What can i use instead of cuttlebone?

[Ingenarel]

I searched like every birdstore in our country. I can't find any cuttlefish bone. All of these stores just simply have a darn mineral block. It has calcium sulfate in it. Not calcium carbonate. The last option was to go the beach and find some cuttlefish. I would go there, but some of them are closed due to covid and some of them are hot zones. So my father wouldn't take me there.

So,
Can i give regular fish bones to my budgies?

if i can can what type of fish? Salt water or fresh water fish?

can i give whole chicken egg shells to my budgies? (They are rich in CaCO3)

thanks in advance

 

[Lori D Pert]

You can absolutely give your budgies egg shell. You can also give them both the yolk and the white of a hard boiled egg. I would grind up the egg shell and mash it together with the hard boiled egg.

 

[Mizzely]

There are also other options for calcium For dark leafy greens, it is best to cook from for about 5-7 minutes to let the calcium be absorbable. Beans should always be cooked, and chia seeds should be soaked for about 10 minutes or offered mixed into wet foods.

 

[Hankmacaw]

Cuttlefish is not the best for calcium for your bird. The calcium in cuttlefish is not readily available to birds.

Calcium carbonate is the mineral found in wild bird foods. Calcium carbonate is quickly and efficiently broken down in the digestive tract to be easily absorbed and used by the bird.

Why wild birds need foods with calcium
Calcium is the most challenging mineral that birds need because of the extreme changes in periods of demand (like egg laying and chick development) and because many foods are likely

billingsgazette.com


Cuttlefish bone is often sold in pet stores as a calcium source for birds, but the calcium it contains is not easily absorbed by birds. It makes a good chewing/shredding toy for the birds, but that's about it. If your bird only has a cuttlefish bone in their cage for the calcium, it is important that you supplement with other calcium sources, such as boiled eggshells and a more effective calcium and vitamin D3 supplement
http://www.tailfeathersnetwork.com/b.../nutrition.php

I would never feed egg shells to my bird. Unles crushed into powder they can cut the insides of your bird and chicken eggs often carry salmonella. You can buy pure calcium carbonate powder at any drugstore and put it on your bird's food.

 

[Ingenarel]

There are also other options for calcium For dark leafy greens, it is best to cook from for about 5-7 minutes to let the calcium be absorbable. Beans should always be cooked, and chia seeds should be soaked for about 10 minutes or offered mixed into wet foods.

View attachment 383692

I've tried like every fruits and vegetables. They won't eat it

 

[FeatheredM]

Veggies are very important, that gives your bird so many important things. Never give up giving veggies, most birds don't like veggies at first because they are so used to dry goods, but eventually they might turn around when you don't expect it and like the veggies. It's not just about the veggie, it could be the size of it too. Try sprinkling some seed in the veggies so they get used to the texture of the veggies.

 

[Lori D Pert]

Try a frozen veggie mix chopped up fine and sprinkle a small bit of millet over the top. Try offering it first thing in the morning when your birds are hungriest. Kale, carrot greens, romain lettuce can also be clipped to the cage wet...keep trying.

 

[Mizzely]

Converting Parrots to a Healthier Diet - Tips

A healthy parrot starts with a healthy diet. Although the perfect diet is controversial, many parrot enthusiasts and experts agree on one thing; a seed only diet is a diet that is lacking in essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals. Studies have shown that adding fresh foods and pellets to a...

forums.avianavenue.com

Also several things on that list were not vegetables and are usually well received by parrots - almonds, quinoa, and chia, for example

 

[Lori D Pert]

Converting Parrots to a Healthier Diet - Tips

A healthy parrot starts with a healthy diet. Although the perfect diet is controversial, many parrot enthusiasts and experts agree on one thing; a seed only diet is a diet that is lacking in essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals. Studies have shown that adding fresh foods and pellets to a...

forums.avianavenue.com

Also several things on that list were not vegetables and are usually well received by parrots - almonds, quinoa, and chia, for example

Sammy and Scout absolutely love quinoa. I also would have never thought of tofu.

