So the birds cant eat mushrooms...

We've been studiously avoiding mushrooms in our food cause the birds share meals with us, but we LOVE mushrooms!

So I started wondering... I think I read somewhere that the birds can't eat mushrooms because of some kind of fungus? Is that right?

Is it a fungus that's killed when the 'shrooms are cooked? And what about a dish where the 'shrooms were cooked with the rest of the food, but I pick 'em out? Can the fids eat THAT?

Inquiring minds want to know....

Mushrooms are icky.

Hey vicki , i'm not sure why you can't feed mushrooms to your birds.We need deb to chime in , she knows everything We eat lots of shrooms also and cook lots of stuff that include them ,we do remove them from what ever we feed the birds but i'm not sure why?It might because of some high nutrient level or something but i don't know why.

Julsiebean wrote:

Mushrooms are icky.

Well you're just a veritable FONT of information, aren't you! LOL!

In the words of a very famous Frenchman, "I don want to talk to you no moor, you empty-headed animal, food trough wiper... now go away or I shall be forced to taunt you a second time!"

(Guess what movie I ended up playing while finishing my bird mash!?!)

Sorry, but I mean, they grow on poop. No thanks!

Since mushrooms are the fleshy spore-bearing fruit of a fungus, I'd assume that's probably the issue. No amount of cooking is going to change the fact that they're a fungus.

If there is an issue with mushrooms that isn't the fact that they're a fungus, I'd venture a guess and say that since they're so porous they can easily absorb all kinds of unsavory things. Common wisdom says onions shouldn't be fed to birds because of similar reasons; the dirt, bacteria and whatever else are caught in the layers of the onion and much harder to clean appropriately.

Apart from that, mushrooms are said to cause digestive upset in companion birds. Some varieties can cause liver failure.


And to further expand on this, I'd speculate that parrots in the wild occasionally do come into contact with and eat mushrooms. They certainly eat avocados (particularly in Central and South America). However, these parrots have access to salt clay that binds with the toxins rendering them harmless. In captivity, parrots don't have access to these types of resources.

Birds can't eat mushrooms?
SHHHH!!!!!!!!! Don't tell my birds I think they're dead.

I don't feed mushrooms all the time, but I toss raw mushroom stems to them when we have them.

Seriously, I didn't know they can't have mushrooms.

VickiNumbers wrote:

Julsiebean wrote:

Mushrooms are icky.

Well you're just a veritable FONT of information, aren't you! LOL!

In the words of a very famous Frenchman, "I don want to talk to you no moor, you empty-headed animal, food trough wiper... now go away or I shall be forced to taunt you a second time!"

(Guess what movie I ended up playing while finishing my bird mash!?!)

k - just did some research. The button mushrooms are not poisonous to birds so that explains why mine haven't dropped dead. I only feed the button shrooms. Other shrooms we get we eat the whole thing so the birds don't get any pieces parts. Supposedly you still shouldn't feed mushroom because it's a fungus. Not sure why on that one.

patdbunny wrote:

k - just did some research. The button mushrooms are not poisonous to birds so that explains why mine haven't dropped dead. I only feed the button shrooms. Other shrooms we get we eat the whole thing so the birds don't get any pieces parts. Supposedly you still shouldn't feed mushroom because it's a fungus. Not sure why on that one.

I looked this up and it is pretty clear in my parrot cookbook.
there are 2 reasons
1 is they are a fungus and although in our systems the amount is small enough not to affect us in a birds small system the can cause digestive issues or inbalences in the crop enzymes
2 they are just about pure protein and (a meat sub for vegetarians and vegans) in their system it is akin to sitting down to a couple of pot roasts.
The book also says if you use onions and mushrooms in your food pick them out, the quantity of the fungus is reduced in the food and the protein amounts are more better managed if accompanied with a carb to off set it
Yes I kept out the bird cook book when packing the rest of the books

Here comes the know-it-all.

I've seen them on good lists published by vets, so the jury is divided. I think I have the same parrot cookbook. Not everything in it is perfect, but the recipes look great!

