Choosing the right vitamins and minerals for budgies

In the category of feathered pets, budgerigars occupy the leading positions in the popularity ranking. Beautiful, cheerful birds provide their owners with many positive emotions. Every owner understands that in order for a pet to be healthy, a proper diet is required. But a balanced diet is not enough for a complete supply of vitamins and minerals necessary for life. It is necessary to include special supplements in the poultry menu to prevent the formation of a deficiency. They are especially important in winter, when the amount of vitamins and minerals in foods is reduced.

Do birds need additional trace elements?

Like humans, birds develop only if the appropriate microelements are present in the body. She can get them exclusively from food. Since the diet of poultry is organized by humans, it must include special vitamin complexes.

These supplements have many benefits:

• 
  conditions are created for the normal development of the bird;

• the parrot's well-being improves;
• activity remains for a long time;
• immunity is strengthened;
• stable metabolic processes are ensured;
• prevents the occurrence of serious diseases;
• the risk of stress is reduced.

Often the cause of numerous diseases is reduced immunity associated with the lack of necessary microelements in the body.

How Wavy Birds Get Supplements in Nature

Wavys living in the wild search for food on their own. Therefore, they choose foods rich in vitamins and minerals , otherwise they will not be able to fly long distances every day or protect themselves from predators. The birds live in large flocks and also have wavy, variegated colors.

The low life expectancy of wild parrots is due to the fact that they face numerous dangers every day. They feed on seeds, fruits, leaves and plants.

Birds drink not only water from reservoirs, but also dew that appears on the leaves of Australian trees. Wavy plants independently form a balanced diet. Vitamins, minerals and trace elements are obtained in the form of fruits, pollen, tree branches and coal.

Do you give your parrot vitamins?

Not really

Vegetables, fruits and berries

Having a pet, such as a cockatiel, the conditions for keeping and feeding it are not particularly different from other types of parrots, the main thing is to do everything according to the rules. Your pet should be accustomed to a routine from an early age.

The menu must include fruits and vegetables. It happens that birds are reluctant to eat these delicacies; the owner’s task is to competently approach the solution to this problem. You can cut them beautifully or select pieces of the appropriate size.

Healthy fruits:

• apricot;
• a pineapple;
• plum;
• pear;
• apple;
• cherry;
• watermelon;
• cranberry;
• kiwi;
• peach and others.

Before serving, it is better to peel the fruit and remove the seeds, if any. You can make preparations for the winter, and in winter defrost and treat the parrot.

Healthy vegetables:

• pumpkin;
• carrot;
• zucchini;
• cucumber;
• pepper;
• tomato;
• broccoli;
• green pea.

Most vegetables should be given fresh to retain all their beneficial properties; some can be pre-boiled.

You cannot give:

• mango;
• potato;
• persimmon;
• fruits in sugar;
• papaya.

What types of additives are there?

For wavy plants, you can choose different types of additives. They can be natural, mineral or purchased. Each option has both pros and cons. If the owner wants to provide his pet with natural nutrition, then he can use natural ingredients.

Natural sources of vitamins

There are several unusual foods that can be given to parakeets to supplement their nutrients.

These include:

• 
  Pollen. This product has a unique composition, therefore it contains a huge number of useful components. To obtain it, you will have to contact experienced beekeepers.

• Honey _ It strengthens the immune system, but you should not overdo it, as it is an overly sweet product that can lead to diabetes.
• Apple vinegar . It helps eliminate excess free radicals from the body and also contains many vitamins. But in large quantities it is dangerous, so it is diluted with water.
• Flax and sesame. These grains have numerous beneficial properties, therefore they help strengthen the immune system.
• Fruits, vegetables and greens . The wavy's diet should always include carrots, fresh cucumbers, apples, plums, apricots, pears, cabbage and tree branches.
• Lemon juice . It is recommended to give 2 drops of this juice daily for two weeks. With the help of such actions, the immune system is strengthened and blood vessels are strengthened.
• Sprouted grain . You can do its germination yourself, and the procedure does not take much time and does not require significant effort. Some pet stores sell such grains.
• Charcoal . It is advisable to use birch charcoal, which acts as a natural sorbent, but it must be given in limited quantities.
• Eggshell . It allows you to replenish calcium and phosphorus.
• Sepia. It is represented by the shell of the cuttlefish, and is also obtained from the sea. With its help, restoration of metabolic processes is ensured.

