乾燥食品について/Dried foods are safe for birds

Dried foods are safe for birds!

In recent days, warnings have been spreading on social media in Japan claiming that feeding dried foods to birds and rabbits is dangerous. We have also received concerns from several of our customers.   

・Dried vegetables and dried fruits are dangerous for birds and should not be given.

・A necropsy revealed carrots lodged in a bird’s intestines.

・Dried vegetables expand to a dangerous size for birds once water is added.

・Celery is unsafe because of its high fiber content.

・Finely chopped dried foods might be acceptable.

・Dried vegetables and dried fruits are difficult for birds to digest and therefore risky.

I was truly surprised to see such claims. Here’s our response:

・These claims are based on fear rather than evidence, and there is no scientific basis for them.

・The idea that “dried vegetables and fruits expand several times inside the body and cause intestinal blockages” is not applicable to generally healthy birds.

・Dried fruits and vegetables, even after absorbing moisture, do not expand to a degree that would pose a danger to birds.

・Most birds require and regularly consume fibrous foods as part of a healthy diet.

・The claim that dried fruits or vegetables must be crushed into seed-sized pieces to be safe is unfounded.

・Unlike herbivorous mammals like rabbits, birds have a much faster digestive transit time, which is one of the reasons they are able to handle dried fruits and vegetables without issue.

If a bird has an underlying condition, digestive blockages may occur, but this is not common.

If dried foods were truly the cause, then considering how many commercial bird diets contain dried fruits and vegetables, we would be seeing far more cases of birds becoming ill or dying.

Seeds, pellets, and other dry foods also expand when soaked in water—dried foods are no different in this respect. Unlike the fibers from items such as Happy huts, the natural fibers found in whole foods are not dangerous to birds.

In short, whole foods—whether fresh or dried—pose an extremely safe to birds. Rather than being unnecessarily fearful, I hope bird owners will feel encouraged to broaden the dietary options they provide for their birds.  

We got advise from Dr. Jason Crean of Biodiversity Bird Blends to share this post.

Update (Sep 6)：We also got support from Dr. Jason Crean to soak the dry food included in the Biodiversity Bird Blends in water and observe the degree of expansion. The result showed that there was very little change in size after soaking.
The dried foods included in the Biodiversity Bird Blends seed mix are safe to feed to birds. (Of course, other freeze-dried products are also safe for them.)

Dried condition↓

2 hours after soak in clean water↓