06/04/2023
The importance of calcium/phosphorus/Vitamin D ratio in the diet
I've just done an unintentional experiment in the importance of providing a balanced diet with the correct calcium/phosphorus/ ratio!
My birds were still being fed what is considered a good diet, sprouted seeds, fresh fruit and veg such as peppers, pomegranate, sweet potato, broccoli, blueberries, carrots, peas ect, but I was having a stressful week and hadn't mixed up any of the Riodite herb blends which I add to their meals daily. After a week they started to get a bit grumpy, they are in at the moment so not outside getting plenty of Vitamin D (The more unbalanced dietary Ca:P levels are, the more important it is to correct vitamin D3 levels) Three days of grumpiness turned into a bloodbath, they fought with each other, and I have a hole in my shoulder from a flying attack!
A lot of the foods I was feeding that week were on the moderate-poor calcium to phosphorous ratio list and without the added herbs in the Riodite support mixes which I add to their food at least once per day the balance was off. I mixed up the herb blends and added a tsp of the Riodite calcium mix in the morning and a tsp of the stress calming mix in their evening feed, by the next day calm had returned, all happy normal birds.
I was amazed at how quickly an unbalanced diet effected them and how quickly it was remedied. A lack of calcium or an incorrect balance of calcium: phosphorus: vitamin D can cause nervousness, plucking, screaming or aggression in all birds. It makes me wonder how many birds have behaviour problems that could be caused by the same imbalance? Most people would just blame hormones and not associate the behaviour with diet.
A list of foods with the calcium/phosphorus ratios can be found in the parrot hormone book, available on Amazon, https://www.amazon.co.uk/Parrot-Hormones-Complete-Reproductive-Supporting/dp/B0B5KQKQ3T/ref=sr_1_1?crid=121DNI34QJ59X&keywords=parrot+hormones&qid=1676677818&s=books&sprefix=parrot+hormones%2Cstripbooks%2C75&sr=1-1
Riodite herb blends can be found on Ebay.
Calcium support, https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/185744448671
Stress & Calming support, https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/185781534226