Many people search for the ideal food type that provides better nutritional value to pigeons. Moreover, almonds are an excellent addition to the birds’ diet that help fulfill their daily intake requirements.
Can Pigeons Eat Almonds? Pigeons can eat almonds in both raw and roasted forms as they are a good source of essential minerals. Moreover, these nuts and seeds can help improve their reproduction, metabolism, and immune systems. However, it is better to feed unsalted almonds to pigeons to reduce the risk of salt poisoning.
They consider nuts and seeds a treat when their owners fill their food bowls and feeders with these nutritional food items.
These can help boost energy to perform their tasks like flying, building nests, and mating with their partner.
It is better to offer high-quality nuts after removing their skin to avoid their harmful impact on birds’ health.
What type of almonds do pigeons eat?
Pigeons prefer to eat almonds as they provide minerals to live a healthy life. They like to eat seeds, fruits, and nuts to get various nutrients.
They like to eat its raw and roasted forms. It is good to offer nuts in a reasonable quantity because they can badly affect their health when consumed in larger quantities.
Raw nuts are a natural food source that does not pose a risk to their health unless obtained from a reputable dealer.
You can offer roasted nuts, but it is better to avoid adding any seasoning or salt. Increased salt consumption can be fatal for them as it leads to salt poisoning.
Furthermore, it is better to offer unsalted almonds as it is easy to extract essential nutrients without consuming a huge quantity of salt.
Why do pigeons eat almonds?
They eat nuts to gain vital nutrients like minerals and vitamins that help them grow well and perform their tasks efficiently.
Source of minerals
They provide a good quantity of calcium and phosphorus as one almond contains almost 2.97 to 3.12mg calcium and 5.52 to 5.71mg of phosphorus.
In addition, it contains almost 8.69 to 8.74mg of potassium required for internal body processes. The racing pigeons need a high quantity of calcium for skeletal mineralization.
Moreover, they need high content of calcium during nesting season and to strengthen their skeletal system. Phosphorus is essential for the metabolism of fats and the functioning of muscles.
Improved metabolism
They can help improve the metabolism of pigeons as they have essential fatty acids. These fatty acids speed up the metabolism rate and quickly convert complex compounds into simpler ones.
Moreover, it can make you feel full for an extended time and removes the need for frequent munching to overcome hunger.
In addition, it helps strengthen the digestive system and gives more energy to birds. It helps improve the quality of their life and helps meet the calorie requirements avoiding the need for additional meals.
Nutritional content
It is a highly nutritious food type as they are packed with magnesium, potassium, manganese, and vitamin E that improve the diet of birds.
Vitamin E helps improve their immune system and provides extra energy to fly. In addition, it has good fiber content, as 10 almonds have around 1.5 to 1.75g of fiber content.
Moreover, they do not have to struggle to source other food types as they are sufficient to fulfill their daily intake requirements.
Furthermore, it improves their reproduction process and helps provide a quick response to stress.
How many almonds are safe for pigeons to eat?
It is not good to offer a huge quantity of nuts to pigeons for munching because consuming excessive fats is not suitable for their health.
They are small birds that have a lesser requirement for fats and oils in addition to protein. For example, one almond of regular size provides almost 0.60 to 0.65g of fats and 0.24 to 0.27g of proteins.
Moreover, it contains a high quantity of calcium, phosphorus, and potassium, while zinc, manganese, copper, and sodium are also in small amounts.
Almost 10 to 12 almonds have a weight of 15g, and pigeons need only 2 to 3 grams to survive and perform essential body functions.
Furthermore, they can consume 2 to 4 almonds simultaneously and need a second dose of such nuts after 5 to 10 days to replenish their body cells and systems.
Is it safe for pigeons to eat almonds?
Almonds are safe for pigeons to consume and extract all the essential nutrients to meet their body requirements. In addition, they provide minerals and vitamins like vitamin B2 and vitamin E.
They do not pose a health risk until they are consumed in a normal quantity. However, their skins can be unhealthy as they contain tannic acid.
Accordingly, a high amount of tannic acid in their thin outer coverings can affect iron uptake, ultimately affecting oxygen-carrying capacity by disturbing hemoglobin production.
Increased consumption can lead to higher content of copper in bird bodies, which can be harmful. Therefore, it is better to offer them irregularly to avoid overdose.
The roasted and salted almonds can affect the electrolyte balance leading to kidney failure.
Therefore, it is essential to consider the amount and form you provide to the pigeons as they are only good in moderate quantity and unsalted form.
How do you feed almonds to pigeons?
Pigeons are not good at removing the tough outer shell of almonds as their beaks are not hard enough to tolerate the stress.
They cannot eat almonds from trees as they are protected by shells. Therefore, you have to offer these nuts in their diet in different forms after cracking them.
Moreover, remove the outer brown layer and crush them into fine particles or make a powder for easier consumption. Finally, keep the white portion of the almond and discard the brown layer.
Small size nuts are easier for these birds to swallow and throw them back into their gut. However, a large-sized nut can get stuck in its throat and cause choking.
Furthermore, it is better to get them from a reliable supermarket to grow as local food items can harm pigeons.
You can also offer a cocktail of food materials by mixing the seeds and nuts and putting them inside a bird feeder to maintain a balanced diet.
Related Articles:
