Many people enjoy ice cream. This sweet treat is a delicious creamy snack for those hot summer days. So can pigeon eat ice cream?
A pigeon can eat ice cream but the ice cream should be given in moderation. Pigeons are lactose intolerant, their stomachs don’t do well with ice cream. The birds may not react well to the additives and flavourings used in ice cream. Also, ice cream is high in sugar which isn’t good for pigeons
We give out pet birds and wild birds lots of foods that we portably shouldn’t be giving them. In fact, this can harm their health. Because the birds are in captivity or live in our urban environments its more difficult for them to get the nutrients that they would easily get in the wild. Human food is not always the best for them, it sometimes is good enough but not always.
A birds health has a lot to do with its diet. Often, the sicknesses that birds develop can be traced back to bad nutrition. This is why giving them a good diet is so necessary. We feed birds human foods like French fries, bread and bananas pees, but is any of this good for them? Is ice cream good for birds? Will it pose a health risk or is it just a delicious treat? This article looks into it.
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Is ice cream healthy?
Ice cream is a delicious treat enjoyed by many, it’s creamy, it’s cold, it’s sweet and it comes in many flavours. A flavour for pretty much every preference.
The nutrients in ice cream differ but ice ream, in general, contains proteins, calories, fats, sugars and cholesterol. Premium ice creams generally contain more fat and sugar. The ice cream labelled “no fat” or “no sugar” actually has similar calorie levels as regular ice cream.
The negatives of ice cream are its high sugar content, high levels of calories and the low levels of nutrients. In addition, because it is highly processed the ice cream will also contain a number of artificial flavourings and additives.
Can pigeons eat ice cream?
Pigeons really shouldn’t eat cream or any other milk product for that matter especially in large portions (a spoon of milk or ice cream to us is similar to a bowl of ice cream to birds). Here is why:
Birds are lactose content: Bird bodies never developed the ability to handle milk or milk products. In the wild, pigeons eat foods like seeds, vegetables, fruits, flower petals, nuts etc.
Birds are not designed to handle milk or ice cream. The ice cream will go right through the bird and out. It can also give the bird diarrhoea. The ice cream won’t kill your pigeon but don’t give the bird milk or ice cream on a regular basis
Ice cream has a high sugar content: Ice cream is full of sugar. The sugar in ice cream is too much for your bird to have especially on a regular basis. To much sugar can increase the risk of your bird developing diabetes just as too much sugar would increase the risk of humans developing diabetes.
If the sugar in your ice cream is refined sugar then the sugar will not have any beneficial nutrients. Also, too much sugar in your bird’s diet can cause a yeast infection, high cholesterol, a heart disorder and even give your bird obesity.
Icecream is not nutritious: The low levels of nutrients in ice cream make it not the best food to give to your pigeon. Your bird will be better off eating a sweet treat in the form of fruits, fruits offer nutrients to the bird.
Other additives: The additives and colourings that are used in some ice creams have not been tested on birds. We don’t know how the bird’s body will react to them in the long term.
Remember not to give your bird chocolate ice cream, chocolate is very toxic to birds.
What sweet treats can pigeons eat?
Fruits: Fruits are one of the better sweet treats you can give your pigeon. They help add some variety to the bird’s diet. Fruits give your bird a burst of energy because of the sugar content in the fruit, Fruits are healthy especially when compared ice cream. As a bonus, they supply your bird with a variety of nutrients.
Birds enjoy all types of fruits whether they are overripe, damaged or not the best tasting to humans. Just remember to take the seeds and the cores out of the fruits before serving.
Plant-based ice cream: Plant-based ice cream is something you can give your pigeon if you don’t want to give it regular cream. Plant-based ice creams are made out of coconut milk, rice milk, soy milk, almond milk or cashew milk. They have the same great creaminess and flavour of regular ice cream but your bird won’t have to deal with lactose
Sorbet: Another frozen dessert you can choose to give your pigeon is sorbet. This delicious treat is free from milk and eggs. It is purely fruit puree and water. Sorbet is one of the oldest and healthiest frozen sweet treats we have
Tip: If you can, make your own lactose free ice cream or make our own sorbet made especially for your pigeon. You can choose exactly how much sugar you add to these frozen desserts. You can mix a variety of your pigeon’s favourite fruits to create this tasty sack and your pigeon will love it.
What should you not feed birds?
Avocado: This creamy delicious fruit that we humans can’t get enough of is not good for birds at all. The avocado leaves contain pectin, this is a fatty acid that can cause heart failure in birds. It can also cause respiratory issues and even death.
Caffeine: Your daily cup of joe is poison to your bird. Just as it can increase your heart rate it can increase your bird’s heart rate. This drink can also cause your bird to become hyperactive and even cause cardiac arrest. Your little bird’s heart cannot take the pressure that the caffeine puts on it
Chocolate: This is another food that is delicious to humans but is deadly to birds. Chocolate can kill your pigeon even if given in small quantities. The early signs of cholate poisoning in birds can include vomiting, diarrhoea, an increase in heart rate, seizures and hyperactivity.
You should also not feed your birds honey, banana peels, dog food, baking soda or french fries. Click the links to find out more. You should feed your birds pine nuts, broccoli and cranberries. Click the links to find out why.
Conclusion:
Ice cream is delicious not only to us but to pigeons as well. They go crazy for this sweet dessert. Unfortunately, ice cream has a high fat, sugar and calorie content.
In addition, many ice creams contain additives and flavourings to enhance the ice cream, this isn’t good for birds. Birds are lactose intolerant, the ice cream won’t agree with the bird’s digestion system.
If you want to give your bird something sweet you can treat the bird to some fruit. Fruits are a delicious and nutritious snack for the bird. You can also serve the bird some sorbet or some lactose-free ice cream. These are both just as delicious and creamy as regular ice cream and are more agreeable with the bird’s digestive system than ice cream.
If you decide to give your bird ice cream make sure it does not contain chocolate, caffeine or avocado and make sure to give the bird ice cream in moderation.
