot’s health, especially if the fruit you have got is not organic. Inorganic fruit may contain dust and will still have some pesticides on them.
However, some parrots won’t like it, so you will have to use a food processor to mix it with the pulp and make some thick smoothie for the bird. For me personally, I just avoid serving it, although my African greys love them very much.
Conclusion
In conclusion, yes parrots can eat cantaloupe safely and they are most likely to enjoy it to the extent that they might scream for more. Ignore them and remember the high sugar content in cantaloupe can put them in a state of stress and difficulty sleeping, so moderation is the key.
And yes, that’s about it, I hope you found this article informative and easy to digest. Thank you for reading…
Hello, my name is sadeq and I am obsessed about parrot And I am here to share everything about raising pet parrots and how to be good owners to your bird.
