Pet Habitat South Africa

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25 May 2014

Feeding Birds Balanced Diet

Posted By : Guest

Should I feed my bird, seeds or pellets? The short answer to this question is that it's okay to feed your pet both seeds and pellets, but neither should be fed exclusively. Birds in captivity often do not get the variety of foods that they would in the wild, and can't get all of the nutrients that they need from seeds alone. As a rule, a bird should be fed a quality commercial pellet as a staple diet, and should be offered fruits, veggies, and greens daily, with a few seeds thrown in now and then as a treat and to add variety. Make sure not to let your pet eat to many seeds -- they are like junk food to birds, and some of our feathered friends may refuse to eat anything else if they eat a seed only diet, leading to health problems and a shortened lifespan.

A diet of bird pellets offers more complete nutrition than seed-only diets. Even better, many bird pellets are formulated with a wide range of healthy ingredients for specific birds. This means they offer the exact levels of protein, fat, fiber, and nutrients your bird requires. All of the Roudybush Daily Maintenance and Specialty diets are formulated by avian nutritionist Tom Roudybush, M.S. In his 16 years of nutritional research at the University of California, Davis, 10 of which specifically focusing on the nutritional requirements of pet birds, Tom has become a leader in the avian nutrition field. His work is the basis for most of the published nutritional research in pet birds that are available today.

Roudybush Daily Maintenance

Use this diet when switching your bird from its old diet to Roudybush. Continue to feed to adult birds that are not laying eggs or feeding chicks. Lories and lorikeets, which will accept this diet, will have drier droppings than they have on nectar.

If you have a bird that is a chronic egg-layer or a bird with a tendency to develop hypocalcaemia (like African Greys), mix 2/3 Maintenance with 1/3 Breeder + Soy Oil Diet to supply more calcium and vitamin D3. Do not give additional vitamin or mineral supplements. Fresh fruit and vegetable treats may be given as a minor part of the diet.

Available Pellet Sizes: Nibles, Crumble, Mini, Small, Medium, and Large

Roudybush Breeder + Soy Oil Diet

Also known as High Energy Breeder, feed this to breeding birds that are feeding chicks. Wean chicks onto this diet for the first 1-3 months post-weaning (3 months for the larger species, one month for the smaller species). This Breeder + Soy Oil Diet will provide these young birds with extra protein, calcium, and Vitamin D3 needed for the continued growth that occurs during that time. The higher energy will help put back the body weight lost in the weaning process. Mix 1/3 Breeder + Soy Oil Diet to 2/3 Maintenance mixture for use in birds with a higher calcium need or are being introduced to Roudybush. Do not give additional vitamin or mineral supplements, such as cuttlebone, mineral blocks, or multivitamins. Fresh fruits and vegetables may be given as a minor part of the diet.

Available Pellet Sizes: Nibles, Crumble, Mini, Small, Medium, and Large

Roudybush California Blend

Delectable daily diet entices your pet bird with a blend of real fruits and vegetables. Appealing, no-waste blend contains real pieces of wholesome dried peaches, apricots, plums, bell peppers, carrots, tomatoes, and cabbage combined with Roudybush Daily Maintenance pellets. Do not give additional vitamin or mineral supplements when offering this nutritious daily bird diet. Contains no added sugar or colours. Resealable package helps to keep food fresh.

Available Pellet Sizes: Mini, Small and Medium

All Natural Preservative

Only a natural preservative is used in Roudybush Low-fat Maintenance, Roudybush Daily Maintenance and Roudybush Breeder + Soy Oil Diet pellets. The new preservative is a combination of d-tocopherol (a close relative of vitamin E), rosemary, and citric acid. The advantage of d-tocopherol is that it has antioxidant properties but it has very little biological activity, so risk of toxicity is eliminated. Rosemary has natural antioxidant properties. Citric acid binds to certain minerals responsible for starting oxidation reactions, preventing those reactions from occurring.

No Food Colouring

All natural ingredients! Ever wonder why Roudybush foods are not coloured? Roudybush is proud to provide your pet with healthy food that is good for them, with ingredients their bodies require, not food that is appealing to our human eyes. That is why Roudybush only uses high quality ingredients and never add food colourings or sugar.

What does this mean for you and your pet?

It means that when you purchase Roudybush you know you are providing your bird the best possible nutrition so they can live their lives to the fullest. All Roudybush products are sold in factory sealed packages to maintain freshness.

When you switch your pet bird to Roudybush, feed as a sole diet. There is no need to give additional vitamins or mineral supplements. Healthy treats may be given in moderate amounts if desired. Roudybush are available in different size pellets to accommodate different species: