Dried Apricots As Bird Food

Whether you have a pet parakeet or cockatoo as a companion, or enjoy feeding wild birds in your back yard, providing dried apricots to your feathered friends is recommended by veterinarians and bird experts.

Ratio

Pet birds should be fed a diet that is 80 percent or more table food such as you would eat, and 20 percent or less birdseed. Wild birds should have forage supplemented with dried apricots and other fruits and vegetables.

Benefits

Dried apricots don't spoil as quickly as fresh ones and can be left in the cage or bird feeder for several days unless they become wet. Dried apricots can help seed-dependent birds transition to a healthier diet.

Feeding

Soak dried apricots and place them on platform feeders for wild birds. Cut dried apricots into pieces and put in cage for pet birds.

Considerations

Fleshy fruits such as dried apricots can cause a bird to produce excessive fluids that are excreted by urine, which is normal and should not be confused with diarrhea.

Warnings

Dried apricots are safe to feed to birds, but apricot pits release free cyanide and should not be fed to birds. Purchase apricots that are naturally dried and free of the preservative sulfur dioxide, which causes hyperactivity, aggression and allergies in birds.

References

• Avian Web: Bird Nutrition
• Exotic Pet Vet: 20 Things You Must Know About Nutrition
• Animal Hospitals USA: Feeding Birds Large/Small