FEATURE
Buddhist monks ate tofu to lower their libido!)
Soya is not recommended as part of a breeding bird’s diet when trying to increase fertility or deal with an infertility problem, because it contains a component that is similar to oestrogen. In humans this false oestrogen can increase the length of menstrual cycles; researchers found that consuming 60 mg of Soya per day can add about 2.5 days to a woman’s menstrual cycle, decreasing her fertility. Soya also lowers the levels of two hormones necessary for ovulation, luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle- stimulating hormone (FSH). Soya also contains a phytate which affects the absorption of zinc which is very important for male fertility—it helps boost sperm production and testosterone metabolism.
Despite the appealing blandishments of avian pellet diet advertisements with their claims of providing
“complete and balanced nutrition,” if you’re not exceedingly circumspect, you may end up feeding your birds something that may increase their chances of infertility. The bird nutrition industry is a multi-billion dollar world- wide industry full of hype and false claims. Consumers and aviculturalists may be duped into believing that they are feeding their birds healthy foods, when in actuality they are feeding nothing more than inferior cheap fillers, such as Soya. Many pellet manufacturers only list the ingredients in their pellets (so we never know how much Soya is in the actual pellets) and usually mention Soya as “specially prepared Soya.” So next time you are out buying formulated foods for your flock, note the Soya content and choose according.
In the last twenty years supplements have become a huge part of our bird’s diet, from vitamins, probiotics, minerals, trace elements, and anti- biotics to the so called super food Spirilina.
When it comes to getting fertile eggs from your birds, the old adage “you are what you eat” rings true. What they eat affects everything from their blood to their body cells to their hormones. As an aviculturalist allow three months to a year for dietary changes to take root. But if your birds are already in
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