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Lacey prefers almonds, she picks them first out of the parrot mix I have. Here in Houston, there are a fair amount of pecans for sale; pecan trees actually grow here, but I have never seen an almond tree here.
I want to get a bunch of almonds for her but I will get pecans as wellsince they are plentiful and I like them; what is the best way to store nuts?

Around here, the best time to buy nuts in the shell is during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. Otherwise, they are scare in the grocery stores. There are also online stores that carry them. You can stock up and store them in your freezer.

I had a cousin with two huge pecan trees in her yard. We would thrash the limbs and pick up all the pecans. For years my dad was the premier pecan sheller, and we would shell them and freeze them in freezer bags. You can even freeze them without shelling them, but they take up more space that way, of course. They were really handy to have available. A handful of chopped pecans in a tuna salad, for instance, is really tasty. The birds like them too. LOL

So I have a question.

The nuts that you can buy in bulk at the stores now (since it's holiday time) are okay to give to the Fids?

Yes, as far as I know, the bulk nuts in the grocery stores are okay for the birds. I mainly buy the almonds and hazelnuts. I don't know if my Greys or RB2 will even attempt to open the braziil nuts or walnuts. A friend's macaw loves the brazil nuts. I would put them in the freezer and only take out enough for a few days since nuts can go bad, just like any other food.

Storing Nuts

The Healthy Bird Cookbook by Robin Deutsch
Chapter 2; The Food Groups - pg. 39
Nuts
Except for acorns, birds love all kinds of nuts. They have different degrees of fat content, so use moderation when supplementing with nuts and also make sure they are unsalted. Remember that certain nuts such as pecans are polished nuts, which contain dyes. If you can find unpolished nuts, these are much better for your bird. They are hard to find and do not look very pretty, but they are worth the search....


Chapter 5; Foods to Avoid and Other Hazards - pg. 76
Nuts
Even nuts such as Brazil nuts and almonds can cause problems for your bird. This is especially true around the holiday season when imported nuts are polished and also dyed. Most birds do not ingest the nut shells, but some birds may. The dyes in these nuts are hard to digest, so when birds eat these nuts, they may end up with impacted crops, which can lead to death. When buying nuts for your bird, buy from sources you can trust. Even imported nuts are safe as long as no dye has been added to them.


Chapter 5; Foods to Avoid and Other Hazards - pg. 78
Food Dyes
Many foods today have dyes added to them to make them more appealing to the eye. This is also true in bird foods.

Many food colorings are synthetic and are not natural. Synthetic food colors are sometimes derived from petroleum or coal tars. In high doses, these food dyes have caused cancer in lab rats. They are also linked to allergies and even behavioral disorders. According to the FDA, different dyes can cause different problems.

Red dye #3 has been linked to thyroid tumors, chromosomal damage, and hyperactivity. Red dye #40 has been linked to lymphatic tumors and hyperactivity. Blue dye #1 has been known to cause chromosomal damage, while blue dye #2 has been linked to brain tumors. Green dye #3 can cause bladder tumors. Yellow dye #5 has been known to cause thyroid and lymphatic tumors, allergic reactions, and hyperactivity, and yellow dye $6 has caused kidney tumors, chromosomal damage, and allergic reactions.

It is best to use natural dyes in your birds food (and in your diet as well).

I buy almonds mostly, and some bags of mixed nuts at places like Walmart...and freeze them. I have been told that up to a year is okay...but mine usually run short a little before that.