What is your opinion on mineral blocks? Are they necessary or not? Are flavored ones good for budgies and if so what flavor do they like best? I've always kept a cuttle bone in the cage but recently i bought a cuttle bone that was kind of embedded into a mineral block (strawberry flavored), a 2 in 1 deal... just wanted to know everyone's views on it.

i used to have a mineral block shaped like a bunch of grapes and it was pink and flavoured. the birds seems to enjoy it - sometimes more that the cuttlebone. since then i have bought the cheaper unflavoured iodine blocks and they havent touched them at all.

 

as long as you have a cuttlebone and a well balanced diet i dont think the birds absolutely need them but it is good to give them the choice. also a healthy diet still wont provide iodine so i always have one available. i heard that iodine deficiency can cause thyroid problems, although it is more uncommon now than it used to be years ago when more budgies were on an unhealthy all seed diet.

Edited October 14, 200519 yr by pixie25

I just provide an iodine block and also some cuttlefish bone.

I provide them for the birds and leave it up to them. I think they know what they need. My finches attack a cuttlebone and devour it in 3 days, but the budgies just stare at it.

I always have them in the cages and also the aviary, they dont last too long in the aviary, dont knwo if they eat it, or just like to make a mess with it, theres always a little pile of pink dust under it (Laughing out loud), Albert and yayo havent even touched theres but Harry devours his in no time, again, dont knwo if its just the destruction he likes cos theres always a pile of pink dust, but i see him kinda tasting it, he also loves the cuttlefish too

What does the iodine block do for them?

Another thread on the subject re iodine

http://forums.budgiebreeders.asn.au/index....=4799&hl=iodine

I provide them for the birds and leave it up to them. I think they know what they need. My finches attack a cuttlebone and devour it in 3 days, but the budgies just stare at it.

 

mine stare at it too. Land next to it... and dont touch it

I recently got some from Sydney?s beaches we have thousands of kilometres of sand where I live and the birds just love fresh cuttlebone you can smell the salt in the fresh cuttlebone

My birds go thru about 1 Kg a month they just love it

:

I givethem the cuttlebone, and i also provide everyone with a mineral block in the shape of an orange.

 

They love that thing!!!! they eat a bit, and it lasts 3 weeks to a month.

Blinkie has an iodine bell and a cuttlebone in a yellow mineral block. He nibbles the iodine one quite often, haven't seen him touch the cuttlebone/mineral thingy though.

I've always given them cuttlefishbone and they love it - the girlies seem to like it more than the boys, not sure why.

 

I give them iodine blocks too, but they never last very long! They get destroyed / nibbled away very quickly. Which reminds me, I need to get them a new one.... think I'll get the bigger aviary sized block this time!

 

I like to think that they get all the minerals they need from their veg and fruit but I think the iodine and cuttlefish are always good to have in a cage, and they enjoy picking them apart too. These are the only mineral blocks I've ever used.

The girlie need all that minral and calciumfor the eggs...

 

Boys don't need to care about producing strong eggs...

 

i think that is the reason...