# do i need grit?



## sooty (Dec 31, 2009)

ive got a 15week old conure and i was wondering if i should provide him with some grit.
ive never used it before with parrots,but we keep seeing it for them in the pet shops,
thought i would ask you parrot owners if you use it?:blush:
thanks: victory:


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## Zoo-Man (Apr 12, 2008)

My opinion is that if your parrot is fed a seed diet, then they should have some grit available to them. Basically, seed-eating birds require grit to nable them to efficiently grind up & digest their food. Plus grit is a source of calcium & some minerals. There is a small risk of impaction of grit, but this can be avoided by only providing small amounts of grit.


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## white (May 16, 2009)

Zoo-Man said:


> My opinion is that if your parrot is fed a seed diet, then they should have some grit available to them. Basically, seed-eating birds require grit to nable them to efficiently grind up & digest their food. Plus grit is a source of calcium & some minerals. There is a small risk of impaction of grit, but this can be avoided by only providing small amounts of grit.


Agreed!


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## Satans Little Helper (Sep 11, 2008)

Completely disagree with the above. There is absolutely no need to give any hookbill grit. 
Please read the link Winged Wisdom Pet Bird Magazine - A Bit About Grit - Do Birds Need It?
My avian vet has told me that in parrot and parrotlike species that the provision of grit causes more harm than good in most cases. I have 16 parrots (2 Senegals, 4 Amazons, 6 Macaws, a Caique, a Galah, a Grey and a Cockatoo) and not one of them has ever had grit in their lives...!!!!!


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## sooty (Dec 31, 2009)

thanks: victory:
was good to read.


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## Zoo-Man (Apr 12, 2008)

Satans Little Helper said:


> Completely disagree with the above. There is absolutely no need to give any hookbill grit.
> Please read the link Winged Wisdom Pet Bird Magazine - A Bit About Grit - Do Birds Need It?
> My avian vet has told me that in parrot and parrotlike species that the provision of grit causes more harm than good in most cases. I have 16 parrots (2 Senegals, 4 Amazons, 6 Macaws, a Caique, a Galah, a Grey and a Cockatoo) and not one of them has ever had grit in their lives...!!!!!


Parrots in the wild actively seek & consume grit. 

Cockatoos (Galahs, Corellas, Sulphur-Crested, Cockatiels, etc) in Australia are often found on roads & paths consuming grit.
Macaws, Amazons, Pionus & Conures in the South American rainforests purposely make journeys to clay licks on embankments where they consume mud, clay, grits, etc.
Grey Parrots are seen to make journeys to open areas of their African rainforest home in order to drink & take the opportunity to consume grit & clay from the ground.
These examples show that wild parrots regularly take grit from their natural habitat, which shows a need. 

In captivity, their diet will be different to some degree or other, but as, for example, a Galah's wild diet is largely seed-based, & yet they are regular grit-eaters, this tells me to offer some grit for a seed-based diet when we keep these birds as pets.


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## [email protected] (Mar 14, 2008)

*Grit*

Have kept and bred large parrots for over 15 years and have never used grit. Our birds are fed on a diet of around 70% fruit, veg & pulses to about 30% seed. Given a calcium and a multi vit supplement, UV light, and are all fit, happy and healthy and breed regularly.


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## carlycharlie (Jan 16, 2008)

[email protected] said:


> Have kept and bred large parrots for over 15 years and have never used grit. Our birds are fed on a diet of around 70% fruit, veg & pulses to about 30% seed. Given a calcium and a multi vit supplement, UV light, and are all fit, happy and healthy and breed regularly.


 
I agree........have kept & bred conures/parrots for years & never used grit......

Conures would naturaly be eating a pretty high diet of fruit in the wild so would not eat much off the floor. However like many parrots they do seek out mud/clay but this is thought to be for the nutrients/minerals in it & not the grit.


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## adamntitch (Jun 17, 2007)

carlycharlie said:


> I agree........have kept & bred conures/parrots for years & never used grit......
> 
> Conures would naturaly be eating a pretty high diet of fruit in the wild so would not eat much off the floor. However like many parrots they do seek out mud/clay but this is thought to be for the nutrients/minerals in it & not the grit.


agree altho i always thought they went for mud and clay to conteract the toxins that some of there diet includes lol


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## AZUK (Jul 9, 2007)

adamntitch said:


> agree altho i always thought they went for mud and clay to conteract the toxins that some of there diet includes lol


 This >
Also due to the high acidity of the fruit they eat in the wild Clay is ingested as a natural antacid...........Parrot Gaviscon if you like


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## Zoo-Man (Apr 12, 2008)

adamntitch said:


> agree altho i always thought they went for mud and clay to conteract the toxins that some of there diet includes lol


Yes, thats right, the clay acts like kayalin (sp) to soothe the effect of some of their foods on their stomachs.


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## Zoo-Man (Apr 12, 2008)

sooty said:


> ive got a 15week old conure and i was wondering if i should provide him with some grit.
> ive never used it before with parrots,but we keep seeing it for them in the pet shops,
> thought i would ask you parrot owners if you use it?:blush:
> thanks: victory:


Just seen in the Classifieds section that your selling your little Conure, such a shame.


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

Late on this one, but I always provide grit. I haven't seen all the birds use it, but it's there if they want it.


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