Ok, when I got my lab results back for Tobias, my vet which is an avian vet and has been in practice for 20 years told me that liver failure is a big worry in the bird world. She said one way to avoid this is not to feed our birds ANY animal products at all. This means eggs, yogurt, cheese, meat. Thankfully Tobias's liver is fine, but she knows how much I worry about these things. I have given Tobias eggs, yogurt and cheese and thankfully it didn't hurt him, but I didn't do it that often either. Just wanted to pass this one. I know there may be a huge difference of opinion here
tikileahsmom
Full Version: Feeding Animal Products
Every thing in moderation...
I agree Betty ... everything in moderation! As a matter of fact most nutritionist would agree that animal proteins are an important part of a quakers diet ... especially because they are fat-prone ..
This is a Sample Diet from Holistic Birds that not only is suggested for birds affected by fatty liver disease but also to prevent fatty liver disease.
This entire article is very interesting
This discussion was previously in the Toxic or Possibly Harmful Foods thread and has been split to a thread of its own so it can be debated/discussed separately.
This is a Sample Diet from Holistic Birds that not only is suggested for birds affected by fatty liver disease but also to prevent fatty liver disease.
This entire article is very interesting
QUOTE
Sample Diet
An ideal generalized diet for many species of fat-prone birds (like amazons, cockatoos, quakers, and eclectus) includes:
40% variety nutrient rich vegetables (broccoli, peppers, squash) and dark leafy greens,
15% fruit (berries, kiwi, orange, apple)
10%, mixture of seeds and/or nuts appropriate for the species,
15% sprouted beans and seeds,
10% whole grains (quinoa, amaranth, certain bird breads, some soak & cooks, limited pellets),
10% animal protein such as egg or thoroughly cooked chicken,
The foods should be rotated to ensure variety.
An ideal generalized diet for many species of fat-prone birds (like amazons, cockatoos, quakers, and eclectus) includes:
40% variety nutrient rich vegetables (broccoli, peppers, squash) and dark leafy greens,
15% fruit (berries, kiwi, orange, apple)
10%, mixture of seeds and/or nuts appropriate for the species,
15% sprouted beans and seeds,
10% whole grains (quinoa, amaranth, certain bird breads, some soak & cooks, limited pellets),
10% animal protein such as egg or thoroughly cooked chicken,
The foods should be rotated to ensure variety.
This discussion was previously in the Toxic or Possibly Harmful Foods thread and has been split to a thread of its own so it can be debated/discussed separately.
I've been meaning to ask my vet why she feels this way, but have been so busy the last few days. She's also busy too so hard to get ahold of. When I do, I"ll post her reasons here. I know it's surprising, but I'm willing to listen. I've heard one vet say "No meat" for birds as their bodies aren't made for it unless they're a raptor.
The only thing I can think of at this point is, most of our birds would be eating seeds, veggies, bugs, grains and fruits and such in the wild and not be eating other animals.
My sister in law wondered about the eggs since birds do eat their own eggs, but they also eat them raw, so maybe cooked eggs are hard to digest. Always something new to think and worry about
tikileahsmom
The only thing I can think of at this point is, most of our birds would be eating seeds, veggies, bugs, grains and fruits and such in the wild and not be eating other animals.
My sister in law wondered about the eggs since birds do eat their own eggs, but they also eat them raw, so maybe cooked eggs are hard to digest. Always something new to think and worry about
tikileahsmom
Well I decided to do a search on parrots eating animal products and found this one right away. I"m off to bed, but will happily search more tomorrow. Just scroll down to nutrition. It's just a small paragraph. I've decided to keep searching until I'm satisfied
tikileahsmom
http://www.tarafoundation.com/birdcare.html
tikileahsmom
http://www.tarafoundation.com/birdcare.html
Here is the problem with parrot diets, I think. For one thing, not enough research has been done and second, not all parrot species can be lumped together as far as what they eat. I like to read articles about researchers that have gone and observed flocks of different parrots and their life/eating habits. I have come across a few so far and came across different things such as some species eat more nuts than others in the wild, some eat the bitter palm nuts, some do eat bugs and larvea and that includes Quakers. Budgies tend to eat mostly seed, eventhough there may be fresh sprouted seeds growing, they will go for the dry stuff first.
As was mentioned above, moderation is the key, at least that's my opinion. My avian vet has recommended to me that I do feed every once in a while some cooked chicken or egg.
As was mentioned above, moderation is the key, at least that's my opinion. My avian vet has recommended to me that I do feed every once in a while some cooked chicken or egg.
Well I'm not trying to convince anyone to stop feeding their parrots animal products. It's up to you what you do with information provided to you.
I have chosen to take it seriously and do more research and thought I'd pass it on to those that care
tikileahsmom
I have chosen to take it seriously and do more research and thought I'd pass it on to those that care
tikileahsmom
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