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| African grey parrot |
The African Grey's Species-Specific Requirements:
To begin started, look for a high-quality dry food mix from a local premium bird shop that has a wide selection of seeds, grains, nuts, dried fruits/vegetables/herbs.
Organic or at least "natural" dry bird mixtures are what I'd be looking for. There is no guarantee that "fortified diets" are beneficial since they typically include inferior, artificial additives, which may have no health effect at all or could be hazardous. It is considerably preferable to purchase unfortified mixtures and complement them with a high-quality bird food.
With Lafeber's Bird Food Mixes, you get a wide choice of high-quality ingredients (including dried fruits, vegetables, herbs / greens as well as superfoods like bee pollen) without many of the dangerous chemicals that are typically found in conventional mixes. To summarize: an array of nutrient-dense components not seen in other commercial bird mixes. It is rare to discover mixtures that include just unsulfured fruits and vegetables, which is our largest beef with their goods (and one that calls for the use of chemicals), since they employ sulphurated dry food. As an alternative, you might purchase a combination of dried fruits/vegetables and bee pollen from a human-grade, unsulphured source and mix them in. You may even use organic trail mixes that don't include any chocolate. Make your own blend of superfoods without the toxins often found in store-bought supplements with a little ingenuity!
The mix you purchase should be devoid of artificial coloring, flavoring or preservatives, so be sure you read the label carefully (natural preservatives such as food grade Vitamin E and citric and ascorbic acids from lemon or other citrus juices are effective natural food preservatives that also provide nutrition to your pet). Online, you may also get high-quality mixtures (both with and without seeds)...
As a last resort, if your local pet shop doesn't stock high-quality bird mixtures and you don't want to purchase online, you might ask them to carry certain brands. Send us your ideas so we can improve this page. Thanks in advance for your input (please no commercial interests - only personal recommendations).
Try to provide a wide variety of calcium-rich foods in your pet's diet to prevent low blood calcium levels. Among the possibilities:
Because spinach, chard, and beet greens have high levels of oxalic acid, which inhibits the absorption of calcium from these vegetables, broccoli, rapini, turnip greens, collard greens, and mustard greens are superior sources of calcium than spinach, chard, and beet greens.
Boiled spinach, kale, parsley, mustard greens and carrots are some of the calcium-rich vegetables and fruits you may eat. You can also obtain calcium from dried apricots and dried figs, as well as garbanzo (chickpea) beans, pinto (pinto bean) beans and kidney beans. Raw big beans, such as Anasazi, Black, Fava, Kidney, Lima, Navy, Pinto, and Soy, may be poisonous when offered to humans or birds, causing intestinal discomfort. Large beans, according to some nutritionists, should be cooked in order to be safe and palatable. The germination process begins and the beans are safe to eat after soaking for 24 hours, according to some. It is preferable to boil huge beans fully before feeding them to your birds if you do not want to take any chances. Sprouting these beans is not advised in general. Uncooked dry beans may induce visceral gout in birds because they contain enzyme inhibitors and are inedible. Trypsin and chymotrypsin are two enzymes that may be inhibited by these enzyme inhibitors, resulting in nutritional deficits. Proteolytic enzymes may be inhibited by lima, kidney, and soybean beans. These enzyme inhibitors may be removed by cooking these beans for at least two hours. It seems that these enzyme inhibitors are absent or present in low doses in other dry beans. To stay on the safe side, cook all kinds of beans.
Additionally, baked eggshells, broken and sprinkled on meals, oats, almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, sesame seeds, and "nut butter" derived from sesame seeds, tahini, are all good sources of calcium.
Calcium and vitamin supplements should be administered in precise amounts to African Greys. It is a good idea to get the calcium levels of the african grey examined frequently (year) by a vet.
Vitamin supplements should be used with caution, since they might contain a significant amount of calcium.
