The subject of bacterial contamination of food
and water for caged birds is rather controversial.
Many apparently healthy caged birds harbor
potentially harmful bacteria within their
intestinal tracts. These organisms can create
illness during periods of stress (short or
long-standing) for your bird.
Many veterinarians agree that Gram-negative
bacteria (coliform type) can contaminate seeds,
seed dishes, unwashed fruits and vegetables, and
even tap water. Consequently, it may be advisable
to bake or microwave seeds and seed mixes (spread
seeds to a depth of 1 inch in a Pyrex dish and
bake at 350 F for minutes, stirring once, or
microwave on high set for 5 minutes). This seems
to eliminate these potentially harmful bacteria
without compromising 'nutritional value of the
seed.
The skins of all fruits and vegetables should
be thoroughly washed before being offered to your
bird. One study clearly demonstrated that colony
counts of potentially harmful bacteria in tap
water samples could be greatly reduced by allowing
the tap to run for at least 3 minutes before the
water cup was filled. Offering bottled water is
probably an acceptable alternative, though bottled
water dispensers occasionally harbor disease
carrying bacteria. The spigot should be opened a
few seconds and water al-lowed to run before
filling the water container.
