tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27276563.post3757908312289491977..comments2023-09-18T06:38:04.194-04:00Comments on Palemaleirregulars: Crows Stalking TechniqueDonegal Brownehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09809720759418462703noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27276563.post-60680905772831105952008-03-26T18:03:00.000-04:002008-03-26T18:03:00.000-04:00At least in parrots, they recommend no more than 2...At least in parrots, they recommend no more than 20% dairy in their diet if you happen to have a bird with an insatiable appetite for dairy. My bird has never had a problem. To tell the truth I'm not sure how they came up with the information that they can't digest lactose. As many birds seem to love cheese I've always wondered if the lactose is digestible but just in a different way from the process used by mammals and we haven't figured it out yet.Donegal Brownehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09809720759418462703noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27276563.post-26343624996794054382008-03-26T16:43:00.000-04:002008-03-26T16:43:00.000-04:00If they aren't able to digest lactose, does that m...If they aren't able to digest lactose, does that mean giving them dairy products causes (indelicacy alert) diarrhea, or the other tummy troubles lactose intolerant humans have?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27276563.post-5719597290101543432008-03-24T15:54:00.000-04:002008-03-24T15:54:00.000-04:00Terry,Excellent deduction about the cheese. Aren't...Terry,<BR/><BR/>Excellent deduction about the cheese. Aren't Crows sensitive to the slightest deviations from the Crow norms of their e<BR/>environment? I don't know what it is about cheese but I've never run across and omnivorous bird that didn't go for it though I'd never tried it with Crows, thanks for the tip.<BR/><BR/>According to the literature on parrots anyway, who also dearly love a nice chunk of properly fermented aged milk, birds are unable to digest lactose. Though there is something in there (or the literature is incorrect and birds digest lactose in a different manner than mammals and therefore it goes unrecognized)that causes them a great urge to go after it.<BR/><BR/>I read of an example of an outdoor coffee bar where the Crows would avail themselves of the little plastic containers of half and half, complete with peeling the little paper lid off before tiping it up and their beak and--glug, glug.<BR/> Quicksilver the African Grey that lives with us, not only asks for cheese but will become quite irate if his portion of macaroni and cheese isn't up to his expectations. He's also been known to help himself to people's glasses of milk.<BR/><BR/>What is it about birds and dairy?<BR/>Another mystery to be investigated.Donegal Brownehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09809720759418462703noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27276563.post-65918165756214756392008-03-23T12:41:00.000-04:002008-03-23T12:41:00.000-04:00I enjoyed this series of pictures and your descrip...I enjoyed this series of pictures and your descriptions of the crows' activities are great. Crows are so smart--it is interesting to try to figure out what they are up to. I read that one of the most favorite foods is cheese. I usually feed them peanuts--which they really like. So, I got some cheese and cut it into squares and put it out with the peanuts and they completely ignored it. then I realized they probably didn't know it was cheese, because the only cheese they know is what they find in dumpsters, melted on pizzas and stuff. so, cut the squares smaller and partly melted it on bread. they figured it out quick! after that, they came in fast for the cheese squares. try it sometime!Terry Davitt Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04245227309829380879noreply@blogger.com