www. pettradeworld. comPET TRADE WORLD OCTOBER 2009 37 Bird Food Focus Feeding pet birds the right foods is important for their health. This type of feeding diff ers from the feeding of wild birds because the owner is SOLELY responsible for getting the feeding right. Unbalanced diets are the main cause of disease and early deaths in pet birds and can also lead to behavioural problems. A balanced diet based on sound bird nutrition recommendations is the key. When feeding pet birds, it is important to remember that the species of birds people own as companion pets do not all have the same dietary needs. Seed eating birds are amongst the largest group although these will invariably not get adequate nutrients by eating seeds alone. This may be due to the fact the seeds commonly fed by their owners are lower in protein and essentially diff erent from the kind of seeds eaten by parrots ( for example) in the wild. Companion birds tend to exert less energy than wild birds, therefore they need fewer calories in their diet in order to avoid unnecessary weight gain. Formulated foods are a good way of feeding any pet bird a balanced diet. This type of food is usually a preparation/ mixture of vegetables, seeds, fruits and grains with additional proteins, vitamins and minerals. The mixture is then baked and distributed in the form of crumbs, pellets and nuggets in order to avoid the ' selective' feeding problem - when a bird picks out their favourite seeds and doesn't eat the full selection it needs to get the necessary amounts of vitamins. There are commercial foods for many diff erent species - some foods have higher fat levels for those birds with higher caloric needs such as Macaws and Golden Conures for example, while other foods are lower in fat and higher in protein for birds such as Cockatoos and Amazons. Some other species, such as the Hyacinth Macaw, have very specifi c dietary needs indeed! As a general rule for most species, pelleted food should be 65- 80% of the diet, vegetables around 15- 30%, and the remainder can be seeds and fruits. Fruits should be fed in lower percentages than vegetables due to their sugar content and remind customers to make sure that they wash all fruit and vegetables fi rst and to remove any that are uneaten at the end of the day. For most adult birds, supplements are not needed because commercial formulated diets contain the necessary vitamins and minerals. However, advise your customers to check with a veterinarian before using any supplements. As an additional tip, remember that birds in the wild spend at least 1/ 3 of their day foraging for food. Therefore simply putting food in a dish can deprive a caged bird of physical and mental stimulation. For this reason keep a stock of foraging toys to encourage your customers to keep their pets stimulated. Finally, getting the correct diet for pet birds is of course paramount in order for them to lead a long and healthy life, but please let your customers know that they should avoid feeding the following at all costs - high- fat junk food ( potato chips, doughnuts, etc.), avocado ( guacamole), chocolate, alcohol or caff eine, fruit pits, persimmons, table salt, onions, apple seeds and mushrooms. Here are some excellent foods to stock which will satisfy a caged bird's full nutritional needs. ¦ d ables ve eaten d ostadultbirds Feeding Caged Birds

3 8 PET TRADE WORLD OCTOBER 2009www. pettradeworld. com Bird Food Focus Hagen Tropican High Performance Parrot Biscuits Scientifi cally formulated as completely balanced extruded biscuits, containing eight grains and nuts for maximum palatability and biological value. A food for growth and maintenance of all large birds and an excellent supplement food for large parrots who are on a seed- based diet. Tropican Cockatiel Lifetime Granules Scientifi cally formulated as completely balanced extruded 2mm granules, containing eight grains and nuts for maximum palatability and biological value. Flavourful maintenance food for all cockatiels, lovebirds, rosellas and parrotlets. Premium Budgie Food A gourmet formula with a blend of selected favourite grains, oilseeds, fruits and vegetables and supplemented with Tropican egg granules. Popular premium food for all parakeets and budgies. Traditional mixes like Premium Food require the use of Prime Supplement. Premium Canary Food A gourmet formula with a blend of delicious grains, oilseeds, fruits and vegetables and supplemented with Tropican egg granules. Palatable premium food for all canaries. Traditional mixes like Premium Food require the use of Prime Supplement. Also have ranges available for Finches, Cockatiels, Small Parrots and Large Parrots ¦ Beaphar Beaphar bird food provides nutritionally correct mixes for healthy cage and aviary birds. Within the range is the Beaphar Singing Mix which is a supplementary food for canaries and other exotic birds. Singing Mix is a healthy addition to the normal diet, which contributes to improved condition and fi tness. Not forgetting that healthy birds sing best! Beaphar Cana Grit is a food supplement for all types of birds. It contains essential ingredients such as charcoal, fi ne selected gravel and minerals which birds need to maintain good digestion. There is also Beaphar Fortifi ed Canary Food which is a extremely high quality red colouring bird food for canaries and coloured birds that can be given all year round. ¦