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Karlene’s Feeding Regimen – How, What & Why

 

I have created my own feeding schedule in the past 10 years. Initially, I started out with Charge, a male cockatiel, which I purchased from a pet store in North Adams; Massachusetts. I have come a long way since then and I wanted to share my feeding schedule with everyone in hopes that it would help dispel some of the inconsistencies in avian feeding.

Feeding a primarily pelleted diet or a primarily seed diet will create problems. A primary diet of pellets would be associated with a protein build-up which in turn would create liver and/ or kidney problems. Feeding a primary diet of seed will create amino acid deficiencies in addition to Vitamin A, iodine, and calcium. With this in mind, it would stand to reason to mix the two diets. For additional nutritional value and visual stimulation, I also add a variety of other foods.I have a 6-bowl system that I maintain. Each bowl has it own schedule that I follow on a daily/weekly basis. This gives me time to clean each bowl appropriately.

 

WATER BOWL

The water is changed twice a day. I try to arrange it so that it is refreshed between 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM. Then around 8:00 or 9:00 PM. which is right before bedtime. The water bowls have one scrubby assigned to all of them, which is used exclusively for that purpose. The grime build-up should be removed on a daily basis.

 

PELLETS

The pellet crock is kept full at all times. It is one of those covered crocks that I maintain a full level at all times. This way they are never without food.

 

SEEDS

I only provide seeds on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Whenever seed is provided, I do not place anything else in the cage like fresh vegetables because most of the time, they will choose the seed and waste the vegetables. Seeds should be fed sparingly if there is a calcium malabsortion issue. This is due to the fact that calcium/phosphorous levels need to be proportionate to each other and an influx of seed would create greater phosphorous levels, which in turn would cause a calcium imbalance or deficiency.

With seed is included the treats that are commonly available like nutri-berries, avi-cakes, seed bars, and whole nuts for the larger birds.

Please note: Pellets are available 24 hours a day.

 

VEGETABLES & FRUIT

The reason why I say vegetables and fruit is because this is how they should be served. Your primary emphasis should be vegetables and then fruit. The reason being that the nutritional value in vegetables outweighs that of fruit. I provide vegetables on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday. My primary vegetables are carrots, squash, bell peppers, broccoli, mushrooms, and celery. The focus being on the Vitamin A content.

Sprouts are also a valuable source of nutrition and are included in my baseline diet. Sometimes I mix them in with the vegetables or I sprinkle them on top of their

seed mix. Either way, they should be a weekly addition to every diet.

Spinach should be fed sparingly as it has a binding effect on calcium. Any psittacine with calcium malabsorbtion issue or deficiency should not be fed spinach.

I provide fruit on Wednesday and Saturday morning. Cantaloupe, mango, papaya, apples, and grapes are some of my primary fruits. Again, the focus is on the Vitamin A content.

 

BREAD, PASTA OR BEAN MIX

I purchase a 9 or 12-grain bread with no preservatives/additives. I also steer clear of any sugar added to bread products. Pasta can be fed raw or cooked. Fed raw it provides a safe toy/food that they can play with all day. Cooked rice should be served warm and it can be sprinkled with a product of your choosing like ProBac Adult Maximizer by The Avian Medicine Chest. Spaghetti is also enjoyed cooked or raw. The bean mix can be premixed like Beak Appetit’s Moroccan Medley or you can make up your own bean mix. I purchase a 12-bean soup mix (dried) and then add my own pasta like rice or curly noodles. You can also throw in dried fruit bits like papaya or banana chips. The beans will need to be soaked overnight and then you can cook them along with the other ingredients. I provide bread or pasta on Tuesday and Thursday and the bean mix on Friday.

Please note: Bread, Pasta and bean mixes put weight on your bird just like they do us.

If you have your avian companion is on a restricted diet, these items need to be fed sparingly and monitored very carefully.

 

EGGS

There is no argument available that can discount the important properties in eggs. They are 100% biologically complete. They have a high protein ratio, which needs to be accounted for if you are providing pellets. They are an optimum source of protein for breeding and molting. I provide eggs every Monday. The whole egg is boiled and served warm and then cut into approximately ½ inch squared pieces. I dry the eggshells and store them so that I have a sterile source of calcium. The calcium that eggshells supply also needs to be accounted for if you are providing pellets. I provide eggs even though there is a direct conflict with them in combination with a pelleted diet. I believe this natural form of protein is beneficial and absorbed more readily in its natural state. It may interfere with the pelleted diet but currently I am willing to take that risk.

Basically, each day I feed a certain item. That way they are eating a more complete and balanced diet instead of choosing their own if fed a smorgasbord. Here it is in a nutshell.

 

Monday: Egg day

Tuesday: Morning – Vegetables (sprouts), Evening – Bread or pasta

Wednesday: Morning – Fruit, Evening - Seed or seed treats (sprouts)

Thursday: Morning - Vegetables (sprouts), Evening – Bread or pasta

Friday: Bean mix

Saturday: Morning – Fruit, Evening - Seed or seed treats (sprouts)

Sunday: Vegetables

This is my baseline feeding regimen. I am constantly adding new foods and trying different feeding methods. I have been providing this diet for approximately 6 years now with the bloodwork results within normal range on all my avian companions.