Natural Calcium for Birds

Calcium Sources and Absorbability

Bird Nutrition

Most of us are aware of the serious health issues caused by a calcium-deficient diet, but very few of us understand the risks associated with an EXCESSIVE dietary calcium intake that is generally associated with fortified diets (pellets) and over-supplementation, which may lead to hypercalcemia – also known as “milk alkali syndrome” – which basically means that the calcium levels in the blood are elevated.

Symptoms of Hypocalcaemia (low calcium levels) are:

• Poor eggshell formation
• Poor bone health
• Unhealthy heart
• Seizures
• Nervousness

Symptoms of Hypercalcaemia (elevated calcium levels) are:

• Vomiting
• Constipation
• Abdominal pain
• Lameness
• Calcification of the kidneys
• Breeding Birds: Hens may not be able to lay eggs; or chicks may not be able to break out of shells
• Death

Excellent supplemental sources of calcium for your bird are:

• Leafy, dark green vegetables, such as broccoli, kale, cabbage, mustard greens, broccoli, dandelion greens, bokchoy, parsley, and collard greens
• Beans, such as kidney beans, chickpeas, pinto beans, black beans and soybeans (only to be fed COOKED – raw beans are slightly toxic)
• Dried fruits, such as apricots, raisins and figs – please feed in moderation since they are too high in sugar
• Nuts and Seeds, such as sesame seeds or tahini, almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds and flaxseeds – feed in moderation since most nuts and seeds are high in fat, but they make healthy snacks
• Other: Bone, Cheese, Yogurt; as well as sanitized Eggshell, Oyster shell, Cuttlefish bone, and Mineral blocks

Rich sources of magnesium for your bird are:

• Nuts: almonds, cashews and Brazil nuts
• Seeds: Sunflower, flax, pumpkin and chia seeds
• Legumes: lentils, beans (boiled), chickpeas, peas and soybeans
• Darkgreen, leafy vegetables,such as broccoli and spinach
• Whole grains, such as buckwheat and quinoa
• Apples

Vitamin D

• Fatty fish (like tuna, mackerel and salmon)
• Cheese
• Egg yolks
• Beef liver
• Full-spectrum lighting**
• Access to DIRECT sunlight – window glass absorbs a lot of the necessary ultraviolet radiation needed to form Vitamin D

Gaurav Dhir

Gaurav is an animal enthusiast. He lives in beautiful Ontario with his energetic family. As a part of his work at beautyofbirds.com, he has been working with ace parrot trainer, Cassie Malina to understand bird behavior and learn more about how he can train his feathered companions.

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