FEATURE
Nutrition Such as field investigations revealed Vasa Parrots are feeding on seeds. On a daily base I provide a standard seed mixture for parrots without peanuts or dried pepper. They are big consumers. In the breeding season I double the seed supply. Additionally I provide egg food, sometimes mixed with boiled white rice. Occasionally I add a multivitamin powder to the rice. And of course I provide fresh fruits and vegetables. Outside the breeding season, I only provide this in addition to the seed diet every other day. In the breeding season fruits and veggies varied with egg food is supplied every day. The kind of provided fruit depends on
the supply in the market where I usually purchase. I provide grapes, mango, papaya, pear, melon, banana, sometimes figs and I always have apples at home. I also give carrots regularly and peppers and lettuce
occasionally, sometimes cauliflower or broccoli. I never feed citrus as this dilutes the faeces. In the breeding season the faeces is naturally thinner. I also occasionally give hardened old
(stick) bread. They like gnawing this and it is (like mango kernels) also used as a toy. In the breeding season, they need extra calcium and magnesium. I see the birds gnaw on the stucco and concrete walls and concrete floor. Cuttlefish bone they don’t like. They even don’t play with it. In order to provide sufficient calcium and magnesium I give them clay sometimes, which I first boil with water for disinfection and then mix with oyster shells grit or crushed cuttlefish bone. I let it dry and when still soft I turn it into little balls. They play with the balls and chew on it, so they naturally get in calcium and other minerals. Oyster shells grit provided in bowls is not consumed by my birds. Continues in the next edition...
24 BIRD SCENE
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