Yes! Canaries can eat strawberries! However, remember to wash them first! Not only are strawberries delicious for us, but your bird too! Naturally, strawberries are great for your bird! Strawberries are packed full of all sorts of nutrients that can provide a healthy mental state and create the requirements for fighting off diseases like osteoporosis! Pretty great, right?
If that’s not enough, how about reducing stress? Strawberries have a good vitamin C content which is great at helping your bird remain calm! The list of beneficial nutrients doesn’t stop there!
Although fruit and vegetables are only meant to be fed in moderation, try to change it up on a day-to-day basis for your canary to get the full effect of all the many different fruit/vegetables out there!
Here is another article about “Can Canaries Eat Grapes? (Everything You Need To Know)” This article is bound to have some useful information for you!
Table of Contents
- Can Canaries Eat Strawberries?
- The Health Benefits Of Strawberries For Canaries
- Can Canaries Eat Strawberry Seeds?
- Can Canaries Eat Too Many Strawberries?
- How Many Strawberries Should Canaries Eat?
- Five Foods Canaries Shouldn’t Eat!
- The Dirty Dozen
- Recap
Can Canaries Eat Strawberries?
Yes! Canaries can eat strawberries, and there are many reasons why you should introduce strawberries as a tasty treat. Stress relief is a big part of this decision! Birds have tiny, fragile hearts and can get stressed quickly, and one of the great benefits of strawberries is helping to reduce stress and protecting mental health!
*Read on to find out if Canaries can eat strawberry seeds!*
Strawberries have a good quantity of potassium which actually helps with helping your bird stay happy and healthy! Although moderation is key with strawberries as they contain fructose. Which in larger amounts can cause stomach problems, which can get watery.
[Read on to see the side effects of strawberry]
The Health Benefits Of Strawberries For Canaries
From helping reduce stress, to potassium which helps strengthen bones! Strawberries have some amazing benefits that just can’t be ignored! For something that you and your bird can share as a snack. Strawberries are defiantly one to add to the meal plan!
In this section, we will be going over the Vitamins and Minerals that strawberries can provide for your bird and exactly how they help your little one!
Let’s look deeper into the nutrients found in Strawberries, and what they can do for your Canary!
Vitamin C
- This is an important vitamin for your bird to have. Vitamin C is great at reducing stress.
- Having a Vitamin C deficiency can be detrimental to your little guys’ overall mental health.
- Vitamin C is great for the immune system and creating antibodies! Which will keep your birdie healthy!
Vitamin K
- Vitamin K helps coagulate blood! Hopefully, your bird doesn’t get a cut, but vitamin K helps to clot the blood and slow down the bleeding if the worst does happen.
Potassium
- Potassium is great for aiding the speed of their metabolism, as well as helping strengthen bones.
- This mineral is great for reducing blood pressure while at the same time helping to retain water!
- High Potassium diets help prevent strokes as well as keeping diseases like osteoporosis and kidney stones at bay.
Folate
- Folate is needed to make red and white blood cells in the bone marrow. This helps protect against illnesses and carries nutrients around the body.
- Folate is responsible for converting carbohydrates into energy and keeping your canaries chatty and playful!
- Not only is it important during infancy but during pregnancy too! Folate is a fantastic vitamin that is responsible for the rapid growth they experience during adolescence.
Can Canaries Eat Strawberry Seeds?
Birds can eat strawberry seeds! Sometimes smaller birds even start with the seeds as it mimics foraging! Although, remember to rinse your strawberries first to get rid of any nasty pesticides that are lingering!
Pesticides are incredibly harmful to your bird and should be removed as soon as possible or at the very least just before feeding your bird any produce!
Very easy to remove pesticides:
- Let the fruits soak for up to 15 minutes.
- Rinse thoroughly and viola.
or alternatively try to buy organic which will limit the number of pesticides used, although I still rinse mine to be safe.
Can Canaries Eat Too Many Strawberries?
Although canaries can eat strawberries, they contain something called “fructose,” which is natural fruit sugar. Due to birds not being able to produce the necessary enzyme to break it down quick enough, it leads to an upset tummy (which can get messy)
Depending on the fructose quantity within the fruit/berry, is how severe the side effects are for your bird. Some fruits have incredibly low levels of sugar and will be no problem whatsoever. However, some may be incredibly high in fructose like strawberries and can lead to diabetes or obesity!
Here are some side effects from too much Strawberry:
Diabetes
Yes! Birds can get diabetes too. Too much sugar, just like with humans, can lead to diabetes, and other diseases and heart disorders. Sugar can be a great treat or a harmful toxin depending on quantity. Before you throw out all sugar, remember moderation. Keep to a slice every so often, and you will keep your friend happy, healthy, and active.
