Dairy Products and Birds
Well, it’s a mostly no, this is because milk though not toxic is upsetting for birds, it draws fluid into their digestive systems due to the lactose content in the milk, lactose is a component that birds cannot digest, all of which results to diarrhea, which is quite dangerous for birds.
All mammals have a way in which they take of their young, mammals breast fed their young with milk, this milk contains all that is required to make way for their young to live and thrive, all animals have their own breast milk and each animal’s milk is best for the that particular animal, in fact when one animal’s milk is given to the other animal or even a human, digestive problems and such other conditions may result.
Birds do not give milk to their young instead they laid/born inside eggs. This egg has within it all the required nutrients to ensure that the bird is healthy and grows well, these birds then incubate and hatch.
First milk is not a natural food for birds and Birds are not mammals. Bird embryos are enclosed in an egg during incubation. Once the bird has hatched the mother bird begins to feed the bird by means of regurgitation- the food is stirred in the crop and when the bird takes in food, it stores in and later gives it to its young directly into the mouth of the young bird. Birds do not produce milk, but this regurgitation is called crop milk, it will not be milk in the original sense of the word. Both male and female birds an make this milk and give it to birds. Crop milk is rich in fat and a bit low in milk sugar. It doesn’t have carbohydrate or calcium as all other milk materials.
Birds eat differently from humans, birds eat more of fruits and seeds flowers , nectar so it’s only normal that the kind of food that they will eat should not differ disproportionately from the above mentioned, since the make-up pf the crop milk is bird food which makes it a more appropriate kind of milk if you would call it that.
The Effect of Milk on A Bird.
What happens when a bird consumes milk is not that it’s not toxic as to deal fatal blow to the bird, but it just pours in nutrients that the bird digestive system will find hard to digest, one of the most notorious nutrients is the nutrient called lactose. Lactose is a kind of sugar that is found in the milk and birds do not have the required enzyme to digest this nutrient. This then leads bird’s digestive system to draw fluids into the intestinal tract to flush the foreign sugar out. This will ultimately end up in giving the bird diarrhea.
How Much of Milk Would Be Harmful to A Bird.
Well, it’s only a normal thing to want to share your food with your pet birds of that curious bird that comes to take at peep at your window, or garden, but in all of this, when you decide to give that little one, do not give in a sizable measure. A little of this milk would likely not have the sides effects from lacrosse intolerance
Safe Alternatives to Milk.
Plant based Milk does not contain lactose so it can be seen as a safe alternative to animal milk.
Types of Plant Milk
Soy Milk
Soy milk comes from the soya beans and they it doesn’t not contain any form of lactose, but the problem with this kind of milk is that it contains high levels of pesticides and that could pose a danger to the bird. so if you purchase this soy milk, then it must be the organic version besides soymilk. It has a high proportion of fatty and protein and these are not nutrients that a bird would need in such a high quantity as it will be too much for your bird’s system to handle.
Coconut Milk
Coconut milk is made from coconut, it doesn’t contain lactose but that doesn’t mean that it’s a healthy option because it is very high in calories and fats. Bird doesn’t need too much fat, heavy fat would make the bird overweight and clogged with cholesterol which will end up making the bird weak and lethargic, so if you intend to your give bird the coconut milk, it should not be given in a high quantity.
When Non lactose milk should not be given to birds
You should not give your bird the following types of non-lactose milk.
Milk tainted with chocolate, chocolate is not safe for birds because it contains toxins and would immediately cause the death of a bird, no matter the size of the chocolate that is given.
Milk tainted with artificial flavorings, preservatives and coloring, these additives are artificial chemicals and if these toxins are ingested, things get dangerous quickly.
Sweetened milk sugar also bad for birds, it is such that it is dense with calories and that means that your bird will be filling up of non-nutritious food and sooner or later you will be dealing with malnutrition.
Plant Based Cheese
Well birds can consume plant-based cheese as an alternative to animal-based cheese, but it’s not such a healthy option because it is usually loaded with calories and fat.
Soy Cheese
Soya beans can be used to make nice tasting cheese, but it contains to phytoestrogens that imitate real estrogen hormones and cause a terrible mayhem on the endocrine system of a bird. it also gives digestive upsets like constipation and diarrhea. If given too much soy, parrots can develop health issues such as bone and beak deformity and early aging. Also, soy is very high in protein which is not safe for a bird’s system. Moderation remains the way forward in giving a bird this kind of cheese.
Coconut Oil Cheese
This Kind of Coconut oil cheese has a high fat content. Though coconut has medium chain fatty acids mainly the lauric acid and the capric acid which are good for the health of the bird it should never be given in large quantity to a birds because fat when given in a large quantity starts to clog the bird’s system.
Summary
Milk is not overtly toxic to a bird. Lactose won’t kill your parrot outright. It isn’t toxic, after all but it’s not healthy.
However, large amounts over time can lead to serious health problems to your bird. Plant Milk on the other hand is calorie dense. Therefore, it fills your bird up without providing them with any vitamins or minerals. Over time, this can cause malnutrition for your bird.
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