Path: utzoo!utgpu!cunews!cognos!stewartw From: stewartw@cognos.UUCP (Stewart Winter) Newsgroups: rec.birds Subject: Re: INDOOR: More questions on feeding Message-ID: <9035@cognos.UUCP> Date: 12 Nov 90 23:30:16 GMT References: <962@babcock.cerc.wvu.wvnet.edu> <9003@cognos.UUCP> <273716A3.4683@intercon.com> <1990Nov7.193411.22165@cbnewsd.att.com> <273AFB50.15E1@intercon.com> Reply-To: stewartw@cognos.UUCP (Stewart Winter) Distribution: na Organization: Cognos Inc., Ottawa, Canada Lines: 79 Mikki, I'm not out to give you a hard time, but I'd like to understand the basis for your comments. In article <273AFB50.15E1@intercon.com> ooblick@intercon.com (Mikki Barry) writes: >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. I'd interested in your research. The good pellets (and they are hard to distinguish from the others) have quite a bit of research put into their composition done by people with doctorates in animal nutrition. Have you gone to that level of detail? >1) NO pelleted diet is "complete" regardless of what the ads say. What's missing? >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. This flies in the face of common sense. Eggs are almost pure protein. Surely a hen's protein requirements are elevated during that time period. Likewise for moulting. Secondly, Roudybush did a study and concluded that the optimal protein level for a breeding cockatiel is 20%. What study are you basing your information on? >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. Most birds are suspicious of new foods. Many birds, if anything, would prefer to eat the same thing, day-in day-out. I've seen lots and lots of birds that will eat only one thing. Birds that need variety can be given it as a supplement/treat. I'm far from convinced it's a must. It's certainly lower on my priority list compared to serving a nutritious diet. >4) Birds NEED vitamin supplements. I assume because some vitamins in the pellets lose their potency? Which one's specifically. Overdosing of vitamins causes problems just as bad as underfeeding. >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. Agreed ... unfortunately many birds are adept at eating around vitamins sprinkled on food (even damp veggies). >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. Yes, but I find that most of our birds will bathe daily if given a place to do so, and also most of our cockatiels (and some others) really like fresh water (out of the tap). Put two dishes in (both clean) and one is straight from the tap, and they will choose that one every time. My investment in pellets is not financial ... just that I think I'm doing what's best for my birds. I am really interested in hearing of any counter-pellet evidence I should be considering. Stewart -- Stewart Winter Cognos Incorporated S-mail: P.O. Box 9707 VOICE: (613) 738-1338 x3830 FAX: (613) 738-0002 3755 Riverside Drive UUCP: uunet!cognos!stewartw Ottawa, Ontario The bird of the day is .... Peach Fronted Conure CANADA K1G 3Z4