As far as I have been able to determine, the main issue with mushroom is that the spoil very easily. When they get that slimy feeling, they are not safe to eat, really, although we usually take no harm. And it's not just a matter of cooking them, they grow contamination on the surface that produces toxins as a by-product, it's not just a risk of infection (more like botulism than salmonella). The risk for birds is more significant than for people so I avoid fresh mushrooms.

True, it's a fungus. And a carrot is a root. Fungii aren't inherently bad. Even bacteria aren't inherently bad, right? That's what probiotics are! Nutritionally, a nice clean cultivated fungus is still carbohydrates, fat, water, protein, vitamins and minerals.

Mushrooms are high in protein for a vegetable, but 70g of mushroom contain 2g of carbohydrate and 2g of protein and no measurable fat. Contrast lean beef at 0g carbohydrate and about 12g protein and 4g fat for the same weight. In that respect alone, it is between the beef and a garbanzo at 11g carbohydrate, 4g protien and 1g fat. In truth, the mushroom is mostly water. That's why they shrink so much when you cook them, it disrupts the cell structure and the water is lost.

I don't think there is any need to feed a bird mushrooms, but I don't see a problem with feeding clean, fresh mushrooms occasionally, either raw or cooked.

I like the know it all's as long as they really know it And you do.

can't the fact they grow on POOP be reason enough? Is this thing on? *taps mic* Helloooo! POOP!

Julsiebean wrote:

can't the fact they grow on POOP be reason enough? Is this thing on? *taps mic* Helloooo! POOP!

OMG!! I think I'm going to pee myself I'm laughing so hard.

Julsiebean wrote:

can't the fact they grow on POOP be reason enough? Is this thing on? *taps mic* Helloooo! POOP!

But it's sterilized poop! And I hate to mention it, but most veggie growing involves a certain amount of (fill in the blank).

And some mushrooms are apparently grown in wood chips primarily.

ScooterNScotty wrote:

Julsiebean wrote:

can't the fact they grow on POOP be reason enough? Is this thing on? *taps mic* Helloooo! POOP!

But it's sterilized poop! And I hate to mention it, but most veggie growing involves a certain amount of (fill in the blank).

And some mushrooms are apparently grown in wood chips primarily.

This is getting too funny I think most people don't consider how anything is grown and the term fertilizer is much easier to catalog as "OK"

Yeah but my green beans don't grow on the load my dog just took in the yard. They grow in a nice mix I don't have to see.

Bottom line, do you thing that mushrooms are Ok for fids?
We eat them often, that's why I ask.

^I think the answer seems to be no.

If they are scrupulously fresh, yes. If you tend to leave them sitting around in the fridge for a while, no.

I have a sneaky suspicion if you guys feed you birds (or yourselves) 'shrooms then yeah, they're gonna have a few issues. Deadness being one of them.

BTW, don't forget that just because it's manure doesn't make it bad for you, by the time it's broken down into the grown or composted, the plant has grown, you've either grown the plant yourself or bought it at the store and then washed it it's quite ok! A little bit of dirt and gross is ok for building up your immune system

o'TikaandAurora wrote:

I have a sneaky suspicion if you guys feed you birds (or yourselves) 'shrooms then yeah, they're gonna have a few issues. Deadness being one of them.

You mean the magic ones right?

patdbunny wrote:

o'TikaandAurora wrote:

I have a sneaky suspicion if you guys feed you birds (or yourselves) 'shrooms then yeah, they're gonna have a few issues. Deadness being one of them.

You mean the magic ones right?

I think. There's 'shrooms and then there are mushrooms.... I met a dog that had gotten into the funny kind once, was never quite the same....

ScooterNScotty wrote:

I think. There's 'shrooms and then there are mushrooms.... I met a dog that had gotten into the funny kind once, was never quite the same....

A friend of mine's a pot smoker. Years ago she had a small conure (a peach front, I think) and she came home to find the bird had gotten out of its cage. She found the bird on the coffee table laying in the ashtray, obviously having eating a bunch of weed. She thought the bird was dead. The bird opened its eyes, turned it's head to her and in what can only be described as a stoned bird voice said, "Hiiiiiiiiiiii". Apparently the bird made a full recovery after a few groggy days.