Who uses supplements?

[Adi]

I was just wondering how many people here use supplements in their parrots diet, and which brands you use.

Right now, I am just trying to provide plenty of variety in Sunny's diet and he seems to be happy and healthy. I still can't help but wonder if a nutritional supplement would be a good idea.

[The Outlaw]

Depends on what else you are feeding. If you are feeding pellets or fortified seed mixes, don't add anything more. You can actually cause problems by givng them too much of a good thing.

If you feed a fresh diet, with natural seed mixes, then you need to be sure its a balanced diet. I do add extra calcium to my birds diets by way of ground up calcium pellets and cooked eggshells when I hard boil eggs. I make sure to supply lots of foods high in beta carotin, especially sweet potatoes and dark green leafy veggies, especially collards.

Macaws require more fat in their diets, so I add additional nuts, peanut butter, and meats to their diets. African greys should have their calcium levels checked periodically, for they seem to have a greater need for added calcium.

With so many different species here, I actually provide the basic Eclectus fresh diet and adjust it for the various species.

I have from time to time added The Missing Link. I haven't a clue if its necessary, but it came highly recommended by a breeder friend. I don't offer it often, however.

THE OUTLAW