Dry Food Mix :: Greyhorse Verterinary New Zealand Limited

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Nutrition for Aviary Birds

Symptoms of Mineral – Vitamin Deficiency in Birds

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Dry Food Mix is a formulated dry feed for all Lorikeets, Honey Eaters, etc. Most breeders appreciate the need for a balanced yet mixed diet, as the way to producing physically large birds that are fit and capable of producing large quantities of fertile eggs, which hatch easily, and grow into sturdy healthy examples of their breed. Good quality fresh fruit should always be available as well as Wild Bird Nectar as the nutritional value of such freshness cannot be provided in any other way.

Some 19 years ago Avian Research Laboratories introduced ORNITHON to the Australian market. This was followed four years later with the introduction of their range of complete dry feed, LORIKEET DRY FOOD MIX & EGG BISCUIT, both complimented by WILD BIRD NECTAR.

We do not need to be shocked again with TV documentaries of starving children from Africa to be reminded of the need for a fully balanced diet. We have all heard about the need for ample carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals and amino acids. As a bird breeder, if we wish to prepare breeding birds capable of producing large quantities of fertile eggs, which hatch easily, and result in chicks on the perch without French moult, we must provide a sound balanced diet for our birds.

Fact: A cage bird’s nutritional needs vary greatly. When at rest a bird burns the equivalent of 20 calories per hour. In normal active flight, this rises to over 1000 calories per hour. Feed analysis of available bird seeds, tell us that for a variety of reasons, namely a poor growing season, lack of moisture, inadequate drying and storage, or even commodity pricing, all frequently influence the potency value of the product. There is a wide variety of available to the bird breeder – the problem lies in being able to tell the difference.

Vitamin A. Depressed growth, weakness, loss of co-ordination, symptoms of respiratory disease, eye and nose discharge, loose white diarrhoea, leg weakness, death in young birds, low hatch ability, lowered resistance to infection, alterations in mucous membranes.
Vitamin D3: Rickets, leg weakness, paralysis, poor feathering, reduced growth, weak bones, poor egg shell formation and hatch ability, possible death. History of either no sunlight and no Vitamin D or only winter sunlight.
Vitamin E: Encephalomalacia, in co-ordination, back peddling, staggering, head turned back, poor reproductive performance. Prolonged Vitamin E deficiency results in permanent sterility in the male and reproductive failure in the female.
Nicotinamide: Poor feathering is a recognised symptom of nicotinamide deficiency. Retarded growth, a tendency to flightiness, enlargement to hock joints, perosis, scaly dermatitis, inflammation of the beak.
Calcium Pantothenate: Ragged rough feathers, depressed growth, high mortality in newly hatched chicks, degeneration of skin around the beak eyes and vent, rough toes & feet.
Cyanocobalamin: Poor growth, mortality in the young, perosis, reduced hatch ability.
Pyridoxine: Poor growth, lack of co-ordination, convulsions, reduced body weight, egg production and hatch ability.
Riboflavine: Curled toe paralysis, retarded growth, diarrhoea, history of poor hatchability.
Thiamine: Poor feathering, loss of co-ordination, tottering gait, which leads to paralysis, loss of appetite, anorexia, polyneuritis.
Ascorbic Acid: Lowered disease resistance in certain cases, and reaction to hot & cold stress. In some cases a potential to scurvy.
Calcium / Phosphorus: These two elements are interdependent, and must be presented in the correct ratio. Both are especially critical in young growing birds for the laying down of good feathering together with sound skeletal and beak formation.
Magnesium: Depressed growth, lethargy, nervous tremors, convulsions and decreased egg production.
Zinc: Brittle, frizzled feathers, frayed at the ends, persistence of juvenile feathers, inability to walk, leg weakness, swollen hocks, shortening and thickening of wing & leg bones, subnormal growth, poor feed utilization, poor feathering, severe dermatitis, loss of appetite. Zinc deficiency in breeder diets reduces egg production and hatchability.
Manganese: Perosis (slipped tendon) clubbed down, retarded body growth, parrot beaks, rounded globular contour of the head and protruded abdomen, nervous disorders. Poor egg production, shell quality and hatch ability.
Iron: In red feathered birds, complete de-pigmentation of the features may occur. Microcytic hypochromic anaemia.
Copper: De-pigmentation of feathers, anaemia, digestive disorders.
Sodium Molybdate: Combined with copper and zinc in metabolic role.
Cobalt: Combined with Cyanocobalamin in metabolic role.
Sodium Ortho Vanadate: Possibly associated with plumage loss, Vanadium promotes growth and alters lipid metabolism.

Birds

>	Anthel Bird & Aviary Wormers
>	Egg Biscuit
>	Lorikeet Dry Feed
>	Ornithon Nutritional & Fertility Treatment
>	Pestene Insect Powder
>	Wild Bird Nectar

Cats

>	Anthel Plus Cat Wormer
>	Anthel Kitten Wormer

Dogs

>	Anthel Dog Wormer
>	Ossol For Calcium & Vitamin Deficiencies
>	Pestene Insect Powder

Farm Animals

>	Exhibit Shampoo
>	Pestene Insect Powder

Horses

>	Electrolyte H Mineral Salts
>	Exhibit Shampoo
>	Pestene Insect Powder