Vitamins

What is the best vitamin supplement for birds?

Many folks believe supplemental vitamins are not needed unless recommended by a certified avian (or equivalent) veterinarian. Birds generally fed a proper diet do not have deficiencies unless sick. Can you give us a bit more information of what motivates the question?

Hi mcliplef, welcome to the forums. I saw your thread on the death of one of your birds. Sorry for your loss. Would the question about vitamins be related to your Kakariki named Kiwi? Did your vet indicate that the death of the other bird was linked to a vitamin deficiency? I'm with Scott, a parrot on an appropriate diet generally doesn't need vitamin supplements. If your vet has diagnosed a deficiency in Kiwi then I would go with the specific supplement recommended by him/her.

I use Thrive it is a vitamin D3 and A supplement. Depending on where you live humans don’t get enough sun for vitamin D in the winter months. It’s the positioning of the sun. I feed Tops pellets which does not have vitamin supplements in it. My vet knows what I feed everyone and that I use a D3 and A supplement (I sprinkle it on their sprouted seeds). I still try and give them unfiltered sunlight as much as I can. I saw Ellie’s. Comment and am sorry for your loss- I didn’t see your thread. I know others use a different supplement I just can’t remember what it is. Look at reviews that’s Why I chose thrive - Ask your vet what he/she recommends or what their clients recommend. I also called the company Thrive and was transferred to the owner(small company) because I wanted to know the origin of the supplements and found out all supplements in the US come from China unfortunately.

Kiwi is healthy, I asked this question in regards to my cockatiel Brave Heart. Recently, I noticed that she was unbalanced. I took her to the vet who took an x-ray and found that she has a dislocated wing. I realiZe that this is likely the cause of the valence issue. But I just wonder if she hurt her wing because she fell due to some other issue. I asked my vet to look into it, and he wondered if it might be a selenium deficiency. I feed Roudybush pellets with a little seed from Things for Wings online. They also get broccoli, pease, a little corn, quinoa, rice, carrots, and some berries in a chop mix dusted with Prime vitamin. I should also mention that she tends to lay a clutch every 2-3 months. I also provide cuttle bone. I should also mention that they are very picky and don't usually finish their veggies. My vet wants me to use a water soluble vitamin, but I worry about it becoming nullified by the sun

The majority of Avian Medical Professionals do not recommend adding Vitamins to water. I'm guessing that a full spectrum blood test did not happen as you didn't mention it. Here again, Avian Medical Professional do not recommend adding Vitamins unless the blood test show a defiance. In fact, providing more than needed can cause problems.

That's what I was thinking, thanks

With the added information about laying eggs every 2 to 3 months I’d added egg shells personally to her diet. I have had experiences with egg bound birds (not parrots) they lay eggs regularly like chickens (again not parrots). I was told that eggs shells are the best source of calcium. I googled for more information and found egg shells also have minerals in them that help the body absorb the calcium. I believe egg shells are also an natural source for selenium. I personally mainly use soft boiled quail eggs and give it to everyone (parrots included - I break the egg in half and give it to them). I soft boil because over boiling changes the chemical make up of the egg and it makes the egg not healthy to eat for anyone. I also use quail eggs because the shell is easier to grind and eat - I’m sure chicken egg shells are fine too tho.

Ok, thanks

I would echo the concerns above regarding vitamins in the water. It is difficult to gauge how much is being consumed, it can be too little to be of benefit or can cause overdose if they consume too much. It can sometimes also lead to dehydration if it changes the taste of the water and they don't drink enough.

Also, it seems you may have a chronic egg layer on your hands! A clutch of eggs every few months does seem to be a bit excessive, and that in itself may be causing deficiencies such as the ones you describe. My lorikeet would lay eggs every few months if she had the chance but it would not be good for her as continual laying does sap a lot of vitamins and minerals from a hen's body. I would strongly recommend that if your hen has access to a nest box or any kind of nesting material at all that it be removed to try to stop the cycle of laying. It is by no means a guarantee that it will stop - I once had a cockatiel hen who was determined to lay even on a bare surface but it did cut the instance of laying right down and she only laid about 8 or 9 eggs in her 17 year lifespan. You can also buy dummy eggs made of ceramic or plastic which should help to convince your hen that she already has a clutch and does not need to lay any more. If you can reduce the number of eggs your hen lays you will probably find that her overall condition improves significantly