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ROSEMARY LOW
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CALCIUM
Calcium: The Life Saving Mineral
by Rosemary Low
by Rosemary Low
Many of the additives that people offer their birds are not necessary if they provide a balanced diet. The important exception to this is calcium. As a general rule, my own birds receive all the nutrients necessary from their diet – with this exception. My bird cupboard is never without calcium supplements – liquid and powder – made specifically for birds.
Unfortunately, many cage and aviary birds die from calcium deficiency related diseases or conditions. The tragedy is that it is so easy to prevent. There are a number of excellent calcium additives (combined with Vitamin D3) for birds on the market. The recommendation may be made that calcium supplements should be put in the drinking water but most bird owners are aware of how little their birds drink, unless they are fed on pellets.
My suggestion for tame birds is that calcium is put inside a favourite food, such as a grape, or added to a treat such as a little yoghurt in a teaspoon. In this way one can be certain that the calcium is ingested.
For chicks being hand-reared, calcium should be added to the food once daily. Parrot breeds should note that many chicks, especially of grey parrots, have to be euthanised due to broken or bent bones, because this vital aspect has been neglected. And purchasers should ensure that young parrots have no deformities before they make the purchase. If necessary, insist on an X-ray. Yes -- the problem is that common!
Parrots and parakeets fed mainly on seed will suffer because the calcium content of seeds in mixtures is less than 0.1%. Seeds also contain high levels of phosphate in the form of phytic acid, which can form complexes with calcium in the intestine, thereby preventing adequate calcium absorption (Stanford, in Low, 2006).
However, parrots fed on pellets can also lack this vital dietary component. In the USA in the late 1990s the diet of 135 pet parrots was examined. It was found that 96% of those fed pellets were not receiving adequate calcium. Apparently, unless a bird was fed 100% on pellets, the calcium intake would not be adequate. A deficiency can have very serious consequences, affecting the health and the behaviour of the bird.
Adding a calcium supplement daily to the rearing food for birds with young and for females two or three weeks before the first egg is expected is advised. This is what I do. Without sufficient calcium soft-shelled eggs might be produced. Worse still, because calcium is needed to induce the contractions that expel the female’s eggs, a deficiency can cause egg-binding and death. I have read many reports of cut-throat finches dying from egg-binding, so breeders of this species must pay particular attention to the vital role of this mineral.
Vitamin D3 is essential for calcium absorption. Exposure to ultraviolet wavelengths is essential for the synthesis of Vitamin D3 yet a deficiency of this vitamin is common in captive birds. Many psittacine birds are fed a seed-based diet; seed is deficient in this vitamin.
The availability of UV bulbs for lamps in holders made to stand on top of a flat cage (such as a breeding cage in a birdroom) or at its side, and for table lamps (for companion birds), has made the provision of ultra-violet light so easy. One or two hours daily are enough. Prolonged exposure might damage the eyes.
We should also consider the calcium content of foods other than seeds and pellets and ensure that calcium-rich items are included in the diet. One of the best is dried figs. If these are soaked for several hours (length of soaking depends on the type of fig) until they are plump and soft, many birds enjoy them. They might be more readily eaten when hung whole on a steel fruit holder, rather than cut up and placed in a dish with other items.
Of course eggs are a superb source of calcium which is why eggfood is fed to breeding birds. A hard-boiled egg, minus shell, has a 2% calcium content. This food is readily eaten by many parrots. One friend cuts up hard-boiled eggs and adds the pieces to the fruit and vegetable mixture, as she found this prevents wastage.
Leafy green are another calcium source, such as tender young dandelion leaves -- or the whole plant, including the root is probably even more valuable. Among the green leaves we can feed to our birds, calcium content is believed to be highest in dandelion and watercress. It is actually higher in the freshly-picked leaves of mint. The problem is most of our birds refuse it. However, a friend offers it to her grey parrots and they eat it!
Calcium supplementation is especially important for this species. Sadly, many die because their owners are unaware of the importance of this mineral in their diet. This is heartbreaking. A deficiency can result in convulsions or fits and death can be very rapid. This seems to affect greys to a much greater degree than other parrot species. So owners, please be aware and make sure it does not happen to your bird.
