FINCHforum

I have just given the birds some freshfood (lettuce, and eggfood) and was wondering, is cheese safe/good for birds?

I've heard of giving them a little cheddar, but I haven't done it. I don't remember where I saw that.

Dante, birds can't digest cheese or milk.


http://www.birdchannel.com/sponsors/spe ... ating.aspx

"Milk products: Our birds lack the digestive enzyme lactase and, therefore, cannot digest milk products containing lactose."

I agree with no dairy.

no cheese for birds Dante

Defo agree, no dairy although wiht parrots I believe the deebate goes on with some peopl esaying it does them no harm however I am firmly on the side of no dairy for birds!!!!

Okay, thanks guys!

It makes sense that birds aren't designed to drink milk. I thought I remembered whey being in some of the special foods, so I checked the ingredients of Miracle Meal, one of my birds' favorite treat foods. I see it has lactose free whey. I had never paid attention to that detail before. Now I'm glad I never tried the cheese with them. It just never seemed necessary. Besides, I want all the cheese for myself.

In the finch information there is a part in the "my birds" section that mentions feeding birds shredded cheddar cheese. I am curious about this. Why can't they digest dairy?




Feeding - All birds are on a pellet-based diet (Lafeber's and Kaytee Exact) and have access to fresh water and a cuttle bone daily. In addition to this staple diet, seeds are provided on occasion, and an egg mix (boiled egg chopped shell and all mixed with shredded organic romaine lettuce and/or parsley, shredded cheddar cheese, and finely ground sunflower seed kernels) is provided several times weekly when not breeding, and daily when breeding (as well as daily when molting).

Ahhhhh I see