Exotic Bird Nutrition

Transcription

Exotic Bird Nutrition
Exotic Bird Nutrition
– plant matter – florivore
penguins, herons
– animal matter – faunivore
ƒ specialists feeder – oligivore
ƒ quail, pheasants, cranes, crows
– omnivore – eats plants and animals
ƒ generalist feeder
Food Consumption Patterns
insects – insectivore
swifts, woodpeckers, swallows
fish – piscivore
loons, pelicans, Osprey
terrestrial vertebrates – carnivore
hawks, owls, eagles
– animal matter – faunivore
ƒ specialists feeder – oligivore
Food Consumption Patterns
– hummingbirds, lorikeets, honeyeaters
ƒ fruits – frugivore (tucans, birds of paradise)
ƒ nectar – nectarivore
– sparrows, finches, parrots
ƒ grasses – graminivore (geese, swans)
ƒ grains, hard seeds – granivore
– ostrich, grouse, some ducks
ƒ leaves, buds, shoots, grasses – herbivore
– plant matter – florivore
ƒ specialists feeder – oligivore
Food Consumption Patterns
facultative – eat
what’s seasonally
available
feedstuff
composition
ƒ dietary specialization requires a stable food supply
ƒ dietary generalization is favored when food
resources vary over time or location
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monophagous - eat a single food item
stenophagous - eat a restricted number of food
items
ƒ euryphagous - eat many different food items
more terminology
ƒ “The majority of companion and aviary birds
are considered opportunistic omnivores; that
is, they will eat a large number of the foods
that are available to them at any specific
time.” - Randal N. Brue, Ph.D., vicepresident for research, Kaytee Products
adapts to feedstuffs
digestive tract anatomy
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large – chickens, turkeys, grouse, quail
large to medium – ducks, geese, swans
vestigial – larks, finches, jays, wrens
vestigial to absent – pigeons, doves
absent – parrots, lories, macaws
cecal characteristics
ƒ cockatiels, budgies - some research
– practical experience
– breeding success from approximations of
poultry diets
– vitamin supplementation - just in case
ƒ exotic birds - anecdotal
– scientific research
ƒ chickens and turkeys well
What Do We Know
– what we know
ƒ Poultry diets - scientific research
– what works
ƒ Anecdotal - success stories
– narrow scope, a few points in time
ƒ Ecological data - what’s in their crop
Places to Start
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psittacine - parrots
passerine - finches, canaries
columbiform - pigeons, doves
Selected Bird Families
™psittacines and seed eating passerines
™basis -poultry NRC, research and
formulation experience
™conservative - i.e. used highest
concentrations unless species specific
™used gross energy
pet bird nutrient profiles
animal protein sources
whole grain products
fruits & vegetables
nuts, trail mix
junk food – moderation or not at all
™seeds & seed mixes (20% max.)
™table food 80-100%
(conures, parrots, cockatoos, macaws)
FEEDING LARGE BIRDS
cheese
cooked lean meat
canned lean meat
hard boiled egg
low fat cat or dog kibble
™animal protein sources
conures
(conures, parrots, cockatoos, macaws)
FEEDING LARGE BIRDS
Kashi cereal
Chex cereal
Shredded Wheat
Cheeros
puffed cereals
mueslix cereals
granola
uncooked, dry pasta
cockatoos
™whole grain products – equal parts, any, all
(conures, parrots, cockatoos, macaws)
FEEDING LARGE BIRDS
canned
ƒ thawed, mixed
frozen
ƒ beans & peas
legumes
ƒ dark green & yellow preferred
fresh
™vegetables
Blue and Gold
macaw
(conures, parrots, cockatoos, macaws)
FEEDING LARGE BIRDS
fresh
frozen
dried
canned
™fruits
African Grey Parrot
(conures, parrots, cockatoos, macaws)
FEEDING LARGE BIRDS
in moderation
nuts are high in fats & oils
™nuts, trail mix
Hyacinth parrot
(conures, parrots, cockatoos, macaws)
FEEDING LARGE BIRDS
may be used as replacement for cat or dog
kibble
™commercial parrot diets
(conures, parrots, cockatoos, macaws)
FEEDING LARGE BIRDS
dry cereals, stale or toasted whole wheat bread
™carbohydrates
grated cheese, hard boiled or scrambled eggs,
canned water packed tuna
™protein
spinach, broccoli leaves & florets, carrot tops,
celery, parsley, grated carrots
™greens
(canaries, finches, budgies, cockatiels)
FEEDING SMALL BIRDS
society finch
canary
budgie
cockatiel
™size of food appropriate for species
™observation of consumption of unfamiliar
food by other birds
™converting groups is easier than singles
20:80, 40:60, 60:40, 80:20, 100
™offer in the morning – appetite strongest
™withhold favorite foods ‘til later in day
™mix new food with old
Accepting New Foods
theobromine
™chocolate
microbes, lactose
™raw milk or raw milk products
plant and skin?, allergic reactions
™avocado
What Not to Feed
™feed pound cake occasionally
™this accustoms birds to eating it
™can soak it with liquid medications
™makes administration of some medications
easier
other suggestions
put in water
replace after each water change
thoroughly clean waterer once or twice a day
™liquid
sprinkle over fruit, vegetables, and other table
food or commercial kibble
NOT on seeds
™dry powder
VITAMIN SUPPLEMENTATION
™protein
™lysine
™energy
™calcium
™vitamin A
™vitamin D3
™vitamin K
™grit
Known Needs
 optimum protein level – 20%
15% or less & 25% or more were worse
™cockatiel chicks
Known Needs - protein
 optimum lysine level – 0.8 to 1.2%
0.6% or less depressed growth
2% lysine was poorer, marginal amino acid
imbalance?
™cockatiel chicks
Known Needs - lysine
220 kcal ME/day
™macaw, 1000 gm
100 kcal ME/day
™Amazon parrot, 350 gm
12 kcal ME/day
™canaries
 12-16 kcal ME/day
™budgerigars
Known Needs - energy
susceptible to obesity
™Rose breasted cockatoos (galahs),
budgerigars, Amazon parrots
 higher fat is good
+25% fat over other species
™Hyacinth macaw
Known Needs - energy
 1% Ca max
especially if vit D3 >= 2000 ICU/kg dry diet
0.3-0.35% Ca maintains normal egg production
™cockatiels
Known Needs - calcium
requirement 7000 IU vitamin A/kg diet
™budgerigars
may have increased vitamin A needs
™Eclectus parrots, Blue-fronted Amazon
Known Needs – vitamin A
Gold & Hyacinth Macaw
Cockatiel
™psittacine chicks - sensitive to
hypervitaminosis D3
Known Needs - vitamin D3
ƒ gallinaceous, ratites, some insectivores yes
ƒ most birds - no
ƒ parrots - no
ƒ carnivores, piscivores, insectivores, fruit
eaters - egest
grit