Vitamin and Mineral Supplementation
By Dr. Jeanne Smith, DVM Avian Health Services

Just like us, exotic birds need numerous vitamins and minerals for life. Unfortunately, not much research has been done to determine just how much of each they need. The most research that has been done on vitamin and mineral requirements in birds has been done in poultry. Even in poultry, we know much more about what growing birds and breeding birds need and less about what adult poultry need for maintenance. Most of what is recommended for exotic birds is extrapolated from what is known in poultry. When vitamin and mineral requirements are determined in poultry they are the lowest levels needed to either optimize growth (in growing birds), production (in breeding birds) or to prevent deficiency signs. They may not be the levels that extend lifespan, give the best plumage, or optimize resistance to disease. I'm not going to get into specific requirement information in this article, but I want you to know where those recommendations come from.

Historically captive exotic birds have mostly been fed seeds. Seeds have very little vitamin and mineral content. For example, calcium in a typical seed mix is 0.09%, vitamin D3 is 0.0 ICU/kg, vitamin A is 0.0 IU/kg, and riboflavin is 2mg/kg. So multivitamin supplements were developed and mineral block and cuttlebone or calcium grit was offered. Many people still feed their birds this way. First, I'd like to discuss this strategy and it's challenges.

Seed mixes are definitely deficient in many vitamins and minerals for growth of chicks in the nest, and breeding. They are deficient long-term for adults at maintenance. Eventually, unsupplemented birds will usually develop poor feathering, flaky skin, poor immunity, and changes in the respiratory and oral linings. If you're going to feed a seed mix you need to supplement with a multivitamin and at least calcium of the minerals. Personally, I think most of the common brand name bird multivitamins are fine to use: Prime, Nekton S, Avitrol, Petamine, etc. Some of them are powders you put on moist foods, some are powders or liquids you put in the drinking water. Some birds will accept the supplement better on moist foods, some in the water, some won't accept either. To effectively supplement the bird must actually consume the supplement. That sounds silly for me to say, but I have many clients who tell me, "Yes, I give my birds vitamins every day, but he won't touch the veggies I put it on." You can't stop there if you try and the bird doesn't cooperate. You have to find a way to get the supplement into the bird. So, try both the sprinkled on moist treats method and the drinking water method to find what works for your bird. If neither works, try a cooked bean, corn, rice type treat or any other treat the bird likes with supplement mixed in. Some birds object to the powder coating things, but are okay with it mixed in and dissolved. If you give the vitamins in the drinking water, make them fresh daily - they lose their potency with light and warmth. Don't give your bird other water in a separate drinker or bath.

One problem with vitamins in the drinking water is that it makes the water a good growth medium for bacteria and yeast. It isn't my favorite way to supplement birds, but it is better than no supplementation.

The next strategy people try is the fortified seed diets. These are fortified with vitamins and minerals either by coating them on the outside of the seeds or by adding pelletized bites and dried fruits mixed in with the seeds. The coating method will get very little vitamins into your bird. The bird quickly hulls the seed and the vitamin coating drops to the floor of the cage. Yes, a little bit may come off in the bird's mouth, but watch your bird hull seeds. He doesn't roll it around or tongue it much, does he? In one split second that seed is hulled. The mixture of pellets and dried fruits works if the bird actually consumes those vitamins fortified portions of the mix. Again, I have many clients tell me they've never seen their bird actually consume those parts of the mix. You can feed the highest quality fortified seed mix and your bird will still become deficient if it won't eat anything but the seed.

Supplementing your bird's diet with fruits and vegetables offers variety, fiber, low calorie treats, but it doesn't add a lot of vitamins and minerals. Fruits and vegetables are mostly water. On a wet weight, as fed basis, the vitamin and mineral content is as low as seed in most cases. Also, frozen vegetables are worse than fresh ones. Even if a bird is eating predominantly fresh fruits and veggies, it is probably still deficient in some things (especially vitamin D which only comes from animal sources or synthetic sources). Cafeteria style feeding is used by many people. They hope that the bird will know what it needs and eat accordingly. They offer seed mix, pellets, cooked mixes, fresh fruits and veggies. Some birds actually eat a little of everything and this style will work for them. Most birds will eat the highest fat offerings, usually the seed, and little else. This style doesn't work for them. Cafeteria style feeding is most dangerous in breeders feeding chicks in the nest. You think you're offering everything the chicks need and the parents will do their job, but a lot of breeders don't make good choices. I see a lot of skeletal abnormalities in chicks whose parents ignored their pellets and focused on the seed mix.

Another supplement consideration is the calcium supplement. Birds require other minerals in trace amounts, but calcium is the one they need the most of. Obviously, growing chicks and egg laying hens are the ones we're most concerned abut. I always ask my clients with egg laying hens or parents feeding chicks about diet. If they feed a seed mix I ask if they give the bird a mineral block or cuttlebone. If they say yes, I always ask if the bird(s) use it. You'd be amazed at the number of people who then tell me no. It doesn't work if they don't use it. Some birds will accept a mineral block but not a cuttlebone and vice versa. Calcium grit won't give a hen enough calcium to support egg laying or a chick enough to support growth. If your bird won't accept either a mineral block or a cuttlebone, you have to put a supplement in a treat they will eat or in the drinking water. This isn't necessary for non-egg laying adult birds. Remember that your bird needs vitamin D3 to be able to use the calcium it ingests. I see people who give their egg laying hen a calcium supplement, but no vitamin supplement. If your bird doesn't get direct sunlight (not through a window, which screens out the UV) for about 10-20 minutes at least three times weekly, it needs dietary vitamin D3.

If any of the above strategies work for your bird, I think they're fine. If you have a bird that you can't get supplement into by one of those strategies I believe you need to convert the bird to a pelletized diet. My personal prejudice is that all birds should be on a base diet of pellets with healthy treats offered in small quantity if desired. Pelletized diets contain vitamins and minerals to the best of our current knowledge of what our birds need. The birds can't pick and choose as in cafeteria style feeding or fortified seed mix feeding. You know how much vitamins and minerals they're getting, whereas that is a guess when you supplement moist foods or drinking water. If you choose a good brand name pellet with a good reputation you also can't get into overdoses (more is not always better). Once you have your bird eating pellets, you don't need to worry about what else you can get into him. As a matter of fact, you should not supplement with additional vitamins or minerals when your bird is on a pellet without consulting a veterinarian. It takes the guesswork and the choices out of the equation.