I bought some peanuts specifically for parrots at a pet store. Do I need to take them out of the shell before he eats them? I'm worried the shell could be bad for him if he eats any of it.

I've tried it both ways and Clyde simply won't touch peanuts, no way, nohow. I should think it would be easier for him if you shell it first, though a friend with big birds (macaws and a cockatoo) gives theirs to them in the shell because they like to crack their own.

I think birds are smart enough to know what's edible and what isn't, but a small bird like a Quaker might have a tough time cracking a peanut on his own.

Zazu likes peanuts and can certainly open them but he won't. He refuses to touch them in the shell but will happily eat them if I shell it for him. Even if I crack the shell and leave the peanut, he won't eat it. Who is a spoiled boy?

They can crack them by themselves, my friend feeds her birds peanuts in the shell all the time... BUT it's not something that I would recommend. Peanuts in the shell could possibley be contaminated with Aspergillus Flavus which produces aflatoxins. Peanuts aren't the only food that can harbour these fungi so peanuts are kind of given a bad name as a result... if buy human grade peanuts then the risk is minimal, but all in all they are a much higher fat nut so Casey doesn't get them anyways...

Here is an article.

I have stopped feeding peanuts due to the above.

i would use human grade peanuts anyway i have tried the ones out of bird food mixes eeeewwww gag gag gag


they were AWFUL omg i could not get the taste out and they were disgusting blach

so taste them first to make sure they taste like normal good peanuts

I give Coby an unsalted peanut in it's shell pretty often. He has no problem cracking the shell and gets excited when he sees the bag of peanuts.

Even human grade ones are not safe. That is what we were feeding too. Verde had no idea how to open them until he saw Georgie do it. Now that he knows how to he loves them. I know he misses being able to eat them but it scares me too much to chance it.

Neither of my Quakers will eat peanuts,but Nova,my Sun Conure LOVES them in the shell.It's the 1st thing she digs out of her food dish and she loves cracking it open.She's been eating them for 12 years,and I always but the organic,non-additive,no salt kind for her.

I've heard that even the organic ones are dangerous. Is this true? My birds really miss their peanuts and would like to have them back.

I believe organic things are less regulated than regular foods? IMO, organic isn't always better...

I just googled and discovered this article, very interesting. Also this also confirms it.

I am one who has always fed peanuts in and out of the shell.The blittle farmers market near my house sells raw, unsalted peanuts in the shell.Dodger will eat them on occasion, but my macaws LOVE them
!!!!