NUTRITION
RAW WHOLE FOOD GUIDE.
ARTICLES.
SPECIAL
NOTES.
Compiled by:
Andersen, F.,
Crean, J.,
Shaheen, D.,
Stewart, D.,
Stewart, E.
We recommend washing all fruit thoroughly, whether organic or conventional, in a 25%-50% mixture of Veggie Wash © and cool water. For most fruits, soaking them in this mixture for 5-10 minutes followed by a quick scrubbing and rinsing will clean produce sufficiently.
Diced fruit may be placed in a sealed container for up to 5-7 days to minimize daily effort.
For birds 1-6 months of age, we recommend two feedings of 1 cup each daily which is sufficient for most aracaris.
For birds over 6 months of age, we recommend the fruit mixture daily but one feeding of 2 cups which is sufficient with additional enrichment as one sees fit.
For training and reinforcement, halved blueberries are usually suitable or quartered (domestic) grapes. Cubes of cantaloupe or honeydew melon have also been used successfully and are easy to manage during sessions.
For breeding birds, we recommend adding more greens to the diet when parents are feeding chicks. We also recommend adding a second feeding to the daily regimen to be sure fresh food is always available to parent birds. Live food in the form of medium-sized crickets and/or waxworms may also be provided to breeding birds, especially in the first week of chick feeding.
Supplements that are appropriate include coconut oil, a fantastic source of medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) which is a bioavailable source of energy. We also use decaffeinated black tea sprinkled on food every other day which contains tannins that block the absorption of iron by the liver, therefore preventing hemochromatosis, or iron storage disease, a disorder common to toucans, mynahs, starlings, and some related taxa. We also strongly propose the brewing of teas for additional health benefits. You can read more about tea blends for birds here.