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Re: Re: Re: early molt? sick? |
| Name: |
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Beatriz Cazeneuve |
| Date Posted: |
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Jul 13, 08 - 6:14 PM |
| Message: |
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No vitamins whatsoever! I don't feed pellets precisely because they have added vitamins in them and, if you feed them right, they don't need anything else but some calcium and vitamin D3 and that only during the months that they cannot get direct sunlight.
Vitamins are tricky things because fat soluble ones (like A and D) are not meant to be taken in their final form (as vitamins) because they end up been storaged in the liver and, after a while, because they cannot be eliminated naturally, they end up making the liver toxic. And that kills them because they simply cannot absorb nutrients so they literally starve to death while eating constantly trying to compensate. Vitamin A is supposed to be made by their own body from its precursor, beta-carotene, which can be eliminated naturally and only as much as it's needed (carrots and sweet potatoes are excellent sources of beta-carotene). Same with vitamin D3, it's made by the body as it's required thorugh a chemical reaction from exposure to ultra violet light (and no, those UV lights they sell in petstores are not meant for birds even if they tell you they are - I know of birds that have gone blind from exposure to them).
So, my recommendation is no vitamins, no pellets. A good seed mix (like ABBA 1700), straight during spring, summer and fall and mixed in equal parts with black and white for the winter, and a different fresh green and fruit and/or veggie everyday with an occasional piece of birdy bread, grated hard boiled egg, soak seed, etc depending on the season is a perfect diet for them. It's what nature created them to eat. There is nothing natural about pellets and, if you are feeding him vitamins on top of them, I suggest you put him on a liver detoxifying diet asap. Vets will tell you that pellets are better but they will also tell you that a canary's average lifespan is 6 or 7 years when, in reality, they last easily 15.
As to the molt, it started early this year. I think it was caused by the very high temperatures so unusually early this year. My canaries have not started it yet but all my other birds have. |
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