calcium?

[AmyMyBlueFront]

BB and Amys' cousin,Pookie,Uncle DJ's M2,has laid two infertile eggies this season,one in April and one just a couple days ago. Pook is at LEAST thirty years young and I believe she needs to get some sort of calcium supplement.

What would be the best thing to offer her? I mentioned to DJ to get a Budgie cuttlebone and he said he never even HEARD of such a thing
I personally think that the stuff you can mix in with her "food" ( ya,he still feeds the poor girl seed :02: and bits of human crap) definitely NOT the best diet I've seen. I've offered to help him get her off the seed but he says she is such a scardie-cat that she wont eat anything else . Says she runs/hides/cowers in her house corner,wont even come CLOSE to pellets,throws the birdie muffs that I have given her "blahh blahh blahh" at everything I suggest/offer!

The poor 'ol broad needs help! I'm totally surprised that she has lived this long!!!


Jim

 

[MonicaMc]

Might try offering Nutriberries? Or perhaps grinding up some dye-free pellets, adding some seeds to that, and mixing with enough water to make a thick paste that you could then make into little balls or 'cakes' for her to eat?

Sadly though, if he's refusing any help, I don't know that there really is anything that can be done... *IF* her diet is deficient in calcium, then she'd need vitamin D as well... and the easiest way to give that is through a 'syrup' that contains both... and mixing that in with her water.


However, I'm kind of afraid that if he refuses so much advice, if he *does* listen, he might take something to heart and overdo it... so you might be screwed in helping either way...

 

[ChristaNL]

Call me crazy... if they give the bird 'human crap' just let them offer her a piece of a hard boiled (chicken) egg with the shell still on it. Then she can decide what to eat.
Big chance she will choose to munch on the shell ... and maybe they'll give her more.

I know there is no reasoning with some people (frustrated sigh)- so I just adapt to what they do already and go with that.

(I have some issues translating what kind of bird an M2 is / still getting used to all the abbreviations here)

Vit D. can really be an issue indeed (good point!)

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

Call me crazy... if they give the bird 'human crap' just let them offer her a piece of a hard boiled (chicken) egg with the shell still on it. Then she can decide what to eat.
Big chance she will choose to munch on the shell ... and maybe they'll give her more.

I know there is no reasoning with some people (frustrated sigh)- so I just adapt to what they do already and go with that.

(I have some issues translating what kind of bird an M2 is / still getting used to all the abbreviations here)

Vit D. can really be an issue indeed (good point!)

(I have some issues translating what kind of bird an M2 is / still getting used to all the abbreviations here)

Vit D. can really be an issue indeed (good point!)

M2=Moluccan Cockatoo


Ya,she probably needs vit D too… With his job schedule DJ doesn't have "enough" time to cater to poor 'ol Pookie...it's a sad sad situation.

The hard boiled egg with shell attached just might work. I will relay that back to DJ


Jim

 

[SailBoat]

One of the most common errors Humans make with Picky Eating Parrots is offering the Parrot the item. This will set some Parrots in a race for a place to hide from the unknown item. When provided in a smaller form in with the Seed Mix, the item can be eat by accident or choice.

Adding calcium and Vit D because the Parrot may need it is an approach I would not recommend. If as a result of a full spectrum blood test she is found to be low, than yes, look at ways of adding them them to her diet.

There are several wide spectrum seed mixes on the market that provide a huge cross-section of various types of seed, grains, nuts, etc., etc... The goal is provide much wider base then the inexpensive seed mixes available.

FYI: When faced with a single needed item like calcium, we have historically used TUMS (white tablets) and crushed them in a pill crusher and use it to lightly 'season' across the top of the offering. But, once again, what they need is first determined by visiting the Avian Vet.

 

[ChristaNL]

Ah M2 is Moluccan 'too thank you!! \o/

I learned something (again) today


It's really frustrating not to have some bloedwork/ tests done so you *know* whats going on.
But growing up without a CAV around - it's what we used to do: if you suspect an animal of having low levels of anything; offer it to them en hope for the best...
Feeding birds crushed eggshell is probably one of the oldest tricks in the birdkeeping book.



D. came to me with terrible low calciumlevels (lousy fed african grey, so a no brainer/ could have predicted that without the lab.work) - the moment they went back to normal (good food mostly) she started laying eggs...
(somenting she never did before in her life - they did not even know if she was indeed a female)

 

[EllenD]

I'm assuming that the poor thing doesn't have any type of Mineral-Block, like one of the huge ones that are colored and shaped like a flower or a piece of fruit or something? I know that Petco sells a pretty huge, yellow Mineral Block that would be a lot easier for an M2 to eat...That's probably going to be better for such a large bird than a Cuttlebone, plus it will help to file it's beak down too...

As far as something to add to her food, the egg suggestion is a great option, but if it needs to be something quick and easy (not judging Jim, just sounds like it may not happen if it's something that needs to be prepared every day), then I'd suggest him buy a bag of Egg Food. It contains eggs/shells plus it's fortified with added vitamins and minerals, and made specifically for egg-laying females...Same section of Petco as the huge, yellow, flower-shaped Mineral-Blocks, and is I think $10 a bag...If the M2 eats a seed mix, he can either just mix it into the seed mix, or he can offer it in a separate bowl, as they usually all seem to really like it a lot...If this guy is really that picky, then it could easily be mixed-into the seed mix and I'm sure she'll eat it, maybe without even noticing...I always fed Egg-Food to my breeder-hens in a separate bowl and they absolutely love it...And now Dylan, the Dove (you know, the Cooer) has a separate bowl of Egg-Food as well, which he devours immediately...That damn Dove has 20 different food bowls, I swear...Seed mix bowl, tiny pellet bowl, Egg-Food Bowl, Veggie Bowl, Grit/Oyster Shell Bowl...such a brat, lol...

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

i'm assuming that the poor thing doesn't have any type of mineral-block, like one of the huge ones that are colored and shaped like a flower or a piece of fruit or something? I know that petco sells a pretty huge, yellow mineral block that would be a lot easier for an m2 to eat...that's probably going to be better for such a large bird than a cuttlebone, plus it will help to file it's beak down too...

As far as something to add to her food, the egg suggestion is a great option, but if it needs to be something quick and easy (not judging jim, just sounds like it may not happen if it's something that needs to be prepared every day), then i'd suggest him buy a bag of egg food. It contains eggs/shells plus it's fortified with added vitamins and minerals, and made specifically for egg-laying females...same section of petco as the huge, yellow, flower-shaped mineral-blocks, and is i think $10 a bag...if the m2 eats a seed mix, he can either just mix it into the seed mix, or he can offer it in a separate bowl, as they usually all seem to really like it a lot...if this guy is really that picky, then it could easily be mixed-into the seed mix and i'm sure she'll eat it, maybe without even noticing...i always fed egg-food to my breeder-hens in a separate bowl and they absolutely love it...and now dylan, the dove (you know, the cooer) has a separate bowl of egg-food as well, which he devours immediately...that damn dove has 20 different food bowls, i swear...seed mix bowl, tiny pellet bowl, egg-food bowl, veggie bowl, grit/oyster shell bowl...such a brat, lol...

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