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
