Should all Birds have Calcium/Vit. A Supplements?

[Rolanda]

Hi All-Should we be supplementing All of our fids with Cuttlebone and/or some kind of Calcium? Same goes for Vitamin A?
Being that my baby is 5 1/2 months old, and I think he eats a pretty healthy diet most of the time I didn't really thing he needed them but the more I read I see even Veterans are giving their fids Calcium/Cuttlebone perches or supplements.
What do you think?

 

[Hankmacaw]

I keep a mineral/calcium block in my bird's cage at all times. Almonds are a good treat and also high in calcium. If your birds are getting dark green leafy vegetables (Swiss Chard, Mustard green, kale) and yellow, orange or red veggies (sweet potatoes, carrots and others) then there should be no need for a vitamin supplement. I always recommend that people give their birds Red Palm Oil. It is high in Vit A, Omega 3 & 6 and numerous other vitamins and trace minerals.

Here is where and what I buy for RPO. Red Palm Oil for BIRDs|by Avitech|Fast Shipping

And here is an article about it; Red Palm Oil - Healthy Vitamin A Source for Parrot Diet | Caring for Parrots | Parrot Behavior | The Bird School by Ann Castro

 

[Rolanda]

Great! Thank you for the recommendation. Red Palm Oil it is. I have been using Organic, cold pressed... (Blah, Blah) Coconut Oil in his Chop and bird baking. I'll switch to he Avitech Red Palm.

 

[JLcribber]

You should not be supplementing with anything (synthetic) without a valid reason. The first step is bloodwork on your bird to establish a baseline of just where your bird stands to determine if it needs anything. Annual or bi-annual follow up blood work will tell you if your bird is getting what it needs from its food or if you need to give it a helping hand.

Pellets are basically supplemented food. If your birds eat them at all they are getting what they need.

 

[2macshan]

I have mixed feelings about cuttlefish bone and do not feed it to my macaws. It can be very high in heavy metals. Vitamin supplements can be dangerous, especially if you are buying a shifty/cheaper brand. I agree: an array of veg in chop is best.

 

[JLcribber]

I have mixed feelings about cuttlefish bone and do not feed it to my macaws. It can be very high in heavy metals. Vitamin supplements can be dangerous, especially if you are buying a shifty/cheaper brand. I agree: an array of veg in chop is best.

It's also a very low grade of calcium that is not readily assimilable to the body. There are much better sources from food.

The most important thing here when talking about calcium is "ratios" along with helper ingredients. Without vitamin D, Phosphorous and magnesium in their proper ratios to calcium they will not utilize it either no matter how much you give them. This is a complicated subject.

Calcium is one of the most important minerals, yet is found in significantly low levels in seeds and fruits. Interestingly, the staple diet of companion birds contains enough phosphorus (P) even when bioavailability is taken into consideration, but a significantly lower level of calcium (Ca) when compared to the estimated requirements. The resulting Ca to P ratio, which is important for proper utilization of these minerals, is far from the recommended 1 1/2 to 1.

Calcium gluconate as the major ingredient and carrier will boost diet calcium to the desired level. Calcium gluconate is a very absorbable form of calcium and is recommended by several professional breeders and avian veterinarians.