Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!intercon!ooblick
From: ooblick@intercon.com (Mikki Barry)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: INDOOR:  More questions on feeding
Message-ID: <273AFB50.15E1@intercon.com>
Date: 9 Nov 90 18:54:07 GMT
References: <962@babcock.cerc.wvu.wvnet.edu> <9003@cognos.UUCP> <273716A3.4683@intercon.com> <1990Nov7.193411.22165@cbnewsd.att.com>
Distribution: na
Organization: InterCon Systems Corporation, Sterling, VA
Lines: 40

Oh no, more diet questions :-).  After doing lots of research and listening
to lots of vets, nutritionists, breeders, etc. etc., I have come to
the following conclusions.  Note, they work for me.  I'm not saying this
is the ONLY way, or even that it will work for you.  But here's what the
consensus is:

1)  NO pelleted diet is "complete" regardless of what the ads say.
2)  Protein levels should be kept at about 16-18% in adult birds, REGARDLESS
	of whether they are breeding.  Higher protein can cause a phenomenon
	that looks like calcification, tumors, etc. etc.  This rules out
	dog food, most breeder formulations of pellets, etc.
3)  Birds can get bored with their food.  So, if you feed the same thing day
	in and day out, the bird may get bored and take it out on his 
	feathers, etc.  Variety is a MUST.  Whether it be by different
	types of seeds, nuts, fruits, veggies, different size pellets,
	juices, etc. etc.
4)  Birds NEED vitamin supplements.

My personal bird diet for cockatiels consists of 1/2 ziegler pellets,
1/2 kellogs pellets, with 2 or three heaping tablespoons of a mixture
consisting of petamine, vionate, and nekton S (they don't NEED E, they
breed enough as it is :-)).  They also receive fresh kale, millet and
different types of fruits and veggies on a daily basis.

Diet for parrots is 1/2 kellogs pellets, 1/2 kellogs FRESH seeds (no
sunflower mix) topped with the above mixture, and fresh fruits and
veggies daily.  They also get a heaping dose of E.

The pet diets are similar, except they get lots of table foods (with an
eye towards fat content, cholesterol, etc. etc.)and no E.

The lorrikeet gets nekton lorry and fresh fruit and veggies.

I don't put vitamins in the water anymore.  I use water bottles that
only need cleaning every week.  Vitamins in water would become useless
after 1/2 a day or so.  The bottles eliminate the problems with parrots
putting their food in the water and making a sludge.  They also stop
the cockatiels from using their water as a sewer.

Mikki Barry