Hyacinth owners...

[Patty, Linus and Co.]

Could one of you owning a a Hy tell me what pellets you use? I have a friend who is caring for one for a couple of months and is looking to improve its diet. Any special needs where pellets are concerned?

[too&me]

All I can add is that they have a high calorie requirement and need lots of good fatty acids as found in Nuts like Brazil nuts, Walnuts ect. adding fresh sprouts and some good beta carotene rich fruits & veggies can only help. Un filtered sunlight is a good thing too.

[Macaw Lover]

When I switched from using Zupreen to Harrison's I noticed Kalea gained a little in weight, she is a little thing at right around 1300. I would so much prefer her to eat other natural foods as I believe that is a lot more healthier for them, and as so many people have said, they never saw a pellet growing on a tree.

Kalea only wants her nuts and will eat pellets but I will always try getting real foods into her. Parrots live to be and old age and the studies these companies have done have not been on the life of the parrot so is that something I want to trust totally? I think not. When I first got Jody the vet told me about pellets and said people foods should be given also so I started giving her something for breakfast when I was eating and then when I came home from work, dinner. Pellets I always have in the cage more as a supplemental if she didn't want what I gave her for breakfast or wanted more to eat.

[CrystalinNC]

Isn't it macadamia nuts that the Hyacinths eat prolifically in the wild?

[birdie]

Diet In the wild, Hyacinth Macaws eat primarily palm nuts from the Scheelea Palm and the Atalea Palm, often those that have passed through the digestive tracts of cows, causing the outer covering to soften. They also eat clay from along the riverbanks, supposedly to help neutralize the toxins in some of the nuts they eat.
Pet birds should be fed a diet of appropriate pelleted food, some fruits and vegetables and a variety of nuts. These can include macadamia and Brazil nuts, filberts, walnuts, almonds, pecans, and coconut. They require more fat and carbohydrates, and less protein, than other parrots. Breeding birds, especially, need the higher fat content.

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=15+1840&aid=3281

[Patty, Linus and Co.]

Thank you to all. She didn't know if there was a pelleted diet that was lower in protein that might be required by Hys. Her birds get Harrison's, so I guess that will do. I've never heard of a pellet specifically for a hy.

[too&me]

Pellets should only be a small portion of what foods they are offered.

[too&me]

DIET
Nuts

http://www.bluemacaws.org/avi18.htm


The diet of a Hyacinth Macaw is unlike the diet of most other parrots. This is where aviculturists often go wrong with them. It has been well publicized that Hyacinths need more fat in their diet and this can be offered to the birds in many forms. Macadamia nuts are about the best food for this purpose. Here in the United States we seldom have difficulty obtaining macadamia nuts. However, many of my friends in Europe seem to have some trouble finding them. Macadamia nut oil is normally sold in gourmet food stores and is an acceptable substitute, if it is cold pressed. The oil can be poured over fresh food or soaked into bread and then offered to the birds.
Brazil nuts are also a favorite. However, they are frequently filled with fungus and smell rank, so I feed them in small quantities and carefully inspect each nut after cutting it open with a macadamia nut cracker. Only then will I give them to any of my birds.
Walnuts have omega 3 fatty acids and are a very nutritious nut. Unfortunately, as with the Brazil nuts, I find many that are rancid. So, they are also given in limited numbers and inspected in the same way as the Brazil nuts. Walnuts also contain volatile oils that aggravate pancreatitis. I am aware of one Hyacinth that developed this and this was a bird that ate a minimum of 10 walnuts a day. For this reason some aviculturists will not feed their birds any walnuts.
Filberts are high in calcium, which is a mineral that Hyacinths need in higher quantities than most other parrots.
Almonds are even higher in calcium than filberts, but they contain oxalic acid, which binds calcium and thus decreases its absorption. Pistachios are high in vitamin A compared to other nuts. I give these to my birds as treats several times a day.
Coconuts are another beneficial high fat food. Coconuts are a seasonal food, although they may be available all year. When shopping for coconuts out of season I find that many of them are spoiled. An alternative is canned coconut milk, which can be poured over or mixed into fruits and vegetables to encourage finicky eaters to consume a healthier diet. Birds that have not had coconut milk before may be suspicious when they see this creamy white liquid covering their food, so I recommend offering small amounts until the birds taste it and then it normally becomes a favorite food. Coconut milk can be frozen after the can is opened, which is important since it will spoil quickly. Ground nuts can also be sprinkled on fresh foods to encourage good eating habits.
It was once believed that in the wild, Hyacinths ate only one or two different types of nuts. Although their diet is limited, they have now been observed eating at least seven different types of food. Joanne Abramson had two of their favorite nuts analyzed. Both the bocaiuva and acuri palm nuts contained over 50 per cent total fat and less that 12 per cent protein. The complete analysis can be found in her book The Large Macaws.
Not long ago, Hyacinths were normally fed diets that were too low in fat and that were appropriate for an Amazon. Now I see too many Hyacinths that are nut junkies. They are fed a diet that consists of only Brazil and macadamia nuts. Hens on an all nut diet will begin to lay soft-shelled eggs and can become egg bound. So, it is imperative to continue to feed foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals like sweet potatoes, leafy greens and pellets.



