vitamins/suppliments

[Patty, Linus and Co.]

Do any of you use these regularly? I guess it could be said that if the bird eats properly they wouldn't be necessary. Linus is very finicky and I always worry about his diet and wonder how much he is really eating. What brands do you use and how do you administer them?

Patty

[Dot]

I don't offer vitamins for fear of giving them too many. They get such a varied diet that I think I have it covered.

[Birdlover]

I dont give vitamins or other supplements either (same reason as Dot - fear of too much). My birds get a variety of fresh foods along with a mix of pellets and seed.

[Patty, Linus and Co.]

I am not currently offering vitamins, also for the fear of too much. But my U2 doesn't eat what I'd like him to. In fact, only my quaker eats everything good offered, my teils aren't very cooperative either.

Patty

[Don]

What are you offering ?, and what are they eating ?

Don

[bonnie]

I gave Chicken some vitamin drops in his water when I first got him. He had been on a seed diet for 2 years and everything I had read told me that was bad. So, I got him some drops and gave them as directed for a few months. You should have been there when my white cockatoo started turning that beautiul peachy color! I thought there was something wrong with him! Come to find out, that was the color of a healthy Moluccan! I quit because I didn't want to give too much as well. I switched him over to the pellets and he gets good real food too. So I tend to think I'm covered as well.

[Dot]

I gave Chicken some vitamin drops in his water when I first got him. He had been on a seed diet for 2 years and everything I had read told me that was bad. So, I got him some drops and gave them as directed for a few months. You should have been there when my white cockatoo started turning that beautiul peachy color! I thought there was something wrong with him! Come to find out, that was the color of a healthy Moluccan! I quit because I didn't want to give too much as well. I switched him over to the pellets and he gets good real food too. So I tend to think I'm covered as well.

Bonnie, I have been told that one should never give them anything in water for fear they will not drink the water.

[bonnie]

Bonnie, I have been told that one should never give them anything in water for fear they will not drink the water.
That was another reason I quit giving the drops. I knew I had forgotten something!!! I only gave them the first few months. Once I started learning more about him and feeding him the right things I stopped.

[Patty, Linus and Co.]

What are you offering ?, and what are they eating ?

Don

I offer pellets, fresh fruits & veggies everyday (teils and quaker also get seed, made of human grade grains), sometimes dried fruts like cranberries, apricots, dates etc depending on how much success I have had with fresh fruits which is the biggest problem area. My quaker will eat whatever veggie I put in front of him, which is getting the teils to eat more good stuff if only out of jealousy. My cockatoo, however, would just as soon eat the quaker. I never feel like he gets enough good stuff in him, although he is in good health, has his well-bird every year and weighed in today at 772g. I can't help being concerned though.

Patty

[Larry, Baby and Me]

Mmmmm... Quaker. :eats:

[Dot]

I offer pellets, fresh fruits & veggies everyday (teils and quaker also get seed, made of human grade grains), sometimes dried fruts like cranberries, apricots, dates etc depending on how much success I have had with fresh fruits which is the biggest problem area. My quaker will eat whatever veggie I put in front of him, which is getting the teils to eat more good stuff if only out of jealousy. My cockatoo, however, would just as soon eat the quaker. I never feel like he gets enough good stuff in him, although he is in good health, has his well-bird every year and weighed in today at 772g. I can't help being concerned though.

Patty

Patty,

http://www.greyfeathertoys.com/cgi-bin/quikstore.cgi?store=&search=yes&detail=yes&product=419&category=Food_-_Healthy_Parrot_Food&keywords=&hits_seen=&page=search.html&and=&affiliate_id=

Look at this Tails Up Mash. I know it is expensive and you have already mentioned the money crunch, but remember that a teaspoon of this a day would be enough for a tiel. Look at all the ingredients. I'll copy them for you below this post. It is easy to fix and is served warm, just like mama hurked. I thought the name was stupid until I served it. The heads went down and the tails went up. For a long time.

Ingredients: Carrots, Beans: (White, Pink, Kidney, Lima & Garbanzo), Sweet Potato, Papaya, Hulled Barley, Pineapple, Raisins, Flax Seed, Bell Peppers, Broccoli, Corn, Zucchini, Par-boiled Rice, Peas, Pumpkin Seeds, White Potato, Oat Groats, Triticale, Banana Chips, Mango, Coconut, Red Wheat, Rolled Oats, Lentils, Soybeans, Split Green Peas, Green Beans, Organic Pasta and Celery Leaf.
Herbs include: Alfalfa Leaf, Parsley Flakes, Flaxseed, Bee Pollen, Chickweed, Red Clover Blossoms & Leaf, Red Raspberry Leaf, Rosehips, Milk Thistle, Barley Grass Powder, Dill Weed, Dulse Leaf, Garlic Powder, Ginger Powder, Wheat Grass Powder, Astragalus Powder, Chili Flakes, Cinnamon Powder and Turmeric.

[Patty, Linus and Co.]

Mmmmm... Quaker. :eats:

I hear they're very yummy.

Patty

[Patty, Linus and Co.]

Thanks dot. I will try that one. I've tried some, but only the little ones dug in. I figure eventually one will hit. I need to get a seal-a-meal for freezing the leftovers like Larry. Linus can be such a big ol' poopy-head sometimes! (Is it okay to say poopy-head??)

Patty

[Larry, Baby and Me]

Poopy-Head is good. Sometimes that is the only description that fits. ;)

[lcarle]

My vet gave me some powder vitamins that I give to Buchee (M2) occationally. I try to give him a good diet, but he doesn't always eat what he is given. I really try, but he keeps throwing the good stuff out of his dish. He is willing to eat yams and sweat potatoes which I appreciate. I give him oatmeal with applesauce and cinnamin, and he loves a healthy wheat bread with applesauce as well. He is starting to eat mixed veggies (loves the peas and corn mostly), pea pods and a bean mix I found. He also eats blueberries occationally. He loves nuts, but hates pellets. I know about giving too much vitamins and worry about it as well. What do you think? Thanks.

[EasySpirit]

Actually your diet sounds pretty good. Blueberries are one of the foods that is almost perfect and some feed them regularly. Quanna (boy I know I spelled that wrong) is considered almost a perfect food and worth adding to the diet as well. Some make a good soak and cook mix. Doris on MT has a mix a lot like. I recently purchased a book on bird nutrition. There sure is a lot of information out there. That is why I think some people go to pellets. Yes, some of it is for ease but dietary stuff can get confusing for a lot of people.

Easy

[Patty, Linus and Co.]

Quanna (boy I know I spelled that wrong) is considered almost a perfect food and worth adding to the diet as well.

Easy

I think it's quinoa, if that's what you meant, but to this day I can't pronounce it. It's a part of the human grade seed mix I now make for my little guys. I found out recently that they don't test for toxins in commercial seed mixes and it scared the pants off me, so I decided to make my own.

Patty

[Dot]

I think it's quinoa, if that's what you meant, but to this day I can't pronounce it. It's a part of the human grade seed mix I now make for my little guys. I found out recently that they don't test for toxins in commercial seed mixes and it scared the pants off me, so I decided to make my own.

Patty

Where do you buy seeds that have been tested for toxins?