can parrots eat Prickly pear? or Cactus fruit

Prickly pear or Cactus fruit are commonly found in the wild. So, can parrots eat them? What is the nutritional value of these fruits?

Let’s take a closer look at Prickly pear and Cactus fruit to find out if they are safe for parrots to eat.

What is Prickly Pear?

Prickly Pear is a type of cactus that has two different types of fruit: edible raw fruit and pads.

The edible raw fruit ranges from shades of green, yellow, and red when ripe.

The taste is sweet and tangy with a crunchy texture.1
Prickly Pear contains water (88%), carbohydrates (7%), dietary fiber (2%), sugar (5%),

If the spines are removed from the prickly pear cactus, it is an excellent source of nutrition and can be given to a parrot without any concerns.

It is also possible to eat the fruit of the cactus, although you will first need to peel it and remove the seeds.

Is Papaya Healthy for parrots?

The fruit of the prickly pear cactus is loaded with several vitamins, minerals, plus antioxidants including:

Additionally, the fruit is a wonderful source of calcium, which is highly necessary for the overall health of a parrot.

Your parrot will get a metabolic bone disease if it does not get enough calcium in its diet.

Because this disease cannot be cured and can result in debilitating bone abnormalities and death, prevention is of the utmost importance.

In addition, the cactus leaf, which is more popularly known as the cactus pad, comprises the following:

1. Vitamin A
2. Vitamin C
3. Vitamin B6
4. Riboflavin
5. Thiamin

In addition, the cactus pads contain trace amounts of the minerals calcium, iron, potassium, and magnesium.

Both the cactus pear and the pads include digestive aids fiber and potassium in their respective amounts.

Depending on the species, the pads of the pear cactus are a vibrant shade of green, and the cactus pears can be a variety of colors, including green, purple, red, and even orange.

In The US alone, there are approximately 90 different types, and throughout the entirety of the Americas, there are at least 180 different species.

parrots love prickly pear cacti, so you should definitely include some of those in their habitat.

Before introducing the plant to the habitat, you should make sure that the spines have been removed, and you should check the cactus on a regular basis to see if it has developed any new needles.

How to Feed papaya to Your parrots?

The very first thing you are going to do with the fruit is to remove the skin by peeling it.

When you handle the fruit, you should do it while wearing protective gloves because it contains a number of small spines.

After that, you take the pear and slice it up into very little pieces, eliminating any seeds that you come across as you go.

Because the seeds might cause constipation, it is important that as many seeds as possible are removed.

Your parrot will be fine if you give it one or two seeds, but giving it too many can lead to digestive problems.

Remove the spines from the pads, and then give the pads a very careful and thorough cleaning.

Remove the more hard edges, then chop what’s left into bite-sized pieces after cutting away those edges.

To prevent your parrots from suffocating, you should always ensure to chop their food into pieces that are no larger than the distance that exists between their eyes.

In order to maintain their quality, any leftover prickly pear fruits or pads must be placed in a container that can be sealed and placed in the refrigerator.

Some Foods That Are Great for parrots

Share these foods with your parrots because they are the some of the healthiest options available:

1. Dairy and Meat – 5% of the diet
2. Seed and Nuts – &1% of the diet
3. Vegetables and Fruits – 45% of the diet
4. Grain Products – 50% of the diet

Fruits

1. Bananas (remove peel)
2. Guava
3. Pears (remove seeds)
4. Cranberries
5. Mandarin oranges
6. Passion fruit
7. Mangoes
8. Lemons
9. Apricots (remove pit and area around the pit)
10. Honeydew (no rinds)
11. Kiwis
12. Currants
13. Plums (remove pit and area around the pit)
14. Cherimoya
15. Loquat
16. Pomegranate
17. strawberries
18. raspberries
19. Peaches (remove pit and area around the pit)
20. Cherries (no pits)
21. Blackberries
22. Cactus fruit
23. Apples (remove seeds and stem)
24. Coconuts
25. Clementine oranges
26. Kumquats
27. Cantaloupe (no rinds)
28. Grapes (i.e. black, green, red, etc.)
29. Pineapple
30. Figs
31. Oranges
32. Raisins
33. Blueberries
34. Dates
35. Grapefruit
36. Nectarines (remove pit and area around the pit)

Recommended Vegetables

1. Eggplant (ripe and cooked)
2. Jalapeno peppers
3. Broccoli
4. Collard greens
5. Cayenne
6. Bamboo shoots
7. Broccoli flower
8. Banana peppers
9. Bean sprouts
10. Chard
11. Carrots (including tops)
12. Cabbage
13. Leeks
14. Beets
15. Chili peppers
16. Asparagus (cooked)
17. Comfrey
18. Corn
19. Alfalfa sprouts (you can sprout them yourself)
20. Cauliflower
21. Celery
22. Arugula
23. Garlic
24. Okra
25. Kohlrabi
26. Ginger root
27. Peas (i.e. green, snow, sugar snap, etc.)
28. Baby corn
29. Lettuce
30. Beans (cooked) (i.e. adzuki, butter, garbanzo, green, haricot, kidney, mung, navy, pinto, pole, soy, wax, etc.)
31. Parsley
32. Cherry pepper
33. Cucumbers
34. Endive
35. Kale
36. Lentils (cooked)
37. Peppers (i.e. chili, green, jalapeno, poblano, red, serrano, yellow, etc.)
38. Chayote
39. Cilantro
40. Chicory
41. Mustard greens
42. Bell peppers

Recommended Nuts

1. Pecans
2. Cashews
3. Hazelnuts
4. Almonds
5. Brazil nuts (whole only for x-large parrots)
6. Pistachio nuts
7. Pine nuts
8. Walnuts
9. Filberts
10. Macadamia (high in fat)
11. Peanuts

Recommended Grain 

1. Pretzels (low- or no-salt
2. Pearl barley
3. Quinoa
4. Melba Toast
5. Noodles and pasta (i.e. macaroni, ravioli, spaghetti, etc.)
6. Oatmeal