@Mizzely Can I ask how you knew Jingo was barbering in the photo you posted? It looks so mild I'd almost think it was a molt (not that I'm doubting you.) Did you catch Jingo in the act or notice something else strange about the dropped feathers? I ask because my boy Roy looks like this. We recently switched over to straight pellets and now I'm worried.
@Mizzely probably some micronutrient we arent providing.
Oh I misspoke. He's on all pellets in his bowl, whereas before he got seed. He gets fresh fruit on a kabob. I was thinking maybe the change stressed him out or something but I've never seen Roy barber and he's with me all day pretty much most days. I'm probably being paranoid.Yes he did it right in front of me. Snipped a feather in two When he shifts you can see a bald patch by his left leg too. You can see a sheared feather in this photo too where there is an unnatural angel created. An all pellet diet isn't good either.
Oh I misspoke. He's on all pellets in his bowl, whereas before he got seed. He gets fresh fruit on a kabob. I was thinking maybe the change stressed him out or something but I've never seen Roy barber and he's with me all day pretty much most days. I'm probably being paranoid.
I try but he's such a butt about vegetables. Unless butter is involved he avoids them. He'll begrudgingly eat a tomato once in a while.
Keep trying! Henkie has been with me for 5-6 years and the bugger still only eats a selected amount of veggies! I have only actively tried for a bit over a year though, before that I offered veggies but only once in a while and I just accepted he only liked orange veggies. Yesterday he was eating all kinds of veggies on his Own, he forages through their plate, got a piece of coconut and flew away with it to eat it, so it is possible to convert super stubborn birdies as well!Yeah, he looks at me like I've lost my mind, lol. I've tried mixing in his fruits too, or soaking the vegetables in apple juice. He knows what I'm up to though. He'll lick the juice off if he can or just ignore it.
Oh stop it. If you are just going to keep soap boxing and not actually engaging with the very clear evidence to the contrary of your unsupported, and offensive claims, then you clearly aren’t interested in discussion. Come back with some actual evidence, not quotes from some random person on Facebook, quit being so insulting and derogatory, and then maybe someone might listen. Until then, you’re just ranting and raving, and unsurprisingly, no one is interested in hearing it.Sally Blanchard
I've told this sad story many times because it clearly makes an important point about feeding a total pelleted diet - especially one of the ones with the worst ingredients on the market. A few years ago a man called me for advice about his 12 year old Eleonora's cockatoo. A few years before his cockatoo started plucking and the feather destructive behavior turned into skin mutilation. His vet couldn't help at all. The mutilation got worse until one day the cockatoo turned back and ripped off two of his toes. The veterinarian suggested that he euthanize the bird. He called me to ask me if I had any suggestions about saving his cockatoo. His veterinarian had never asked him about the bird's diet. That was my first question. He bought the cockatoo from a breeder who was a distributor for Pretty Bird and told him that should be the bird's total diet. He didn't realize that he shouldn't have trusted her information. The food has so much crap in it - chemicals, menadione, artificial food coloring, with absolutely nothing that is healthy for parrots. Do I believe that feeding this pelleted diet as the parrot's total diet was the cause of this cockatoo's problem - WITHOUT ANY DOUBT IN MY MIND!
And the list just keeps on growing.
Defend your feeding of these fabricated foods all you like.
It is disgusting that you can treat a captive bird this way, or that you are not willing to make the effort
to look after any pet that well.
Good health does not come out of a packet.
It comes from a decent diet. And that diet is fresh foods.
Agree... @clawnz one thing I believe you are missing here, if I;m not mistaken, is that none of us feed 100% pellets. We use birdie bread, vegetables, fruit (where appropriate), and seeds...and sprouts...in addition to the pelleted foods.Oh stop it. If you are just going to keep soap boxing and not actually engaging with the very clear evidence to the contrary of your unsupported, and offensive claims, then you clearly aren’t interested in discussion. Come back with some actual evidence, not quotes from some random person on Facebook, quit being so insulting and derogatory, and then maybe someone might listen. Until then, you’re just ranting and raving, and unsurprisingly, no one is interested in hearing it.
Its possible to supplement most vitamins by providing a small amount of pellets.
Now this, this is very important. I can get my fids to eat all sorts of veggies, fruit, nuts, flowers and sprouts, but leafy greens? No, never. Sometimes I can get Fëanor to eat broccoli leaves, he destroys carrot tops but he doesn’t eat them on a regular basis. Henkie never ate a leafy green.Vitamin K is not going to be in short supply unless you are eating crap and avoiding fresh green leafy vegetables.
They like to chew and shred leafy greens too!! (They do eat broccoli though) they like to chew them on any sort of fabric and leave giant green stains!!XDNow this, this is very important. I can get my fids to eat all sorts of veggies, fruit, nuts, flowers and sprouts, but leafy greens? No, never. Sometimes I can get Fëanor to eat broccoli leaves, he destroys carrot tops but he doesn’t eat them on a regular basis. Henkie never ate a leafy green.
Source and a ton more information about k3 here.Menadione in Pet Food
As for the use of MSBC in animal feed, it’s been around for a long, long time and there are no verified, well-cited studies that I can find that indicate it has ever caused harm when used in small doses as a food additive. I have emphasized the last part because injections of large-doses of synthetic Vitamin K can lead to issues; again, too much of anything is harmful. “The dose makes the Poison” – Paracelsus.
There are numerous claims from well-meaning, but misguided, bloggers, animal caretakers and those that fall for the “Appeal to Nature” fallacy. The way we arbitrarily classify products as “natural” or “artificial” is inherently flawed and we cannot let something as important as health be swayed by personal philosophy.
This is where an understanding of the scientific comes in very handy. Just wanting something to be true does not make it true. The more people you convince that something is true does not make it true. Anecdotal evidence can only be trusted so far. Actual research and experimentation should be the basis of any health, nutrition or science claim.
There are studies on the safety of MSBC as a pet food supplement as recently as January 2014. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has released this statement:
“Acute toxicity of menadione or its derivatives is reached at levels exceeding the requirements by a factor of at least 1,000. Menadione sodium bisulphite (MSB) and menadione nicotinamide bisulphite (MNB) are safe for all animal species at practical use levels in feed… The use of MSB and MNB in animal nutrition does not give rise to safety concerns for consumers. MSB is an eye irritant; in the absence of adequate data, the additive should be considered as a skin sensitiser. In the absence of data, MNB should be considered as irritant to skin and eyes and as a skin sensitiser. Considering the high dusting potential of MSB and MNB, the absence of data on inhalation toxicity and the chromium(VI) content of dust, inhalation exposure resulting from handling of MSB and MNB could be hazardous. The use of MSB and MNB in animal nutrition does not pose a risk to the environment. MSB and MNB are regarded as effective sources of vitamin K in animal nutrition.”
AAFCO regulations only approve the use of menadione or other synthetic vitamin K3, so if a pet food brand wants to include vitamin K in their formula, they have limited options. Vitamin K is a necessary component to health, but can be synthesized by the body by microbes and foods, like spinach and leafy greens for K1 and animal sources like liver, egg yolk, cheese for K2). So while a pet food can include those food sources, it’s not allowed to say they provide vitamin K in the diet. It’s not required to be added to pet food (in the US), but it is important for animal health.