Avian Nutrition

Seed and grain

Diet strategy of granivores

Fruit

Diet strategy of frugivores

Nectar

Diet strategy of nectarivores

Flower

Diet strategy of florivores

Lower

Do psittacines have a similar, lower, or higher requirement for calcium, protein, and fat than production poultry?

Similar

Do psittacines have a similar, lower, or higher vitamin/mineral requirement than production poultry?

Illness, molt, reproduction, growth

What kinds of physiologic states can impact the nutrition requirements of birds?

Younger birds, warmer temperature

In what situations would the water intake requirement for birds be increased?

75%

Ideal percentage of commercial pelleted diet in a psittacine’s diet

15-25%

Ideal percentage of veggies and fruits in a psittacine’s diet

1-2

How many times a day can you give psittacines healthy nuts and seeds as treats?

30

For budgies, cockatiels, and parrotlets, seed mix can consist of up to __% of their diet.

Harrison’s, ZuPreem, Roudybush, Mazuri, Lafeber

Psittacine formulated diet brands

Psittacine formulated diets

1. Balanced; no supplements needed

2. Some brands have different formulations for different life stages and disease states

Cost, poop can stain different colors from vegetable-based dye, lack of variety, more challenging to simulate foraging

Disadvantages of psittacine formulated diets

Veggies

Are fruits or veggies better for parrots?

Dark, leafy greens, herbs, orange and red produce (rich in carotenoids and vitamin A)

What types of non-starchy vegetables can parrots be fed?

Brassica (kale, broccoli, collard, bok choy)

What type of vegetable should be fed to parrots sparingly? (They are high in goitrogens.)

Peanuts

Which kind of nut should not be fed to parrots?

Avocados

Top grocery store item to avoid giving parrots

Avocados, peanuts, onions/garlic, dairy, salt, chocolate, coffee, fruit pits, xylitol

Grocery store items to avoid giving parrots

Saturated fat

What are seed diets high in?

Calcium, zinc, iron, copper, manganese, iodine

What minerals are seed diets low in?

Saturated fat, vitamins, minerals

Seed diets have too much ___ and not enough ___ and ___.

Seed diets

Source of most nutrition-related diseases in parrots (but still commonly fed and widely available)

High fat, hypovitaminosis A, low Ca:P, low protein/amino acids

Consequences of seed diets

Gradual, weeks to months

Converting birds from seed to pellets is a ___ process that takes __.

True

True or false?:

Converting birds from seed to pellets is easier in younger birds than in older birds.

How to convert birds from seed to pellets

Add 20-25% increments Q1-2 weeks; pellets during day, old diet in PM

False

True or false?:

You can transition birds from seed to pellet diets while they are sick.

Obesity

1. Very common in companion birds

   1. Sedentary lifestyle

   2. Poor diet

2. Not always correlated with keel score

3. Amazons, budgies most common

4. Can predispose to other disease processes

   1. Increased LDL

   2. Lipoma

   3. Xanthoma

   4. Atherosclerosis

   5. Hepatic lipidosis

Hepatic lipidosis

1. Risk factors:

   1. Diets high in saturated fats

   2. Obesity

   3. Certain species

2. Clinical signs nonspecific

3. Diagnosis:

   1. PE

   2. Radiographs, other imaging

   3. Biochemistry

   4. FNA

   5. Definitive: liver biopsy

4. Treatment:

   1. Supportive care

   2. Hepatoprotectants (silymarin, milk thistle, SAMe)

   3. Diet correction

Atherosclerosis

1. Thickened arterial wall, lipid deposits, and cellular debris

2. Great vessels primarily impacted

3. Risk factors:

   1. High-fat diet

   2. High-cholesterol diet (animal products)

   3. Old

   4. Females

   5. Species predilection

   6. Low activity level

Hypocalcemia

1. Risk factors:

   1. All-seed diet

   2. Chronic egg laying

   3. Indoors, no UVB

   4. Gray parrot

2. CS:

   1. Repro

   2. Poor bone mineralization

   3. Neuro: seizures, tremors

   4. Arrhythmias

3. Dx: ionized Ca

Nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism

1. Low Ca:P ratio, low vitamin D in diet

2. Calcium metabolism regulated by vitamin D, parathyroid hormone, calcitonin, just like mammals

3. Clinical outcomes:

   1. Juvenile osteodystrophy

   2. Seizures

   3. Pathologic fractures

   4. Poor reproductive performance

Hypovitaminosis A

1. Clinical signs related to squamous metaplasia

   1. Blunted or absent choanal papillae

   2. Oral plaques

   3. Renal disease

   4. Pododermatitis

   5. Uropygial gland impaction/abscess

   6. Sinusitis

2. Treatment: Vitamin A

   1. Dark leafy greens, orange and red produce

Goiter (iodine deficiency)

1. Thyroid hyperplasia

2. Budgies on all-seed diet

• No longer very common; most seed is supplemented with iodine

3. Diets too high in Brassica

4. CS:

• Cervical swelling

• Voice changes

• Dyspnea

• Regurgitation

5. Dx: History, CS, response to therapy

Granivores

Chickens are ___.

180

Egg laying can require ___% of basal energy requirements.

• Protein

• Calcium

• Lipids

• Fat-soluble vitamins (A, E)

75, 25

Backyard poultry diets should compose of __% or more of commercially available pelleted diet and __% or less of treats.

Juveniles, roosters

1. Backyard poultry diets

   1. Pellet vs. crumble vs. mash

   2. Do not feed layer pellets to ___ or ___

      1. Too much protein, vitamin D, calcium

         1. Can cause renal disease, other problems

Laying hen requirements

1. Have calcium supplements available

   1. Calcium-rich greens

   2. Oyster shell

   3. Limestone grit

   4. Layer feed

   5. Crushed eggshells

   6. Start around 4-5 months of age

Fruits, veggies, free-range foraging (bugs, grass, plants), dried bugs, live mealworms

What treats can be given to backyard chickens (as part of 25% or less of their diet)?

Reduced egg production, any number of published nutritional deficiencies

What happens if you don’t feed your poultry a balanced, formulated diet?

Perosis

Which pathologic lesion is associated with these deficient nutrients in poultry?:

Choline, manganese, biotin

Black tongue

Which pathologic lesion is associated with this deficient nutrient in poultry?:

Niacin

Curly toe paralysis

Which pathologic lesion is associated with this deficient nutrient in poultry?:

Riboflavin

Exudative diathesis

Which pathologic lesion is associated with this deficient nutrient in poultry?:

Vitamin E

Granivores

Columbiformes (doves and pigeons) are ___.

Columbiformes (doves, pigeons)

For which type of birds should seed be a large component of their diet? Water should also be at least one inch deep, since they suck up their water.

Granivores

Passerines (finches and canaries) are ___.

Passerines (finches, canaries)

This diet is the correct one for which type of bird?:

1. Granivores

2. Diet components:

   1. 25-50% seed

   2. 25% pellets

   3. 25-50% veggies, some fruit, berries

      1. Carotenoids responsible for orange/pink plumage colors

   4. Insects as treats