Products - Bird Supplements
Dr Mac’s Dietary Supplements are formulated to enhance
the nutritional value of home made diets that may be lacking
in vital nutrients. Powdered supplements come in 100-200g
containers with a convenient shaker lid that allows you to sprinkle
onto your bird’s food or spoon out specified amounts. These
include:
- Spirulina
- Organic kelp meal
- Pollen
- Calcium carbonate
- Yucca and betaine
- Pisc-E (fish-eater supplement)
Spirulina
What is Spirulina?
Spirulina (spy-rool-ee-na) is a blue-green alga (cyanobacterium)
found in warm, alkaline volcanic lakes. It is a rich source
of protein (65%), containing all essential amino acids and ten
nonessential ones. It is a concentrated sourced of calcium
(0.7%), iron (1,000 mg kg-1) and zinc (30 mg kg-1). Spirulina
is added to all Dr Mac’s Organic Origins products but is
also available as a supplement. Spirulina has numerous
health and nutritional benefits including:
Carotenoids of Spirulina
Spirulina is a valuable source of antioxidants and the
provitamin A carotenoid β-carotene. Birds convert β-carotene to
vitamin A on an ‘as needs’ basis while supplementing
with vitamin A can lead to potentially toxic stores in the liver. Studies
of cockatiels indicate they can convert sufficient β-carotene
from 0.15% spirulina. Other carotenoids include β-cryptoxanthin, zeaxanthin and evercetin. Evercetin possesses
potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Health Benefits of Spirulina
The blue pigment of spirulina, phycocyanin, enhances
the immune system. It inhibits lipid breakdown (peroxidation)
that produces harmful free radicals and acts as a potent free-radical
scavenger. Phycocyanin stimulates bone marrow production
of red blood cells and also regulates production of white blood
cells.
Spirulina is the only green food rich in gamma-linolenic acid
(GLA), which has anti-inflammatory properties. It stimulates
the production of prostaglandins, which regulate growth and function
of the heart, blood and musculature. Cells deficient in
GLA are fragile and subject to a variety of degenerative diseases. GLA
may prevent arteriosclerosis, lowering plasma triglycerides and
LDL cholesterol, while increasing beneficial HDL cholesterol. Spirulina
is also valuable in treating fatty liver.
Calcium Spirulan
Calcium Spirulan (Ca-SP) has potent antiviral properties and
is unique to spirulina. When attacking a cell, a virus
first attaches itself to the cellular membrane. While Ca-SP
does not kill the virus or interfere with adsorption to host
cells, it inhibits replication of several enveloped viruses by
selectively inhibiting the penetration of the virus into host
cells. The virus is stuck, unable to replicate and is eventually
eliminated by the body’s natural defences.
Stimulation of Gut Microflora
Spirulina stimulates the growth of beneficial gut flora. Maintaining
healthy populations of beneficial intestinal flora such as Lactobacillus and Bifidus species
reduces potential invasion from opportunistic pathogens such
as E. coli and Candida albicans.
Calcium Carbonate
Calcium carbonate is used to supplement diets deficient in calcium
such as seeds, insects and organ meat fed to wild birds. Metabolic
bone disease arises when Ca:P ratios are incorrect and insufficient
calcium is available from the diet. Birds develop respiratory
problems and magpies develop soft beaks. Numerous problems
with egg shell quality also arise. Do not oversupplement
with calcium carbonate or the excess will contribute to mineralisation
of vital organs.
Feeding meat to magpies
When feeding carnivorous birds, you need to supplement the organ
meat with calcium
carbonate to represent the calcium they would get in the wild
from feeding on bones. Provide approximately
10g calcium carbonate for every kg of organ meat.
Feeder Insects
When feeding insects to insectivorous birds or reptiles they
should be gutloaded with a diet high in calcium 48 hours prior
to feeding out, and dusted with calcium carbonate with 30 minutes
of feeding out or else insects such as crickets will groom the
calcium carbonate off. High die-off of crickets can indicate
constipation. Always provide free water or fruit/vegetables
high in water.
Pollen
Dr Mac’s Lory/lorikeet Nectar contains high concentrations
of pollen. Pollen is also available as a supplement for
home made diets or as a mixture with spirulina.
Organic Kelp Meal
Iodine deficiencies and goitre are problematic in a number of
budgerigars. Kelp meal is a concentrated source of iodine
and is a valuable supplement for seed-based diets for budgerigars.
Yucca schidigera and Betaine
Yucca is a desert plant native to the USA and Mexico. It
has potent anti-inflammatory properties, acts as a blood purifier
and assists the excretion of bile salts and cholesterol into
the intestine. As a diuretic it is beneficial in the treatment
of gout.
Coccidiosis is a major parasitic intestinal disease associated
with osmotic and ionic disorders of the intestine, causing reduced
performance and mortality. Both yucca and betaine (an
extract from beet pulp) have strong antiprotozoal properties
in poultry. Betaine helps combat osmotic stress, improving
intestinal cell integrity that leads to a reduction in invasion
of cocci in the epithelial lining.
Pisc-E (fish eater supplement)
Dr Mac’s Pisc-E tablets come in large (marine mammals)
and small (marine birds) sizes and are inserted into the gills
of fish. They contain high concentrations of vitamin E,
thiamine (vitamin B1) and spirulina. They are vital for
all animals being fed fish.
Adverse storage conditions and inadequate preparation of fish-based
diets result in loss of key nutrients. Fish should be stored
at –18oC or less, preferably –25--30oC and thawed
at <4oC up to 48 hours before use. Emergency thaws should
be undertaken in plastic bags under cold running water to prevent
the loss of sodium and water-soluble vitamins or important gut
contents.
Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant and minimises damage
to cells from lipid peroxidation. Deficiencies can influence
chick hatchability and survivorship as well as fertility, as
vitamin E is an important component of spermatozoa. Marine
fish contain high levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which
are readily susceptible to attack by molecular oxygen, so frozen
storage of fish results in low levels of vitamin E. Supplementation
with vitamin A is not necessary if feeding whole fish as this
vitamin is concentrated in viscera and liver. Supplementation
with calcium is only necessary if feeding out fillets as this
is present in the skeleton and scales. Dr Mac’s Pisc-E
provides approximately 50mg kg-1 fish (as fed) and should be
fed daily.
B vitamins are water-soluble and are potentially lost
if fish are thawed in water. All fish-based diets require
supplementation with thiamine (B1). Thiaminase (a
mixture of compounds, only some of which are enzymes), is present
in the flesh and viscera of many fish and results in the breakdown
of thiamine. 25mg thiamine kg-1 fish is broken down within
30 minutes, with complete loss in as little as 90 minutes. Dr
Mac’s Pisc-E contain 25mg thiamine kg-1 fish (as fed) and
should be fed daily.
Birds that are the victims of oil spills may require
additional vitamin E supplementation.
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