I have an African Grey and a Blue and Gold Macaw. I've had my lovely birds for around a year now. I've read as much as I can and looked on internet about vitamins and calcium (I know calcium in particular is required by greys). But how much vitamins and calcium for each bird? I've read lots of different recommendations and am confused.
2006-10-31 03:11:05 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Birds
I have a male Eclectus. We feed him pellets + Gerber Jr. Baby food once a day-he loves anything with tomato sauce-I'm sorry to say chicken w/veggies is his favorite!
eggs, anything we eat he loves -just NO avocado and NO
chocolate-plenty of variety. Fresh fruit-grapes! NO extra vitamins.
2006-11-03 13:45:15 · answer #1 · answered by life coach 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As for the vitamins, I was always told that as long as they are on a complete, well balanced diet, they don't need supplements of vitamins. I am not sure what you feed your birds, and unfortunately, I don't have any specefic amounts for you off of the top of my head. I own an African Grey. His main diet is ZUPREEM fruit pellets, the macaw ones becuase he likes the bigger size. The pellet diets are a COMPLETE diet. He also gets noodles, rice, fresh fruits, veges, those types of things for variety. Snacks, he gets a peanut or two, bread crust, etc. I give him cuttle bones, or toys with shells on them so that he gets enough calcium, as I too have heard they the greys have high calcium requirements.
If your birds are healthy, are not on a seed diet(NOT good), get a good variety of healthy food, and have access to a cuttle bone or the like, then I would not worry. HTH
2006-10-31 11:25:09 · answer #2 · answered by PennyPickles17 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you feed them plenty of fresh fruits and veggies and have a mineral block in the cage your birds should be fine. It is interesting that you have both a grey and a blue and gold for pets as that is exactly what we have for pets. We are hobby breeders of smaller birds but have those two as pets. We do not add any vitamins to our water as we feed a pelleted diet to all our birds with seeds as a treat. This along with the mineral blocks and fresh foods is more than enough for all birds as far as vitamins and minerals go.
2006-10-31 11:21:54 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's true, you really shouldn't need to supplement a bird's diet. Pellets made for grays normally have a little more calcium, while pellets for macaws have a little more fat (believe it or not, they actually need a little more fat in their diet than other parrots.) But, if you feed them lots of veggies and fruit in addition to their pellets (especially dark leafy greens for the gray as they are high in calcium) and make sure your macaw is getting plenty of nuts you will be good to go. :) A good nut for both would be pine nuts.
2006-10-31 18:09:08 · answer #4 · answered by ? 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My blue & gold was injured several years ago and at the vet I was told that I was slowly starving my bird! I was devestated, couldn't stop crying. I used pellets, seed, mineral supplements, etc. As it turns out, they hunt small rodents in the wild and need meats as well. I was told to feed turkey necks, chicken, other bones, veggies, fruits, yogurt, and a variety of nuts as commercial food is not enough, as well as peppers(!) cayenne, etc. There is something about the pepper connection with the clay licks in the Amazon (calcium possibly?). I would be very cautious with giving supplements above and beyond a better balanced diet (fresh foods) as their livers are very fragile!
2006-10-31 11:32:50 · answer #5 · answered by joycaro 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I wouldn't bother with supplements. I have 6 little guys at home and just give them a very well balanced diet. 1/4 of their diet is Pretty Bird pellets, the rest is fruits, veggies, meats, dairy. They LOVE yogurt and ice cream.
2006-10-31 14:42:14 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
feed them a pellet diet, do not feed them just a seed diet, parrots like boiled eggs, (shell and all), chicken leg bones, and fruits and vegetables, along with a pellet (man made cereal type feed) they should be fine....a seed alone diet lacks alot of what exotic birds need..also these type of parrots tend to get very bored with seed alone..or even pellet food alone, so i chop carrots, apples, boiled eggs and the shell, cooked corn, broccolli and mix that with pellet diet...they love the variety....Pretty Bird makes a great pellet food for african greys..
2006-10-31 20:51:26 · answer #7 · answered by tlove6666 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