During one of my conversations with my AV I had mentioned giving the Fids biscuits. She immediately said, "You're not giving Monkey Biscuits are you?" Which I replied that I wasn't and was referring to Parrot Biscuits.

She said that just as we are learning more and more everyday how to better care for our Parrots that the same holds true for primates. The new formulas have way too much Vitamin D added to them which is not good for our Parrots, especially Macaws.

I found this article that also mentions what my AV told me;

ugh, the breeder was giving those to ivy. she "came" with some and i tossed them. they just don't LOOK healthy.

thanks for posting this info, karen.

I used them to wean Ollie. If not for them I really think she'd still be on formula. Once she started eating pellets regularly I got rid of them. Her breeder, and a few people on a different forum, recommended them to me.

I've never even heard of them. Hmmmmm. Good to know.

Their such an old product, it used to be what was used to feed chicks before there was formula. Thanks for posting this info, as times change it is good to know what is no longer considered safe.

Even tho' they act like monkeys.....

They were actually never safe for parrots but back in the old days there was no commercial prepared food for them so lazy people used whatever they had available (they even used cat dry food!). No responsible breeder or guardian would feed a bird anything that was not meant for a bird.

We're with Bea! She's so smart!

Hmmmm. I remember when there was no formula or pellets. Just seed. And no avian vet either. I also remember that most people did use monkey biscuits and dog food, not cat food, as a thought to be good source of nutrition since their was only seed. This was recommended by vets back in the day. As there was no Internet in order to research a parrots needs in the wild, people went to their vets, who they trusted. SO LAZY, NO! Trying to do they best they could given the info available....yes. I'm sorry but I take some offense to this, being one of those who tried to do better and being informed by the top vets at the time to hand feed monkey biscuits and feed dog food as a supplement. If one wants to make the argument that people after the fact still used these items than I whole heartily agree with you.

I think its important to remember, as Kimba pointed out, that views about what is acceptable or recommended often change over time as more becomes known about a given subject. Just as attitudes toward all aspects of pet keeping have changed; the dietary needs of parrots are much better understood now than they were "back in the day". Not at all a function of owners back then not caring or lazy, more a function of lack of good information, or inability to find good information. We are all so thankful that times have changed and so much more is known today, and thanks in part to the internet, that information is much more widely available and accessible.