If your parrot is starving like it has not eaten food for days, it can eat anything chewable. But should it eat anything? No. So, what about cucumber?
Should you feed your parrot cucumber? Yes, you can feed parrots cucumber but make sure the cucumber is organic. The problem with the products we find in supermarkets is that they are modified to look tempting. It’s not the best for you or the parrot.
Is cucumber suitable to all parrot species? Can your parrot get diarrhea after eating cucumber? Let us find out.
How to feed your parrot cucumber
Cucumber has 4% of potassium, 3% of fiber, and 4% of vitamin C. It also has small amounts of manganese, magnesium, vitamin K, and beta-carotene as well. It is a good addition to your parrot’s diet.
Make sure you peel the cucumber if you cannot find organic ones. The outer layer of the cucumber is often polished with wax and pesticides to make it look more sellable. Peel the outer layer and serve your parrot with one serving.
They can also eat the seeds of the cucumber, as it is not poisonous to the parrot. It depends on the parrot’s eating habit on how it wants to eat cucumber.
They can either have it raw, boiled, mashed, or sliced. We know that parrots can be fuzzy eaters sometimes, so you will have to figure out how it likes its cucumber.
Do not feed your parrots too much of cucumber
Make sure your parrot doesn’t feed on cucumber the whole day, as it will affect its digestion and stool. Although they might thoroughly enjoy cucumbers, it is 95% water. Your parrot will need fiber to go along with all the water or else, the stool will be watery.
Just add some fiber to the diet to maintain the balance.
How to know if the cucumber is causing diarrhea? Observe the poop
Feeding your parrot ungodly amount of cucumber would definitely increase urine content in their poop. But you should know if your parrot is having diarrhea or polyuria. The answer lies in their poop.
While both of the terms sound terrible for the parrot, it is important to know the distinction. Polyuria is a condition where you observe more urine content in a bird’s poop while the feces content remains solid to normal.
However, in diarrhea, the stool content is watery and it stains their feathers as well.
Polyuria might seem to indicate more serious matters and is often a symptom of one of them. However, this condition can be temporary if it is caused by dietary changes – such as feeding too much cucumber in this case.
If polyuria comes with other symptoms such as discomfort or behavior changes in parrot and it continues for more than 24 hours, seek medical help. 
Be vigilant when you observe your parrot having diarrhea
If you have observed their poop and it is watery – it is diarrhea. Diarrhea can be managed if you feed your parrot with vegetables that are rich in fiber and vitamins. If you observe that your parrot is not getting better after 24 hours mark, get it to the veterinarian.
Although it is not common for parrots to have diarrhea after eating cucumber, it can happen. If your parrot is showing signs of diarrhea (not polyuria) when you add cucumber to its diet, then avoid feeding it cucumber.
Know the digestive health of your parrot by observing the poop
The general rule of thumb is that a healthy poop should be odorless. The feces should be brown or green in color with a firm texture. Urine should be clear whereas urates should be white or beige in color.
Smaller species of parrots excrete 40-50 times a day whereas the larger ones excrete 15-30 times a day
When your parrot is doing unwell, the excreta would look different and have an odor. The urates will be yellow or green. The urine will show some color rather than being clear.
Feces will have a lumpy consistency and its color will be different such as mustard yellow, reddish-brown, or feces with blood on it.
Don’t be alerted by a false alarm
There are vegetables that would alter the color of feces such as blueberries and beets. Also, if you feed your parrot with food rich in moisture, the consistency of urine will be higher in their excreta.
The easy and nutritious way to feed parrots
The chop concept is widely popular in feeding parrots. This means you mix finely chopped vegetables (cooked or uncooked) and fruits for your parrot’s diet. You can chop them, refrigerate them, and thaw them when you want to use.
Make sure you only make a batch for 2-days meal and not more than that.
The ‘chop’ way of preparing meals for parrots is efficient for people who are running low on time. This would help in maintaining your parrot’s diet while saving your time.
But there is a catch as well – you need to refrigerate only the items that have a shelf life of staying fresh for 2 days maximum. Else, it will be rotten. Keep it cool and dry. This is what parrot-parent forgets. We have to always give them fresh fruit, so preserve it wisely.
After you thaw frozen items that you have chopped, add something fresh to it. You can add more fruits, cooked veggies, or sprinkle some seeds on the top of it!
Here are some suggestions for food items that you can include in your chop:
- Carrots
- Cabbage
- Broccoli
- Cooked beans
- Jalapeno peppers
- Quinoa
- Brown rice
- Flax seeds
What about protein?
Parrots can and should eat protein. In fact, some of them even like to eat meat or eggs. We had a close look at that in the following articles:
Related Questions
What are the food items that I should not feed my parrot?
You should avoid feeding your parrots food from the alliums family such as onion, garlic, shallot; alcohol, chocolates, caffeine, beverages, junk food, avocado and pits of other fruits, seafood, meat, processed food, and dairy products.
Can I feed Eclectus parrot and African parrot cucumbers?
Yes, you can feed them cucumbers! Most of the parrots would benefit from the amount of water, beta-carotene, and vitamin A that cucumber has. There is no doubt that it will be a good addition to their diet.
What food should I give to my parrot having diarrhea?
You should feed them vegetables that are rich in vitamins and nutrients. Leafy vegetables, fiber-rich foods, and seeds can be given to the parrot. You should avoid giving them rotten, moldy, or spoiled food. Also, you should avoid giving them fruits for a while or limit the quantity.
We hope that this information will help you to keep your fluffy friend happy and healthy!
