BIRD NUTRITION
- By DeAnn Waggoner, Executive Director, Wings
of Love Bird Haven
Over the years there has been much controversy over the
best diet for birds. We
know that the diet choice makes the difference between
a bird living a long healthy
life and one that dies early because of nutritional deficiencies.
Nutritional needs vary
from bird to bird, just as they do from person to person.
For this reason, the below
information is not meant to be taken as a set-in-stone
rule for the feeding of all birds.
Be sure to do your homework on the particular species
of bird you own.
In general, just remember that birds need a variety. You
should also try to feed them
as close to nature as you can. You don't find pellets
growing on a tree in the wild,
do you? Pellets can be offered as a supplement, but please
do not make this the
main portion of your birds diet. Seeds are also fine,
in a limited quantity. All birds
usually love seeds and would eat that above most other
foods if given that option
but this is not healthy for them, so please limit the
amount you give them. Sprouted
seeds are always a better choice than dry seed, since
the sprouted seed is actually
"live food."
Since we are a rescue, we have birds of all types, sizes
and health conditions living
here at the Haven. Each bird is fed according to what
we believe he/she needs for
their particular situation. When a bird is first brought
to us, they are usually
accustomed to an all seed or all pellet diet. Our number
one goal at this point is to
convert them over to a more "balanced" diet.
We continue adding the pellets or
seeds in large enough quantity so that we know they are
getting enough to eat, but
they have to "dig" to find it. Therefore, while
digging to find the food they are
accustomed to they will inadvertently taste some of the
new, more healthy choices
that we know they need. We will then start a slow "weaning"
process, by removing
a little more of their favorite food each day, until such
time they are eating the
balanced diet at their own will.
There are dietary differences among birds
Feeding pet birds the right foods is important for their
health. A balanced diet based
on sound bird nutrition recommendations is the key. Balancing
a parrot's diet from
the beginning will prevent many health and behavior problems.
But it's never too
late to get your pet bird on a sound nutritional footing.
It is something you will want
to do since an unbalanced diet is the main cause of disease
and early death in pet
birds. Malnutrition is a human-made disease. Fortunately,
it is also preventable.
When feeding pet birds, we must realize that the species
of birds we have as
companion pets do not all have the same dietary needs.
Just as our North American
wild birds such as chickadees, woodpeckers, and hummingbirds
do not eat the same
foods, neither do our companion birds. In general, parrot
diets can be classified
according to their normal diets. Most psittacines (members
of the parrot family) are
florivores, meaning the main portion of their diet is
obtained from plants. Among
florivores, there are granivores (birds that eat grain
and seed), and frugivores (birds
with diets based on fruits). Some pet birds are omnivores,
whose diet can consist of
both plant and animal components. There is a special class
of florivores called
nectarivores, who eat mostly nectar.
Pet Bird Dietary Classification/Primary Diet/Species
Florivore: Seeds, fruits, nuts, bark, roots, berries (Military
macaw, Blue and gold
macaw, Red-faced parrot)
Granivore: Grains, seeds (Budgerigar, cockatiel, Hyacinth
macaw)
Frugivore: Mostly fruit and flowers; some nuts and seeds
(Blue-throated macaw;
Green-winged macaw)
Omnivore: Seeds, fruits, insects, invertebrates (Sulphur-crested
cockatoo,
Red-tailed amazon)
Nectarivore: Nectar, pollen; some insects and seeds (Lorikeet,
lory)
From the above list, you can see that even among related
birds, such as macaws,
diets differ. Additionally, among each bird classification
there will be different
nutrition recommendations. For instance, even though both
are considered
granivores, in the wild, Hyacinth macaws eat mostly palm
nuts, while budgies eat
mostly seeds. See "birdy personalities for more information
on what each different
type of bird needs as his/her diet.
The "4" Nutrient Groups for Excellent Avian
Nutrition
Proteins:
Eggs--white and yolk should be scrambled or hard-boiled
and grated
Cooked Chicken--small bits are ocassionally okay
Cooked Legumes
Soy Products such as soybeans, tofu--use sparingly as
some birds have experienced
digestive problems with tofu
*No red meats, pork or shellfish should be given.
Carbohydrates:
Cooked Pasta (preferably whole grain)
Cooked Rice (preferably brown)
Cooked potatoes
Fat Sources:
Seed mixture dependent on species (little to no sunflower
seeds)
Nuts high in fat--use only dependent on species of bird
Corn
*Use NO dairy or cheese products. Birds can't break down
the lactose and
it can cause obstructive disorders or inflammation.
Vitamins/Minerals:
There are hundreds of vitamins and minerals a body needs
and the sources of foods
in which to find them. Two of the biggest deficiencies
facing exotic bird species are:
Vitamin A. Suggestions of high Vitamin A content are:
carrots, sweet potatoes,
jalapeno peppers, kale, chard, spinach, squash- butternut,
dandelion greens, sweet
red peppers. Vitamin A found in the above products is
one of the most common
deficiencies in pet birds diets, especially in South American
species (amazons,
conures, macaws). At least one of these foods should be
fed to your bird daily.
Remember, birds can discern color and texture, as well
as taste, so changing the
form and presentation of the food can make a big difference
in whether the bird will
or will not accept the new food. There is an instinctive
fear of new foods, especially
in older birds. This is a protective mechanism against
being poisoned in the wild, so
offer new foods often and in the same manner before attempting
a new method.
Alternative methods to try are hanging food on the side
of the cage or preparing
foods in different ways such as peeled, or unpeeled, cooked
or raw, and placing
multiple foods on the same dish. Most birds usually take
upwards of 2 weeks seeing
a new food every day before first investigating and/or
playing with the food and then
actually trying to eat it. Above all, be patient with
your pet bird when it comes to
new foods!
Calcium:
Suggestions of high calcium content are: turnip greens,
green cabbage,
chinese cabbage, mustard greens, watercress, kohlrabi,
chard Calcium is the
predominant mineral in the body and yet is the most common
mineral deficiency
found in pet birds diet. Calcium is used by the bird for
bone formation, blood clotting,
and egg shell production. Calcium also affects heart,
muscle, and nerve function as
well as enzyme systems in the body. As expected, most
of the calcium is stored in
the bird's skeleton. All birds are susceptible to long
term deficiencies if fed
inadequate diets. "Grit" sold in the pet trade
is not a decent source of calcium.
DO NOT SERVE YOUR BIRD GRIT. A safe source of calcium
for smaller species is
the backbone from the cuttlefish "cuttlebone"
mineral blocks, or ground oyster shell.
Larger species can be offered cooked chicken bone in small
amounts or mineral
blocks. Some birds, such as conures and African Grey parrots,
are more sensitive to
calcium deficiency, but do not need extra supplementation
if placed on a well-
balanced diet. Also, like humans, as some birds age their
calcium demand increases.
The foods listed above are only to be used as indicators
of Ca: P supply, however no
single food is bad when evaluated in an entire dietary
management program created
by you and your avian veterinarian. Above all, always
offer your bird a calcium source.
Remember: A good balanced diet can extend the life of
your bird by 50% or
better compared to a diet of only commercial type products.
Always offer a
variety and try to keep their foods as close to nature
as you can.
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