supplements?

[bug_n_flock]

Hey guys. Just looking(as always) to improve my husbandry.



What supplements, if any, do you use?



In our flock we have several on hand, but only use them sporradically. I wonder if we should use them more?



Yesterday was the first time in months that Alex got actual chop(he was staying with my mom and being given harrisons high potentcy and the regular, but not daily, "treat" of kale, broccoli, fresh corn, apple, whatever whatever whatever my mom had on hand to feed out). Yesterday's chop was kale, broccoli, brown rice, small amount each of frozen(thawed) and diced: mango, pineapple, cherries, also frozen(thawed) sweet corn. To which I added some lafebers powdered multivitamin, powdered calcium carbonate and D3, and a probiotic powder and maybe a tablespoon of diced fresh ginger to the whole batch, and I sprinkled on a LOT of cayenne powder. As expected, Alex dove right in(the budgies mostly ignored it but a couple ate it). This AM Alex has CRAZY energy and is acting like a younger version of himself. Is that the chop, the supplements, the better care he is getting now, the realization that he is here for good now, or a combo of factors? Maybe just a "good" day for an older bird? What gives? I want more of Alex like this!

 

[chris-md]

I’d only supplement if needed, and that’s not just because my own Species specific slant. All parrots are prone to hypervitaminosis if dosed improperly. If you aren’t deficient or at risk of deficiency in calcium, why offer further calcium supplement?

I don’t see a need for supplementation if your birds are on a healthy diet.

 

[SailBoat]

So very well-stated above!!!
We only supplement if there is a clear indication in our Parrot's Blood Chems.
You have a large cross-section and as a result, you should make yourself aware of the common needs and also items to avoid with each. As your knowledge builds while also working with your Avian Professional, you will further adjust to specific needs of specific species.

FYI: Sounds like Alex is suffering the effects of a much healthier diet and lifestyle.

 

[noodles123]

It's very easy to over-dose on vitamins (even with a large bird), so I'd work very closely with your vet (and consider running a vitamin panel to see if there are even any deficiencies before adding any supplements)...They will need to use weight and current diet to determine needs- pellets already contain quite a few vitamins too, so if your bird eats pellets, a supplement is probably not needed (and can be dangerous- as certain vitamins/minerals can build up in the body and destroy organs when consumed in excess etc).
I use Nekton-S (due to picky pellet eating) but you would need such a minute amount that it would be hard to measure---the instructions are very confusing and if you aren't careful, you can easily give too much. I actually made a whole post about it...
http://www.parrotforums.com/general...warning-nekton-s-vitaminsupplement-birds.html

Be especially careful with vitamin D- it isn't the only one on which they can overdose, but it is a major one.

 

[bug_n_flock]

The reason for supplements in the chop was less for Alex and more for the breeding budgies. They are not on so great a diet currently. They are on seed mostly, with a cuttlebone supplement in most cages and a manu mineral block in some others. I find the budgies mostly just shred the mineral blocks without eating them, so I have been moving away from those lately and more towards the cuttlebones, which do get eaten and not just destroyed for fun. I give other things to the budgies too, but they mostly go for the seeds at this point. Some progress has been made with eating veg, but not a whole lot.



The last time I tried to have a blood panel done on Alex, the vet wanted to sedate him for it and I balked. We are in the process of "vetting" the vets out here, and I will get a panel done on the grumpy old man once we find one I trust to not have to sedate him to draw blood.



For now then I guess I will back off on the vitamins. How about the probiotics?

 

[noodles123]

Macrobiotics are great! I see no issue with giving those. I give them to mine daily...