Abstract
Introduction
The decision to own and properly care for one or many pet exotic birds is a decision which cannot be taken lightly. A lot of responsibility has to be accepted because a pet bird is not a low-maintenance pet. All pet birds require at least some specialized needs and care. Very few "beginners" know the answers to the questions that arise concerning the management, breeding, rearing, diseases and their prevention, and proper nutrition. The "survivors" in aviculture have successful aviaries because through the years their teacher has been experience coupled with trial and error.
Sometimes this teacher is expensive and can result in thousands of dollars of investment being lost. Beginners can increase their general knowledge in aviculture and come up with answers to their questions by reading articles, by travelling to shows, by attending lectures, and by talking with people who have a great deal of experience and success with pet birds.
Many of the problems such as poor health, poor fertility and hatchability, and decreased life span can be related to the problems of improper pet bird nutrition. Improper nutrition can leave the bird susceptible to many diseases and result in overall poor performance and lack of vitality. The term "improper nutrition" does not always mean under-nutrition. It can also refer to over-nutrition. Allowing any pet (dog, cat, bird, etc.) to consume more than they actually require can be just as bad and cause just as many problems and headaches for the owner as the deficiencies that develop from under-nutrition. Today, believe it or not, many pet bird owners are killing their birds with kindness. Providing too much of a good thing (i.e., too little variety) is the cause of the problem.
There are over 4,000 types of birds alive today. There will probably never be an ideal diet for all bird species. However, for the average pet bird owner a little general knowledge about basic nutritional concepts and feeding can be of benefit when decisions have to be made. The following article provides information as a starting point for beginning pet bird owners who want to try and make the correct choices regarding the feeding of their birds.
What Provides the Backbone of Proper Nutrition?
To properly nourish a pet bird, balanced amounts of nutrients must be ingested, digested, and absorbed into the body. The food that your pet birds eat is composed of a variety of ingredients and the ingredients are composed of nutrients. There are six major categories of nutrients: (1) water, (2) proteins, (3) carbohydrates, ( 4) lipids, (5) minerals, and (6) vitamins.
Because of the complex nature of these nutrients in the natural ingredients which make up your bird's diet, they have to be digested in order to release the building blocks from which they are made. Once these building blocks are released during the digestive process, they can be absorbed into the body and then nourish the trillions and trillions of individual cells in the bird. Therefore, any food that is eaten is not really inside the animal body until it is digested and the prepared nutrients are absorbed. Remember, the digestive tract is only a hollow muscular tube which stores and prepares the nutrients for absorption. If the feedstuff is not able to be digested, then the healthy animal does not usually benefit from the nutrients that the feedstuff contains. A healthy digestive tract is essential if an animal is
expected to benefit from the nutrients in feedstuffs.
The Six Classes of Nutrients l)Water
Water is the most important nutrient.
Your pet bird can lose almost all of its body fat and stored carbohydrate as well as over half its protein and still survive. However, a 10% loss of body water can cause serious illness and without the replacement of the water which is being lost, will result in death. Water provides a medium for digestion, absorption, transport, metabolism (actual utilization of the nutrients by the cells), and the removal of cellular waste products out of cells and eventually out of the bird in urine and feces.
There are two basic sources of water, ingested and metabolic. Ingested water is that consumed by drinking and that which is contained in food. The metabolic water is the water produced when the food is utilized and can arise from carbohydrate, protein, and lipid metabolism inside the cells. Some feedstuffs contain more water than other types of feedstuffs. For instance, fresh fruits and vegetables compared to dry seeds. When the amount of water consumed in food increases, the amount the animal drinks will usually decrease. Water consumption increases with increased salt uptake, increased environmental temperature, increased activity, and the consumption of dried feedstuffs. Attempts should be made to have clean, fresh water available to any animal at all times.
2)Protein
Proteins are very large complex molecules which are made up of amino acids hooked together as links of a long chain. These linkages between amino acids are referred to as peptide bonds. Proteins in the body are constantly being made and broken down. When energy is in short supply, the animal has to use amino acids for energy. Amino acids have much more important jobs to do in animals than to be used for energy. Therefore it is always necessary to have adequate carbohydrate and fat calories available for use as energy.