upatsix.com - Your Source For Pet Bird Information

Anyone know if these are good for B&G Macaw and Umbrella Cockatoo?

Dogwood and hickory are both listed as safe for birds on this list that many of us value: http://www.mdvaden.com/bird_page.shtml

Cheese and other dairy products other than yogurt are not healthy for birds because they can't digest it.

Welcome!

I've never had any issues arrise from allowing my birds to eat cheese.....in small amounts and infrequently....as a treat. They all love it...including my lorikeets.

Thanks for the info on the site, but I had read it and it does not say anything about the Dogwood berries or the Hickory nuts....only the wood. I've tried several agricultural sites but they're not very informative when it comes to exotic birds. Which is why I joined this site.
Being on a fixed income I can use all the freebies I can get. I have Pecan, Oak, Hickory and Dogwood trees. I did find a mention about acorns not being good for exotics, but I can't find any info on the other tree nuts and fruit (other than pecan).

I have picked Dogwood berries and refrigerated for the wild birds before, but they're native. My 'too loves these berries. Every time I take him out to his outdoor playhouse he searches the ground for these berries. They would make a great treat item for him, but I need to know if they are safe.

Also the hickory nuts. You never see them as an additive. (Probably because the nuts are so hard to crack) But in the hills of TN we have used them for years in our human diets. But here again, we're natives. My Macaw is probably the brightest thing around right now. (except for the Red Maples!)

And thanks for the info on cheese. BB just LOVES cheese. I found out by accident when I was giving one of the dogs her medicine. I always stick the pills in a cube of cheese and she just scarfs it down. One day BB was running around and Coca (Chocolate Lab) missed a piece of cheese I had dropped. BB scooped it up and her eyes got wide and her pupils were zooming! Now I have to hide to give Coca her medicine or I get screamed at for an hour!

Avian nutritionists and my vets have always said cheese likely affects birds the same way dairy products affect those of us who are lactose intolerant. A little might be okay, but too much causes stomach pain, gas, diarrhea. Birds don't show pain unless it's acute or severe. They sit still and quiet, looking like they're snoozing, when actually they're hurting. As much as they all seem to love the taste, I don't think it's kind to feed it to them. JMO

I've fed dogwood berries to my birds but never hickory nuts. Don't have any, so I've never wondered. Have you asked your avian vet?