Mineral stones and sepia for sharpening parrots’ beaks
Many people choose feathered pets for home keeping. Decorative birds have good intelligence and delight owners with their perkiness, beautiful plumage and ringing voice.
Parrots are often kept in houses and apartments. In order for your feathered friend to live a relatively long time and not get sick, it is necessary to create proper care for the bird and select a healthy menu. The parrots’ diet should contain not only grains, vegetables and fruits, but also special supplements rich in vitamin and mineral complexes . Some of these additives to the food of birds are sepia and mineral stone .
In the article we will look at why birds need mineral stones, their necessity and benefits, the composition and description of the stones, sepia, how to install them in a cage and accustom birds to them.
Why do birds need minerals?
For the full development of the organism of ornamental birds, minerals must be added to the diet. These substances promote the proper formation of the skeleton, strengthen the beak, normalize the functioning of the digestive system and support other vital functions of the body of birds.
With a lack of minerals, the development and growth of birds is slowed down, the plumage process worsens, and molting occurs.
What is sepia and its benefits for birds
Sepia is another important addition to a parrot’s diet. It is crushed crumbs of desalinated and compressed parts of sea mollusks – skeleton, bones, shell, which contain large amounts of calcium, mineral complexes and vitamins.
Positive properties of sepia for parrots and other birds:
strengthens the pet’s skeleton and bones;
helps in the formation of eggs;
improves the condition of feathers, makes the plumage shiny;
promotes proper metabolism in the body;
used by birds to grind and strengthen the beak.
Features of mineral stone (block)
Mineral stones are blocks containing useful vitamins and mineral complexes: iron, calcium, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus, etc. According to the recommendation of experts, such a supplement should always be freely available to parrots.
By regularly consuming mineral stone, birds not only enrich the body with all the necessary microelements, but also use it to grind down the horny part of the beak and relieve stress.
Types and composition
Sepia and mineral stones are produced by many well-known pet food manufacturers. These products may vary in quality and composition of components.
Optimal composition of mineral supplement:
clay;
river sand;
chalk;
wood ash;
crushed egg shells;
bone flour;
glycerophosphate and calcium gluconate;
table salt.
How to choose the right one
When choosing bird food, owners are advised to carefully study the composition of the product. Mineral supplements can contain from 1 to 13 beneficial elements. Pay special attention to the amount of iodine; it is beneficial for birds, but only in moderation. An overdose of this element in the body can lead to very dangerous consequences for the health of the pet.
What else to look for when choosing bird food:
Product form. Manufacturers create mineral supplements in different forms – round, square, in the form of fruits, etc. Which product will be convenient for a parrot will become clear only during use.
Stone size. You can take a small piece for testing. In the future, it will be easier for you to determine the optimal size of the mineral, taking into account the activity of the parrot and the number of birds in the cage.
Product color. It is not recommended to choose bright mineral stones. As a rule, such a product contains dyes and other unnatural components that are best not included in the diet of a feathered resident.
Best before date.
A large selection of high-quality mineral stones and sepia for poultry is presented on our website. In the catalog you can also choose healthy food, cages and other accessories for the care and comfortable living of parrots and other feathered representatives in your home.
Installation of mineral stone and sepia in a cage
Mineral fertilizer must be installed correctly in the cage, providing the pet with free access to it. It is best to hang a stone or sepia from the perch where the parrot often sits, or from the upper bars of the cage, correctly calculating the height of the feeding that is convenient for the bird.
Some manufacturers complete their products with a special bracket holder for mounting in a cage. If there is such an element in the box, you can hang it with its help, but first, check to see if there are any sharp ends of the bracket that could injure the bird.
If there is no fastening element, the owner can make it himself using a plastic tie or strong thread. Plastic fruit holders are also successfully used for attaching mineral fertilizers.
How to accustom a bird to feeding
Not all decorative birds show immediate interest in a new accessory in their home. The parrot may even get a little scared at the sight of a large hanging stone, and will stay away from it for some time. But you shouldn’t worry, sooner or later curiosity will overcome fear, and the parrot will definitely try the healthy supplement!
Some parrots, having tried mineral nutrition, refuse to use it, which may be due to the excessive hardness of the product. You can try replacing the fertilizer with another, more porous one, and finely crush the pebbles rejected by the parrot and mix them with the grain mixture.
Birds quickly become accustomed to sepia and mineral pebbles if these products are regularly given in crushed form in combination with the main food. Having tried the tasty and healthy supplement, the parrot will independently begin to chew on the tied pebble and even use it to play or “calm its nerves” in stressful situations.
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