My Galah - Thistle & What toys to get him

[rick]

Hi Guys,

I have owned 2 other galahs before and they love yellow thistle flowers.. I have been feeding my new one these and he is no different, its the only thing he'll come close to my hand for at the moment (Only had him less than 1 week). There is also plentiful supply of them close by - Is there any harm in giving him this? I'm pretty sure they are healthy enough - I know people mentioned poisoning issues, but where I'm collecting them is generally overgrown with grass and weeds and I doubt the council is poisoning them where I live.

Also - am looking for some tips on what toys I should get my Galah before I go out and part with the cash for something he may not actually like.. I've read mirrors are out if you wanna bond with your bird. He is young, 18 months old or even younger. His photo is in one of my other threads.

[avinet]

I assume you are talking about milk thistle flowers - if so they are fine, as are the leaves when young, soft and green. When the plant gets older the leaves get a reddish colour and it is best not to feed once that colour change has started to happen.

Milk thistle is also called Common sow thistle, and has the scientific name Sonchus oleraceus - vro.dpi.vic.gov.au/dpi/vro/vrosite.nsf/pages/sip_salt_common_sow_thistle

There are a wide range of toys around. My preference is for a variety of different styles - acrylic based ones that can be played with but not destroyed, wooden ones that can be chewed and destroys, and foraging ones that enable food to be place din them that the bird has to work out how to retrieve. Often though a Galah will be just as happy with a gum tree branch with bark on it that they can chew and strip the bark from, or simple dry pine cones to chew.

cheers,

Mike

[rick]

Thanks Mike - Can you feed the purple thistle too? It seems quite spiky.

[avinet]

There are two species of thistle that I know with purple flowers - Spear Thistle and Scotch Thistle. Both are very spiky and I would not feed them to a bird.

cheers,

Mike