Upset stomachs
Granted, this may only happen the first few times your canary eats strawberries or while they are still developing. Due to the high sugar content, some side effects may include an upset tummy, but it should pass soon! Try to introduce it in smaller quantities at first.
Moderation can be key when you aren’t exactly sure. Don’t worry, in the next section, I will tell you exactly how much strawberries your canary should be eating and what may happen if they have too much!
This leads me on to my next section.
How Many Strawberries Should Canaries Eat?
Although strawberries are great for canaries, you should remember moderation! One strawberry a week is ideal for your bird. Anything more than one a week and the benefits are wasted and you’re just using up too much valuable stomach space!
If it’s their first time eating strawberries, Cut a strawberry in half and feed them small amounts. Try giving them a quarter strawberry and wait a day to see how their body handles the sugars if their stool is runny try feeding them some more fibre!
Remember to wash them first as they may be covered in pesticides! Try to buy organic when feeding your bird! This leads me on to my next topic!
Five Foods Canaries Shouldn’t Eat!
Granted not everything on this list is food, but will probably be news to you if you weren’t told or looked into it specifically.
To start off this list of Five:
Eggs:
Stay away from eggs where ever possible, as eggs lead to clogged arteries and possibly life-threatening health conditions.
Teflon:
Birds have a keen sense of smell! Ideally, you want to have your canaries cage positioned in an open space away from the smoke of the kitchen and fragrances of Air fresheners.
Many kitchen pots and pans are made from Teflon, which usually is no big deal to humans. However, if overheated and burnt, Teflon emits harmful poisonous gas for birds, and in some serious cases, with no ventilation, it can cause some serious respiratory issues.
Human Processed Junk Foods
It may seem obvious but human junk foods need to be included on this list as some foods that we produce are incredibly toxic for your bird. We all think “Ah, one bite won’t hurt” but your canaries’ tummy is in no way equipped to handle some of the food we make.
Instead of giving your birdie a bite of the food, you find delicious. Find a natural, GMO-free fruit or vegetable for your bird to snack on! Everyone wants their bird to be healthy in all aspects of life, they will appreciate it!
Chocolate/Caffeine
Now, these next two. I’ve decided to combine them as chocolate contains small amounts of caffeine. I’m fully aware that chocolate and caffeine are man-made, but they truly do deserve their own paragraphs.
The reason chocolate and caffeine are so dangerous is all due to the size and strength of your canaries heart. Birds are only little creatures and really can’t handle the heart palpitations that coffee creates.
Have you ever had anxiety due to the feeling that your heart isn’t beating properly thanks to coffee? (I know I have, although it might be the long nights writing articles and endless cups of coffee)
Please try to remember those feelings next time you think it’s okay that they have a quick drink.
The Dirty Dozen
A CNN article linked “here” says, “After strawberries, the “dirty dozen,” in order, are apples, nectarines, peaches, celery, grapes, cherries, spinach, tomatoes, sweet bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, and cucumbers.” This article is definitely worth a read!
In short, remember to wash your strawberries first to get rid of any nasty pesticides that could be harmful to your canary! Buying organic can help reduce this, but I usually wash them regardless, to be sure!
Which leads me onto my last and final section.
Recap
If you’ve made it to the end and are now reading the recap! Thank you. In this section, I like to cover the article’s highlights and go over the necessary information!
Can Canaries Eat Strawberries?:
Yes! canaries can eat strawberries! However, remember to wash them first! Not only are strawberries delicious for us, but your bird too!
The Health Benefits Of Strawberries For Canaries:
From helping reduce stress, to potassium which helps strengthen bones! Strawberries have some amazing benefits that just can’t be ignored! For something that you and your bird can share as a snack. Strawberries are defiantly one to add to the meal plan!
How Much Strawberry Should A Canary Eat?:
Although strawberries are great for canaries, you should remember moderation! One strawberry a week is ideal for your bird. Anything more than one a week and the benefits are wasted and you’re just using up too much valuable stomach space!
Can Canaries Eat Too Much Strawberry:
Although canaries can eat strawberries, they contain something called “fructose,” which is natural fruit sugar. Due to birds not being able to produce the necessary enzyme to break it down quick enough, it leads to an upset tummy (which can get messy)
Can Canaries Eat Strawberry Seeds?:
Birds can eat strawberry seeds! Sometimes smaller birds even start with the seeds as it mimics foraging! Although, remember to rinse your strawberries first to get rid of any nasty pesticides that are lingering!
Any Questions you have relating to this article or just for me in general, leave a comment down below in the comments section.
Disclaimer: I am not an expert. Some Birds may react differently to different fruits. Please make sure you always slowly introduce a new food into their diet and keep an eye out for any adverse reactions. If your pet does start displaying symptoms of an adverse reaction, please contact your vet for advice.