 

[BirbBrain]

Have you tried ordering a cuttlebone online? Also, where do you live? Maybe we could help you with that.
If both those don't work, try giving your bird plants that have calcium
Broccolie, pumpkin seeds, bok choy, okra, collards, kale, turnip greens, avocado, butternut squash, almonds, green beans...
And so on! Just make sure it is safe to feed your bird, for example, even though avocado has calcium, it is toxic to birds~

 

[finchly]

I don’t recommend tofu because of soy content, which can go toward hormonal imbalances.
Also don’t recommend beans for budgies.
Most people with small birds use eggshells, you can crush them in a food chopper, I like to use a nutri bullet which makes a powder. I use them after I boil eggs for the birds, if you haven’t cooked them that way microwave them for 2-3 minu

But there are bird specific calcium supplements that aren’t expensive, and I’m sure the base is like @Hankmacaw says calcium carbonate but I’m bringing this up because the bird supplements will have other vitamins or minerals to work in conjunction with the calcium.

I had something else important to say.

My mother always said if you forgot then it was a lie.

 

[Ripshod]

Almond slices are a great idea. They're something like 25% calcium. Just using them as treats or training aids should suffice.
I don't know where you are in the world but if you can get your budgie eating pellets as part of the diet you won't need to supplement at all.
Be careful giving calcium supplements. Budgies need less than other species and overdoing it can cause serious health problems.

 

[finchly]

Budgies need less than other species

Hey can you point me toward a reference on that?

 

[Farfah]

I've tried like every fruits and vegetables. They won't eat it

I said the same thing about pellets but my vet told me to keep offering it. Lo and behold, I woke up to them happily munching on pellets one morning. They were terrified of veggies too and now they love greens. So don’t give in and don’t give up!

 

[Ripshod]

Hey can you point me toward a reference on that?

I can't quote directly (copyrighted) but I can point you toward the writings of Indranil Samantha. My vet even told me about overfeeding pellets (the vast majority have calcium) and calcification of the kidneys which is becoming quite a common cause of early death as budgies are generally living longer and eating more pellets.
A quick Google brings up a lot of supporting research, like this:

Can You Give Your Budgie Too Much Calcium?

Yes A Study of the Dietary Requirements and Toxic Levels of Calcium and Vitamin D3 in Budgerigars. A moderately common problem seen in budgerigars and some other species of birds is calcium deposition in the kidney resulting in kidney failure. The cause of this disease has been hypothesized to be...

forums.budgiebreeders.asn.au

 

[Ripshod]

@finchly I found the original article

Study of the Dietary Requirements and Toxic Levels of Calcium and Vitamin D3 in Budgerigars.

 

[finchly]

@finchly I found the original article

Study of the Dietary Requirements and Toxic Levels of Calcium and Vitamin D3 in Budgerigars.

Thank you so much!

 

[Lady Jane]

Can i give regular fish bones to my budgies?

No, this would be dangerous.

can i give whole chicken egg shells to my budgies?

Same answer the egg shells would be too sharp and may cause problems in the crop.

Hope you get the information you need from the link posted. There are many foods that contain calcium for birds.

 

[BirbDex]

I searched like every birdstore in our country. I can't find any cuttlefish bone. All of these stores just simply have a darn mineral block. It has calcium sulfate in it. Not calcium carbonate. The last option was to go the beach and find some cuttlefish. I would go there, but some of them are closed due to covid and some of them are hot zones. So my father wouldn't take me there.

So,
Can i give regular fish bones to my budgies?

if i can can what type of fish? Salt water or fresh water fish?

can i give whole chicken egg shells to my budgies? (They are rich in CaCO3)

thanks in advance

Look at walamarts inside the pet section sometimes they have limited bird supplies (not all are good supplies so be careful with Walmart) But sometimes on the rear occasion, you can get cuttle bones. because I'm rural when I find cuttlebones i always buy at least 2-3 for my one bird. Because i can never be sure if they'll be in stock in that store again or not.

 

[Lady Jane]

Amazon.com : Unibene Parrot Chewing Toy, Bird Beak Grinding Stone with Bell, Lava Block Calcium Supplement Food for African Greys Amazon Conure Eclectus Budgies Parakeet Cockatiel Hamster Chinchilla Rabbit, 2 Pack : Pet Supplies