Why parrots do NOT need grit

Here's one of my blog posts from a few weeks back, I thought it would be good to share it

I have seen many articles about giving parrots grit as part of their daily diet and how it apparently does wonders for their health. It is actually lethaland can even kill your birds! It saddens me to see how much of it can actually be found on shelves in pet stores. There’s usually a budgie or something similar on a little box promoting the stuff. Don’t touch it! I can’t believe that people are still promoting the stuff

Grit comes in two forms, there’s soluble grit and of course, insoluble grit. As you can imagine the soluble grit will actually dissolve in the gizzard. You can provide your birds with a cuttlebone for this and even oyster shell. Though if your birds do not have any issues pointed about by a a vet that stating that they may need help with their digestive tract then I would not go near the stuff. Insoluble grit is usually the type available in stores. This contains actual stones. These CANNOT be passed through your birds digestive tract!

It’s apparent purpose is to help your bird grind up its food while in the gizzard to help ease digestion, however! Parrots (and finches/canaries + other passerines) remove the shell of their seeds before they consume it. So why feed it? It will only harm your bird, and I’ll get to that in a moment…

Though parrots, finches and canaries may not need grit, other birds such as pigeons and doves are meant to need it due to not being able to remove a shell from a seed, the grit then grinds it up for them once consumed. This also applies to chickens, turkeys and other ground dwelling seed eaters. This grit is actually useful to them as it allows the digestive enzymes to get into the seed as it isn’t then protected by the outer shell!

Feeding your parrots and passerines can actually cause horrific health complications which can lead to death. Birds will often over consume the grit which is even more problematic if it is insoluble. Over consuming can cause crop, proventricular and ventricular impaction. Grit usually also contains charcoal which will actually reduce their ability to absorb vitamins A, B2, and K causing deficiencies!

I hope you all stop going out to buy grit after reading this, for your birds sake!

Great Post Daisy!

Thank you! I get told a lot by all of the bird keepers in this country that we need grit in their diets and stuff and I'm actually laughed at for my belief in not feeding it. There is medical proof that it is NOT good for them and can/will kill them