Often, due to the fast pace of life, the owner cannot prepare vitamin supplements on his own. Therefore, the ideal choice is to purchase special complexes that are offered by stores. Especially a lot of these products should be given to your parrot during molting or illness. During the breeding season, the amount of calcium and other vitamins increases.

The best purchased mineral mixtures

If the owner decides to use ready-made additives, then it is important to choose the product and manufacturer wisely.

The most popular brands include:

• "Beaphar Hauser Tropfen" . The product is sold in liquid form and is also intended for use during shedding. It helps to increase the bird's activity and also improves the appearance of the plumage.
• "Gamavit." The drug is intended to replenish useful components in the bird’s body. It can be used effectively for various diseases or digestive problems.
• Orlux Muta-Vitamin . The product is sold in powder form, which is added to water. It helps boost the immune system and also protects the liver from harmful factors. With regular use, owners note a significant improvement in plumage.
• "Beaphar Trink & Fit Birds" . The product is intended to maintain the bird's body and replenish vitamin C. The composition contains black currant, milk and other substances that have a positive effect on the condition of bone tissue.
• Vitasol . A vitamin complex developed specifically for budgerigars that suffer from certain diseases or are weakened after illnesses.

Before purchasing, you must check the expiration date of the product, as well as the integrity of the packaging.

Essential minerals for a healthy diet

Minerals are no less important for the health and development of a budgie than vitamins. The main nutrition that ensures their supply is the shell of the cuttlefish. The product is sold in the form of sand. When purchasing fertilizer, you should make sure that it contains all the necessary minerals:

• Iodine, which ensures the normal functioning of the thyroid glands.
• Calcium, involved in the formation of bone tissue, ensuring proper growth and development.
• Phosphorus and magnesium, which support the musculoskeletal system in good condition.
• Sulfur, which provides the required strength of claws, beaks, and feathers. Feeding is especially important during the period of molting and feeding chicks.
• Potassium, necessary for normal muscle function and cardiac activity.
• Iron and copper involved in hematopoietic processes.

Pet stores have special vitamin and mineral complexes in the form of liquids. They contain all the necessary elements.

What is forbidden to give

Experts do not recommend buying the cheapest commercial products, which include Radostin or Tetravit. Statistics show that because of these complexes, parrots get sick or even die. Many birds experience allergic reactions not due to low-quality components. All elements are poorly balanced, and there are also many chemical additives.

It is forbidden to give the wavy salt, sugar, milk, radish, persimmon, avocado, mango, onion, garlic, spices, rye bread or eggplant. You cannot completely replace twigs with nuts, as excessive consumption of this product leads to obesity.

When not to give complexes

It is not always advisable to feed wavy birds, as sometimes they can cause irreparable harm to health.

Therefore, you need to avoid additional products in the following situations:

• diabetes mellitus diagnosed by a veterinarian;
• presence of liver problems;
• inflammation of the pancreas;
• the parrot is not yet 1 year old;
• presence of a tumor in a bird.

If purchased vitamin supplements are given, then the recommendations from the manufacturer must be taken into account. They relate to the duration of the course, and also indicate a single dose.

How to give the complex correctly at home

A person must take care of their pet’s diet on their own.

To ensure that vitamins bring only benefits, the following rules are taken into account:

• vitamin supplements must be constantly present in the diet, and their amount increases during molting;
• It is recommended to give sprouted grains once a week;
• vegetables, fruits and herbs must be given to the bird daily;
• tree branches are regularly renewed, which not only provide the opportunity to sharpen the beak, but also contain many trace elements;
• It is recommended to periodically give eggshells, and purchased chalk should be attached to the wall of the cage so that the bird has access to it at any time;
• if liquid or powdered vitamins are given, the duration of the course and dosage can be found directly on the packaging, where the recommendations from the manufacturer are located;
• Before giving your pet any supplement, it is advisable to study its expiration date and composition to make sure there are no dangerous components.

The bird may have allergic reactions to various components, so at the first sign of side effects you need to stop the course.

