WHY LOVEBIRDS NEED CELERY
An article from Agapornis News, the Newsletter of: The African Lovebird and Foreign Parrot Society of Qld Inc.
Lovebirds in the wild derive a major source of minerals from natural mineral deposits - soil, bark, palm nuts etc. Lovebirds chew bark and stems, particularly during the nesting season.
Analysis of bark shows it contains more than twice as much calcium as the leaves and other parts of the plant. Lovebirds also consume palm nuts, which can be their major food source. Palm nuts contain 13% protein and 65% fat, and as birds in the wild are far more active than birds in aviaries, seem to “burn off” these high levels of fat.
Minerals for captive birds:-
How important are these minerals to captive birds?
We know zinc is essential for successful breeding. Most aviculturists are aware of a Lovebird’s need for Vitamin E, but most are not aware that Lovebirds cannot absorb Vitamin E unless adequate levels of zinc are present in the diet. A bird receiving inadequate zinc will most certainly have low blood levels of Vitamin E, no matter how much Vitamin E it receives. Unfortunately, most of the zinc in seeds, fruit and vegetables cannot be absorbed by birds.
Zinc is also important for sexual maturity in cocks. Lack of zinc will result in poor growth, poor appetite and delayed or absence of sexual activity in males. Zinc is most important for reproduction. Pumpkin seeds can supply additional zinc.
Sodium is an important mineral often overlooked by aviculturists. Sodium is essential for protein metabolism in birds. Without sodium, birds cannot digest protein. Without sodium they might become cannibalistic towards their young. Sodium deficiencies also interfere with reproduction and can result in reduced egg production. Sodium constitutes 14% of the mineral in an egg. Birds need salt to metabolize protein. Place a celery stick in each cage every day!
Celery has a high sodium content and offsets the sodium deficiency.
Listed below is the sodium content of some foods commonly fed to lovebirds:-
| Food | Sodium (mg/100g) |
|---|---|
| Banana | 1 |
| Corn | 4 |
| Carrot | 40 |
| Apple | 1 |
| Rock melon | 12 |
| Alfalfa sprouts | 6 |
| Celery (raw) | 126 |
| Sweet Potato | 12 |
| Broccoli | 33 |
As you can see, celery is an excellent source of sodium - seeds and fruits are low in sodium.
If food tastes good, you don’t have to starve birds to get them to eat. You can help them get the required minerals they need by selecting foods they like.
