braccoli

[Parakeet Girl]

is it ok for parakeets and cockatiels to eat raw broccali. because i gave them a little and they liked it.it was warmed up because it was in my hand but itwas frozen briccali.

[Meghanxx4]

IM pretty sure broccoli is fine for birds... i just checked a list of poisinous foods for bird it wasnt on there so it should be fine.

[Bea]

Raw broccoli is a fav with many birds - you don't even need to warm it up. :)

[BUUZBEE]

Yes, its good for them. Its hight in calcium, so can replace a lot of calcium supliment... but remember as with all foods everything in moderation, as too much calcium can be bad too.

A Study of the Dietary Requirements and Toxic Levels of Calcium and Vitamin D3 in Budgerigars.

A moderately common problem seen in budgerigars and some other species of birds is calcium deposition in the kidney resulting in kidney failure. The cause of this disease has been hypothesized to be either excess calcium or vitamin D3 in the diet. To determine the cause of this disease, groups of budgerigars were fed diets containing various concentrations of calcium and vitamin D3 and allowed to breed. Results of this study showed that budgerigars need less dietary calcium (0.3%) than most other species for growth and egg laying. When dietary calcium concentrations reached 0.7%, mild calcium deposition occurred in nestlings and adults. When calcium concentrations reached 1.5%, death occurred in chicks and adult birds. All seed diets containing less than 0.3% calcium resulted in weak bones in laying hens and their eggs did not hatch. Vitamin D3 concentrations ranging from 500 to 3,300 International Units of vitamin D3 per kilogram of diet did not cause calcium deposition in the kidney as long as diet did not contain more than 0.3% calcium.

This research is important because it shows that budgerigars can only tolerate a narrow range of calcium in their diet. Calcium concentrations in seeds are insufficient, but calcium concentrations found in most pelleted diets will be too high and could be toxic. Therefore, it is necessary to supplement seed diets with some form of calcium, e.g., cuttlebone and if you are going to feed pellets, they should be no more than 25% of what a budgerigar eats. This research also shows that budgerigars can tolerate a wide range of vitamin D3 concentrations in the diet without problems.

[pal0m1n0]

Oh great, another expert to add confusion. :S Too bad the experts can't agree, I have been told by 3 vets that my birds should eat pellets exclusively and now this study says no. How are us non-experts supposed to get it right? Thanks for posting this Buuzbee, it is good to know. :)

[Joey]

Raw broccoli is a fav with many birds - you don't even need to warm it up. :)


Bea you do have to warm it slighly to room temperature...he/she said it was Frozen a bird cannot have frozen food.:D But brocloi is fine my birds love it even the canaries try to tackle it!:D lol all they can eat is the small circulat things at the top they arent strong enough to eat the stem most birds don't.

[Bea]

Oh, i wouldn't use frozen anyway. Fresh broccoli isn't very expensive and i think it would be easier to break off a piece and wash it than defrost a bit.

[clifff123]

You mean I am putting my budgies in danger giving them broccoli everyday???:(
I give them scrambled eggs, shredded carrots, green peas, corn and cut the buds off the broccoli top all mixed together. I do change out the eggs for mashed potatoes often.

[BUUZBEE]

You mean I am putting my budgies in danger giving them broccoli everyday???:(
I give them scrambled eggs, shredded carrots, green peas, corn and cut the buds off the broccoli top all mixed together. I do change out the eggs for mashed potatoes often.


the way i look at is I dont eat the same thing everyday, so I dont make them eat the samething everyday. they get the staples of shredded romaine, carrots & corn, but then I add something different to that everyday. that way you know they are getting a fully balance diet. :D

[BUUZBEE]

Oh great, another expert to add confusion. :S Too bad the experts can't agree, I have been told by 3 vets that my birds should eat pellets exclusively and now this study says no. How are us non-experts supposed to get it right? Thanks for posting this Buuzbee, it is good to know. :)


I cant agree more! before I put my budgies on pellets, i was told off that seed was the worse thing for them (not including all the veggies, fruits & soak mix they get) and that if i wanted them to live long happy lives, put them on pellets. So I do this, then i get told of for that! you really cant win either way!

I have them on 100% pellets, and i give them seed once a week (they go nuts too!) and they get their soak mix daily with their greens etc. I try to make it balanced with different veggies each day.

i think really when it comes down to it, i will go with the knowledge of my avian vet over everyone else, and make sure they get all their greens too :D

[pal0m1n0]

What is a soak mix?

[BUUZBEE]

http://talkbudgies.com/showthread.php?t=2429


omg they will love it!