Inadequate diets can not only cause specific disorders due to lack of some vitamin, amino acid or mineral, but can also generate a state of subclinical malnutrition that lowers defenses and predisposes to infectious diseases.
Nutritional deficiencies are common in pet birds for several reasons:
– Lack of information on the species in question : sometimes because it is an exotic species on which there is no reliable data and others because the owners are not informed about the nutritional requirements of their pet. This results in a bird being able to receive food intended for another species and not yours.
-Many owners trust that a mixture of seeds is a complete and balanced food, when most of the time it is not. Seeds in general lack some specific amino acids and certain micronutrients like vitamins, calcium, etc. It is also important to know that the seeds lose nutritional value over time, so if you buy a bag of mix that lasts more than 1 month, after a while you will be giving your bird old seeds with less nutritional value. This does not mean that the seeds are not good, but they should not be the only food of a bird. They should always be supplemented with fresh food.
– birds usually select only the parts of the diet that they like , leaving the rest. It is a mistake to believe that they know how to choose what they need; actually the choice depends more on the taste and texture of a food than on its nutritional value. Poultry feed is a good way to give them good nutrition where the ingredients cannot be separated.
-Sometimes for convenience, others for practicality, the owners usually deposit food on the plate once a day. In the case of pellets and seeds there is no problem, but fresh food must be removed from the cage after 2 to 4 hours , depending on the product and temperature, because they spoil and become contaminated with bacteria that can make the animals sick. birds that eat them or are in the same environment. It is better to choose stainless steel or ceramic dishes, as they are more hygienic and easy to disinfect . It is also very important to clean the cage very well with hot water, a brush and a disinfectant to remove food and fecal matter that have remained between the bars.
-Another management that is not recommended is to leave a quantity of food on the plate and add more each time it is emptied without controlling how much your pet is eating . If you do not calculate the approximate portion of your pet each day, you run the risk of not realizing if it gradually eats less until it is very noticeable and it has become thin or severely ill.
If you have a pet bird it is very important that you learn everything about its food needs , temperature and other environmental conditions necessary to maintain its health. It is advisable to supplement the diet with vitamins and minerals for birds from time to time , thus replacing the micronutrients that they would take in nature. In some cases you will find good information on the internet, but it is always advisable to also have a good book about the species that you can consult whenever you need. Store vendors don’t always give you reliable information, so be careful. Look at the ingredient list of the food you buy, see what nutrients are lacking and add them as fresh food so that your pet is always well fed.
What should my pet bird eat?