Reference cited
Stanford, M., 2006, Disorders of Calcium Metabolism in A Guide to Grey Parrots as Pet and Aviary Birds by Rosemary Low, ABK Publications, Australia.
Unfortunately, many cage and aviary birds die from calcium deficiency related diseases or conditions. The tragedy is that it is so easy to prevent. There are a number of excellent calcium additives (combined with Vitamin D3) for birds on the market. The recommendation may be made that calcium supplements should be put in the drinking water but most bird owners are aware of how little their birds drink, unless they are fed on pellets.
My suggestion for tame birds is that calcium is put inside a favourite food, such as a grape, or added to a treat such as a little yoghurt in a teaspoon. In this way one can be certain that the calcium is ingested.
For chicks being hand-reared, calcium should be added to the food once daily. Parrot breeds should note that many chicks, especially of grey parrots, have to be euthanised due to broken or bent bones, because this vital aspect has been neglected. And purchasers should ensure that young parrots have no deformities before they make the purchase. If necessary, insist on an X-ray. Yes -- the problem is that common!
Parrots and parakeets fed mainly on seed will suffer because the calcium content of seeds in mixtures is less than 0.1%. Seeds also contain high levels of phosphate in the form of phytic acid, which can form complexes with calcium in the intestine, thereby preventing adequate calcium absorption (Stanford, in Low, 2006).
However, parrots fed on pellets can also lack this vital dietary component. In the USA in the late 1990s the diet of 135 pet parrots was examined. It was found that 96% of those fed pellets were not receiving adequate calcium. Apparently, unless a bird was fed 100% on pellets, the calcium intake would not be adequate. A deficiency can have very serious consequences, affecting the health and the behaviour of the bird.
Adding a calcium supplement daily to the rearing food for birds with young and for females two or three weeks before the first egg is expected is advised. This is what I do. Without sufficient calcium soft-shelled eggs might be produced. Worse still, because calcium is needed to induce the contractions that expel the female’s eggs, a deficiency can cause egg-binding and death. I have read many reports of cut-throat finches dying from egg-binding, so breeders of this species must pay particular attention to the vital role of this mineral.
Vitamin D3 is essential for calcium absorption. Exposure to ultraviolet wavelengths is essential for the synthesis of Vitamin D3 yet a deficiency of this vitamin is common in captive birds. Many psittacine birds are fed a seed-based diet; seed is deficient in this vitamin.
The availability of UV bulbs for lamps in holders made to stand on top of a flat cage (such as a breeding cage in a birdroom) or at its side, and for table lamps (for companion birds), has made the provision of ultra-violet light so easy. One or two hours daily are enough. Prolonged exposure might damage the eyes.
We should also consider the calcium content of foods other than seeds and pellets and ensure that calcium-rich items are included in the diet. One of the best is dried figs. If these are soaked for several hours (length of soaking depends on the type of fig) until they are plump and soft, many birds enjoy them. They might be more readily eaten when hung whole on a steel fruit holder, rather than cut up and placed in a dish with other items.
Of course eggs are a superb source of calcium which is why eggfood is fed to breeding birds. A hard-boiled egg, minus shell, has a 2% calcium content. This food is readily eaten by many parrots. One friend cuts up hard-boiled eggs and adds the pieces to the fruit and vegetable mixture, as she found this prevents wastage.
Leafy green are another calcium source, such as tender young dandelion leaves -- or the whole plant, including the root is probably even more valuable. Among the green leaves we can feed to our birds, calcium content is believed to be highest in dandelion and watercress. It is actually higher in the freshly-picked leaves of mint. The problem is most of our birds refuse it. However, a friend offers it to her grey parrots and they eat it!
Calcium supplementation is especially important for this species. Sadly, many die because their owners are unaware of the importance of this mineral in their diet. This is heartbreaking. A deficiency can result in convulsions or fits and death can be very rapid. This seems to affect greys to a much greater degree than other parrot species. So owners, please be aware and make sure it does not happen to your bird.
Reference cited
Stanford, M., 2006, Disorders of Calcium Metabolism in A Guide to Grey Parrots as Pet and Aviary Birds by Rosemary Low, ABK Publications, Australia.
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