Wow! Have just read through all the posts.... I haven't yet tried converting my budgies to a part-pellet diet, though I intend to, I'm researching first. (I do find it all a bit confusing, and am still not sure which pellet to try first!) My birds are basically very nosey, so they try anything that goes in their cage! So they eat all the fresh vegetables etc I give them.

 

If your birds like toys and you're finding it hard to convert them to fresh vegetables, I bought a small wire ball the other day (intended for small animals) which hangs up in the cage and has a bell on. It has a gap on one side to put vegetables in - I put curly kale in there and they loved it! Even empty they like to play with it so it worked well for my birds.

 

Funny though, when I read about chopping food up - mine much prefer to nibble off a chunk than to eat small pieces of fruit or vegetables. I guess they're all different. Danny (RIP) wouldn't touch anything for ages before he was sure it was 'safe', bless him, whereas these 4 are eager to investigate anything new!

 

Thanks very much for all the information. All very interesting.

Hi All,

 

I haven't posted anything for some time.

 

In recent discussions, I've been given some good advice by a very well known Sydney Avian Veterinarian in respect to vitamins in the drinking water and remembered the points made here by a few people. So I'm letting everyone know of this expert's opinion.

 

I have no intention of getting into a debate with anyone on this topic.

 

"Vitamin drops (normally loses its strength in 12 hours) on their own will not cause bacteria.

 

The bacteria is caused by birds drinking water (with or without the vitamin drops) that is fouled because of their droppings in the water bowl and to a lesser degree with seeds remaining in there also.

 

That is why it is important to periodically refresh a bird's drinking water whenever you see it fouled, especially with droppings.

 

Note that chlorine free drinking water will lessen the likelihood of bacteria forming".

 

Regards

Does he recommend vitamins in water as routine?

 

Chlorine free water - am I correct that the chlorine in tap water evaporates when left sitting?

Gil nice to here from You

You obviously have quite a lot of experience ( I am not sure how much orr many years ? )

Some Vets are specialists some are learning ( we need to respect that as they can monitor on behalf of the inexperienced pet owners )

I always look forward to hearing good advice that helps people in life and look forward to your contributions

 

Budgerigar breeder and lover :feedbirds:

Not all vitamins are created equally so it would be interesting to know some specifics on this advice.

 

Also, have you ever touched a dish of water that has been left to sit for a couple of days? It will have a slimey coating. I'm not talking about bird water dishes but just a dish of old water in general. It doesn't have to be fouled with droppings in order to start growing some nasty stuff. Vitamin drops can speed this process along. And let's not forget the fact there IS such a thing as overdosing vitamins. If a vet is going to advise that we use vitamin drops it would be MUCH more helpful to be specific. What dosage? What TYPE of vitamins? Too much of some things can actually harm a budgie. I'm not trying to debate (as I know you want to avoid this) but it's never a bad thing to make people think a bit. Nothing is ever black and white and asking "why" is imperative, especially in situations like this.

 

This is a good, interesting link that mentions these things as far as parrot nutrition goes: http://www.exoticpetvet.net/avian/20facts.html

 

I don't agree 100% with everything said but that's just me being anal. Generally, I think it's a really great article for those who are picky about what goes into their pets.

Firstly, in my opinion, vitamins if supplied should be only for a couple of days in a row once every two to three months. If however, the bird so dislikes the taste of the water that you see it take a sip and spit it out, then forget about it and refill the bowl with fresh water.

 

Molting (an annual event) is an extremely stressful time for a bird, so it is important to keep up its favorite fruit and vegetables during this period. Additionally, a bird may benefit by getting vitamin drops (high in Vitamin "A") in its water for one or two days a week while it is going through the molt.

 

That being said, whenever using vitamins, make sure to read ALL the instructions carefully and use the EXACT dosage. Note that some bottles require refrigeration once opened, check the use by date etc.

 

Because of fouling, I recommend that ideally around three times a day all bird's water bowls (vitamins or no vitamins) should be RINSED THOROUGHLY and the bowl refilled with fresh water. There is no way I would ever allow grime or slime or whatever you want to call it to settle on the surface or the bottom of a water bowl. This could certainly on its own be the cause of bacterial infection.

 

For those who may decide to use vitamins.

Know EXACTLY the capacity of the water bowl and apply the recommended drops for that capacity bowl. There is no way you should in any way, not be exact. The drops should be via dropper bought at a pharmacy. There is no excuse for ever giving an overdose.

 

I have never noticed a discoloration in the water because I have always used the exact amount required FOR THAT SPECIFIC SIZED CONTAINER. This is what most people fail to realise.

 

I am passing on information from a renowned Avian Veterinarian who I have known for the past 8 years.

 

I can't really remember what many of you have just written but I've tried to cover most issues. I'll go back shortly and have another read.

 

To answer one specific question, I don't as a rule ever leave dishes of water sitting around for a couple of days. Even my dog's bowl is refilled each and every morning after thoroughly rinsing it first.

 

By the way, speaking about our dog BACI (cross between a Cocker Spaniel and Poodle), for those in Australia we've been told by Ita Buttrose that he will be in the March edition of her magazine called BARK found in all newsagents. I am hoping he'll be on the front cover.

I wasn't saying we should leave out water for a couple of days, just that at one time or another, most people have experienced how grimey standing water can get even when it isn't a pet dish that has been fouled in any way. :bluebudgie:

I have to use certain vitamin products for my feather plucking tiel but I tend to buy powdered form and shuv it in his favourite things to eat. Most vitamins come in this form and are odourless so dont need to go in the water.

Yeah, powdered ones are preferred over liquid. It's easier to get the right dosage and avoid speeding up bacteria-growth in the water. And the whole worry of the bird rejecting its water is eliminated.

 

And that just gave me an idea... maybe your vet can do a CBC (complete blood count) on Barnslee? Instead of guessing which deficiencies might be present, you'd know *exactly* what he's lacking and what to supplement. You'd also get a better idea of what NOT to supplement and avoid overdosing him on certain vitamins.

Hi Lin,

 

Re. Chlorine Free Water.

 

My way of getting chlorine free water is to boil a litre or so of water and when cool pour it into a plastic jug (with lid) and leave it in the refrigerator. Every morning you can then fill a large glass of water from the jug and leave it out until the chill wears off.

 

This glass of water can then be used to refill your bird's water bowl every morning with sufficient left over for 2 to 3 refills during the day in the event of the bowl becoming fouled.

 

Periodically, I rinse the jug out thoroughly to prevent any slime or whatever forming at the bottom.

interesting info