Obviously, peannuts were excluded from Lucy's diet as soon as she came home with us. However, I've found that she LOVES Nutriberries. I'm sort of puzzled at what to do. I want to be able to treat her but at the same time, I don't want to give her something she shouldn't have. Opinions please???

Dom, why don't you want her to have peanuts?

Why shouldn't she have Nutriberries??

I didn't see your response first Karen, and I see we interpreted her post in different ways.

If she loves nutriberries, why can't you treat her with those?

Peanuts aren't technically 'nuts' persay. They are grown in the ground like potatoes. This means that they are subject to mnay different types of fungi. Even human grade peanuts have these. They don't harm us or any other parrot that I know of, but it does some pretty weird things to ekkies. It causes hyperactivity, mood swings, and hormonalness over a short period of time. When fed even longer, it can lead to poor molts/odd feather growth, feather discolorations, obesity and even excessive egg laying and plucking. Because all peanuts contain at least one fungus, it's best to keep ekkies far away from them. This is why I have Lucy on a special seed mix of my own, which contains no peanuts. It's the easiest and cheapest to mix up, and I've yet to find something that's good for her and doens't have peanuts or peanut products.

Because Nutriberries and most other comerically made bird foods/treats contain peanuts or peanut products, I've had to give her whatever I can make. Although I know she loves them, I don't want her to possibly revert back to plucking, that's probably the worst thing that could happen; that and excessive egg laying...

The Lafeber Company tests all their peanuts and corn of Aflatoxins before they use them.

Here’s a Nutriberry recipe just for Ekkies;

Eclectus Nutri-Nuggets (substitute for Nutriberries)

1 cup dried fruit (unsulphured)
1/2 cup organic currants or raisins
2 Tablespoons unsweetened coconut shreds
1/2 cup uncooked oatmeal
1/4 cup small seeds and/or crushed nuts
1/4 cup raw organic wheat germ flakes
2 Tablespoons organic almond butter
1 Tablespoon agave nectar or blackstrap molasses

Blend all dry ingredients in a food processor until chopped finely. Place mixture into a bowl and add almond butter and molasses. Mix well; the mix will be sticky. Roll mixture into small 1/2" balls and place on a cookie sheet. Save the fine coconut shreds until last and roll the balls in it, or shake them in a bag of coconut shreds, wheat germ, or almond meal (ground almonds). Bake at 325 degrees for about 20 minutes. Cool and serve. For multiple birds, use four times all the ingredient amounts for about a hundred Nutrinuggets.

I'm going to try that one for myself Karen. Sounds yummy.

Thanks Karen!!!