Video “What to feed”

What to feed your feathered friend? This will be discussed in some detail in the video. Be sure to watch it in order to understand how to create a diet for a chick.

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Consequences of shortage

If the owner is negligent in adding enough vitamins to the bird’s diet, this will lead to negative consequences for the parrot’s body.

These include:

• decrease in activity, so the wavy becomes lethargic, since it simply does not have the energy for active life;
• refusal to fly around the room, so the bird prefers to sit on a perch in a cage all its free time;
• deterioration of appetite, which is why your pet often loses weight;
• weakening of the immune system, leading to the fact that the parrot begins to get sick often, and is also often infected with parasites;
• the appearance of growths on the beak and paws.

Therefore, when such symptoms appear, the owner should take care of preparing vitamins that are ideal for wavy animals. To do this, you can buy special additives offered by pet stores, and they are sold in liquid, powder and solid form.

Liquid forms of vitamins are considered the most convenient , since they can be added to water or mixed with food.

Wavys especially need such additives during growth or molting.

It is advisable to focus on the following types:

• 
  Vitamin A. It has a positive effect on the development of the bird, and also strengthens the immune and nervous system. With its help you can get rid of problems with digestion or breathing.

• IN 1. This vitamin has a positive effect on the nervous system. Feeding is needed for excellent appetite and normal digestion. If there is a lack of this component, the bird becomes lethargic and also stops eating fully.
• AT 2. With its deficiency, the bird becomes weak and emaciated, and also develops anemia. The vitamin is important for the normal functioning of the reproductive system.
• It affects the skeletal system of birds, and especially a lot of it is required during egg laying, since if there is a deficiency, the eggs will crack prematurely, which leads to the death of the chicks.
• E. The lack of a sufficient amount of this vitamin in the body leads to lethargy in the bird. If this supplement is not given, it will lead to reproductive dysfunction.
• C. It has a beneficial effect on the wavy’s immunity. It is required for optimal development of the skeletal system, so it must be given to the bird during the growth period.

You can get these vitamins not only from special purchased complexes, but also on your own if you formulate your diet correctly. To do this, you need to feed the birds not only with simple grain feed, but also with herbs, honey, chalk, fruits, vegetables, boiled eggs, and other products.

Conclusion

As a result of this review, the benefits of various vitamin supplements for indoor birds and more become obvious. However, how much the premix costs has a significant impact on the popularity of the models. By 2021, thanks to the development of technology, there are more and more high-quality and balanced products on the market, and the best manufacturers have even acquired their own online stores, which makes purchasing the optimal premix much easier. Despite this, many ingredients should be introduced into the diet only as prescribed by a veterinarian. Also, people often give preference to budget, loose or granular options, and reviews of the customers themselves, published on the pages of an Internet portal or on special forums on poultry farming, help determine which brand of premix is ​​better. As you can see, there are many options, but the decision itself, which one is better to buy to feed your pet, is up to you.

Overdose symptoms

An owner who wants to compensate for the lack of nutrients in a bird must understand the rules for taking these supplements. If you overdo it with vitamins, this can lead to hypervitaminosis, which causes significant damage to the bird’s body.

The consequences of an overdose include the appearance of tumors, impaired liver function, enlargement of the thyroid gland, and developmental delay.

Symptoms include:

• the appearance of red spots on the skin of the paws;
• apathy and decreased activity;
• vomiting and diarrhea;
• decreased appetite.

With such symptoms, it is urgent to reduce the amount of vitamin supplements.

With your own hands

If you have doubts about the available drugs, you can make a good supplement at home yourself. The main thing is to use only high-quality ingredients. For example, lemon juice has proven itself well. It contains a large amount of dietary fiber, B vitamins, vitamins C, E, minerals (sulfur, magnesium, molybdenum, zinc, phosphorus, iron).

How to give: add 2-3 drops of lemon juice to the drinker, mixing it with drinking water.

Honey has also proven to be an excellent natural supplement for poultry. It contains many useful substances, but you should be careful with honey, as it has a laxative effect on birds. But in case of constipation, it will be an excellent mild remedy.

How to give: add to the drinker at the rate of 3-5 drops per 100 ml of liquid.