Calcium levels in the diet greater than 1% have been proven to reduce the utilization of proteins, lipids, vitamins, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, iodine, zinc, and manganese. Nephrosis, hypercalcemia, hypophosphotemia, visceral and renal gout, and reduced food intake have all been documented at a dietary level of 2.5 percent.
Article: Natural calcium sources and absorption for birds - relevant information
Veggies and leafy greens are a must!
Fruits and Vegetables at Convenient Locations:
It's time for some baby food! fruit and vegetable-based infant food for humans (i.e. Gerbers) Dry Fruits / Vegetables:. As a substitute for fresh fruits and vegetables, dried fruits and vegetables are an excellent option. Crunchiness is a big draw for many birds, who either eat them straight out of their water dish or mix them with their water to make a "soup" of sorts. You'll have to change the water more often over the day, so be prepared. It's advantageous to use dried fruits and vegetables since they don't spoil. Leaving them in their cages for days on end isn't out of the question (unless they get wet, of course). When you're on the road, this will come in useful. Dried fruits and vegetables may also assist "seed addicts" transition to a more healthy diet. Using warm water, you may rehydrate the dried fruits and vegetables at home. Warm fruits and vegetables are a favorite among birds, maybe because it reminds them of the days when they were chicks and their parents gave them warm regurgitated food.
When purchasing dried fruits and vegetables, stay in mind that some businesses use artificial coloring to enhance their appearance.
The preservative sulfur dioxide is known to induce hyperactivity, aggression, feather shredding or plucking in animals with allergies. Avoid purchasing dried fruits that contain sulfur dioxide.
Sprouts! African Grey, lovebird, and cockatiel all like sprouts, and I've fed them to all three animals.
When it comes to "seed addicts," sprouted or germinated seeds are more popular than fresh fruits and vegetables.
The sprouting process alters and boosts the nutritional content and quality of seeds and grains, making sprouted seeds healthier. Because sprouting uses the fat in the seed to begin the growth process, sprouted seeds are lower in fat than their un sprouted counterparts. Seeds that have been sprouted are a healthy addition to your bird's diet since they are rich in vegetable protein and other nutrients, along with vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and chlorophyll. A seed soaked and germinated into "oil" (such as niger or rape) has more protein and carbs than a seed germinated into "starch" (such as canary or millets). Birds that are breeding or are molting require a large amount of this meal.
Therapeutic Herbs (many of which grow as "weeds" in our gardens ...)
Flax Seed: Flaxseeds may help your African Grey's diet be more evenly balanced between Omega-6 and Omega-3 necessary fatty acids. Instead of relying on flaxseed oils, go for whole flaxseeds, which include all of the essential nutrients plus omega-3 fatty acids. In addition, flaxseeds are the finest source of lignan, a phytochemical. One of Lignan's most well-documented features is that it has anti-cancer capabilities. Flaxseed is a regular addition to the fresh food that I give my birds.
Adding sunflower seeds to your African Grey's diet might lead to weight gain, which can be harmful to the animal. Because of their high fat content, sunflower seeds should be used in moderation. Malnutrition may result from birds preferring to eat sunflower seeds over more nutritious foods. In general, it's best to cut down or eliminate sunflower seed from your pet's diet entirely.
Fruits, leaves, insects, bark, and flowers are all common diet items for African Greys in the wild. They should consume a diversified diet of fruits, vegetables, and seeds and nuts when in captivity. A nutritious diet for Greys should include grains, cooked beans and maize, pasta, potatoes and bread as well as grilled chicken. Bones, oyster shells, and cuttle bones should also be included to their diet for additional calcium. Getting him to consume his new diet will be a challenge. Using starvation as a means of persuading birds to consume your food is not acceptable. Instead, you should play on their natural curiosity and playfulness. When it comes to food, the visual appeal is frequently more essential than the actual flavor. Stringing together silver dollar-sized carrot and broccoli stems and putting them in the bird's cage is a fun way to keep the bird occupied while it eats. Fill the cage with cardboard folded up with rice and cooked beans and tape it down. Please check out this website for more information on "foraging" opportunities.