Ask Lafeber

Feeding chop – ask the Vet Nov 18

“As almost everyone know, feeding veggies chop to their flocks including sweet potatoes , carrots,turnips,beets….. root veggies in certain amount and it is very nutrients.
But one I was looking best organic foods for my grand son, and it was very surprising/shocking information I have got that all root vegetables have contains high amount of metal!
I have 3 ringnecks and one Canary and I do add root veggies in some quantity or the other veggies chop especially baby carrots!Could you please clarify bit more because I am very concerned/worried about it! Because my understanding saying that if I am not wrong Metal is very harmful to birds what’s the difference… “Most of these metals are naturally occurring in soil, water or air. Plants absorb them as they grow, leaving trace amounts of the metals in the plants we consume.”
Sweet potato and carrots are root vegetables that are very high in Vitamin”
A and other essential nutrients, but unfortunately, also high in lead and cadmium.”

Hi,

Dr. Tully will be discussing the part about heavy metals at the beginning of the webinar this Friday, December 16.

I’ll address feeding “chop” in general. When you offer any fresh foods to your pet birds, it should only be up to 20% of the daily diet. While fresh foods are nutritious, there are several reasons why they should not make up the primary diet. There is no way to know the actual nutrient level in the fresh foods because all produce begins to lose their nutrients from the time they are harvested. So while your birds are getting nutrients, you can’t count on them getting everything they need.

Parrots and doves both eat a variety of foods in the wild, including seeds. Most Avian Vets agree that the best diet is a nutritionally balanced commercial diet(pellets)from a trusted brand as 80% of the diet, and greens, veggies & fruits as the other 20%. Vets have a lot of concerns about the “chop” trend as the primary diet, because parrots are not designed to eat a mostly soft diet. Their digestive system is very muscular, and there have been no studies as to what the long term effects may be if parrots are fed mostly soft foods. This is where the recommendation goes back to 80% pellets/20% fresh foods, which can be “chop”.

We do make foraging diets that are nutritionally balanced the same as a pellet, but the ingredients are left whole. Many Vets recommend these along with or instead of pellets because of the benefits of the whole ingredients, which include whole, hulled seeds. Adding regular loose seeds is not a good idea because just like fresh foods, seeds lose their nutrients after being harvested, except with seeds, some can be stored for months up to a couple of years before they reach the shelves. We use fresh, human grade seeds with the hulls removed, and our added nutritionally balanced binder is consumed with the seed rather than being lost with a hull.

Be sure to view the webinar this Friday, or catch the recording later on our Youtube channel.

Thank you for your question,

Brenda