Protein and D3 toxicity



What is referred to as vitamin D3 is actually not a vitamin at all but a steroid. It is fat-soluble and is stored in muscles, fat and internal organs. D3 is necessary for proper absorption of calcium and phosphorus. It is vital in egg production and growth, especially bone growth. However, Hyacinths are prone to vitamin D3 toxicity. One of the first symptoms is polyuria. High uric acid levels can be an indication of D3 toxicity. In advanced cases subcutaneous deposits of urates and calcium can be seen in the feet, legs and trunk of the body. When pairs produce either clear eggs, dead in shell, weak chicks that do not thrive or stunted chicks, they may be suffering from D3 toxicity. Hyacinth pairs are often thought to be infertile because they are producing clear eggs. Yet, they may be producing fertile eggs that experience early embryonic deaths due to vertical transmission (from the hen to the egg) of D3. Depending on how much D3 is present in the hen, it is also possible for the eggs or chicks to die at various stages of development. If chicks survive to adulthood they will be stunted.
Problems with D3 toxicity normally occur when birds are fed breeder pellets year round. Breeder pellets were created to boost the nutritional content of the diet of breeding birds while they are producing eggs and feeding fast growing babies. The mega-doses of vitamins can be harmful and should not be offered when birds are not producing. Some breeders also sprinkle vitamins on food or in water. This is an almost certain way to cause a vitamin overdose, especially when vitamins are added to a diet that includes pellets.
There is evidence that suggests protein poisoning is linked to the deaths of many Hyacinth Macaws. The level of protein in a Hyacinth's diet should be monitored. Foods high in protein, especially animal protein such as meat and cheese should be avoided. Based on the analysis of the bocaiuva and acuri palm nuts, I avoid feeding foods that are over 18 per cent protein to adult Hyacinths.
My personal experience with high protein in a diet has been with baby Hyacinths. These birds were extremely overactive and exhibited some strange behaviors. They also had black feather, many stress bars and the texture of the feathers was very stiff. Although, the problems with the feathers may have been caused by any of a number of inadequacies with the commercial hand feeding formula I tried on that occasion.

[too&me]

Diet:
http://www.avianweb.com/hyacinthinemacaw.html
Diet:
They also require a higher fat content in their diets. The powerful beak is ideal for this species' favorite foods, which include hard nuts and seeds that would otherwise be inaccessible. Their strong beaks are even able to crack coconuts (http://www.avianweb.com/coconuts.html). The ideal food for them is a non-pelleted diet consisting of fresh foods along with nuts such as macadamia nuts, palm nuts, brazil nuts, filberts, walnuts, etc. While palm nuts are ideal, they are very hard to find in the United States and very expensive - as are macadamia nuts. There are eight species of palm that are central to their diet. In addition, they eat fruits and other vegetable matter. They are generally messy eaters.
http://www.avianweb.com/images/birds/parrots/macaw/hyacinth2.jpg

[Patty, Linus and Co.]

Great info. Thanks Jill.

[Jeanne]

Brazil nuts (in the shell) are not good for birds, they've been known to have fungus growing in them. My three Hy's do not like Brazil nuts at all. In the wild they eat Palm Nuts but Mac nuts are what they are fed in captivity. They require the fat/oils from the nuts which is why it's important for them to eat about 8 or 9 nuts a day.

In addition to the mac nuts I use a lot of Goldenfeast products. I like to give them the Collossal Parrot Mix, Hagen Tropi mix, and natural Zupreem Pellets. They also eat a lot of fresh fruits and veggies.

[Patty, Linus and Co.]

Thanks Jeanne. I was hoping to hear from you. I will pass this along.