VITAMINS

By Ron Woodhead
An article from Agapornis News, the Newsletter of: The African Lovebird and Foreign Parrot Society of Qld Inc.

You often hear bird fanciers and avian veterinarians discuss the importance of vitamins. Although life itself is not possible without vitamins, there is not much point in discussing the pros and cons of their use if you are not actually familiar with the various vitamins and what they do for your birds’ health.

We have all seen aviaries which contain a veritable arsenal of containers of vitamin preparations which almost resemble a pharmacy. Vitamins are useful, but they must be used with caution, as too great a dose can be positively dangerous to your birds. (In the case of many vitamins the same danger exists for humans.) Moreover, they should be carefully stored as exposure to strong light will affect them and render them useless. Cod-liver oil, for example, loses its potency in strong light and also becomes rancid.

Preparations should not be kept for too long a period of time. Buy them in quantities that will be used up over a period of months and store them in a cool, dark location.

Vitamin A: Essential for growth, healthy skin and feathers, good fertilization, and prevention of night blindness. Good sources are cod-liver oil, corn, wheat germ, greens, milk and carrots.

Vitamin B-Complex: This group includes some 14 vitamins, most of which can be found in yeast. That is why I often recommend feeding whole wheat bread to cage and aviary birds. Other good sources are cod-liver oil, milk, green food and sprouted seed. The B vitamins promote digestion or carbohydrates, normal growth, and also prevent anaemia.

Vitamin C: Most birds can produce vitamin C in their bodies and it is also found in various vegetables and citrus fruits such as oranges and lemons. Vitamin C promotes resistance to disease and aids in the healing of wounds. Research has shown, however, that some birds such as the Red-eared Bulbul cannot synthesize vitamin C, and it must be provided in their feed.

Vitamin D: Birds can synthesize vitamin D if they have access to ultraviolet light. They can only utilize vitamin D3. Vitamin D2 can’t be converted into D3 in their bodies. Sources of vitamin D include cod-liver oil and milk. Vitamin D is essential for normal development of bones.

Vitamin E: This vitamin promotes fertility and is found in sprouted seed. Wheat seed, when sprouted is especially rich in vitamin E.

Vitamin K: This vitamin is essential for the proper functioning of the liver and for blood clotting. Good sources are green plant parts, liver, roots, soybeans, and various grains. The bird diet requires only extremely small quantities and a good, varied menu will satisfy their needs adequately. There is really no need to furnish a vitamin K supplement.

A whole book could be written on the topic of vitamins. Remember to be sparing in your use of them and remember that many of them are oil based. Thus, if you add them to water, the water dish should be thoroughly cleaned at the end of the day.