NUTRITION

We recommend feeding a minimum of 12 different items from the green and/or yellow categories in the color-coded feeding guide above daily. The goal is to minimize the intake of iron and Vitamin C, as Vitamin C increases the liver's uptake of iron. We also do NOT recommend any pelleted diet for iron sensitive species, as we have seen birds that consume these succumb to iron storage disease.

We recommend washing all fruit thoroughly, whether organic or conventional, in a baking soda solution of 1 tbsp per liter water for 15 minutes followed by a light scrub (or agitation for small items like berries and grapes). For most fruits, soaking them in this mixture 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. We recommend the Lock and Lock containers with the blue rubber seal and snaps on all 4 sides of the containers to keep fruit fresh. 

For the smaller species 2-6 months of age, we recommend two feedings per day of 1-2 cups each daily, depending upon how much of the diversity is consumed within the first few hours. If most or all of the food is consumed, a half cup more can be added to the morning feeding. This can all be doubled for the larger species.

For the smaller species over 6 months of age, we recommend the fruit mixture daily but one feeding of 1-2 cups dependent upon how much food is consumed in the first few hours. Some birds may have higher activity levels and may need more food so adding in increments of 2 tbsp will help gauge how much food is actually needed. 

At least 3 times per week, live insects should be added to the diet. Feeding live mealworms is one of the best options but diversifying with the occasional waxworms or crickets is also highly beneficial. In our opinion, live insects are a required part of the diet and should NOT be seen as optional. Once or twice a week, some defrosted frozen peas added to the food will deliver additional plant proteins.

For training and reinforcement, halved blueberries are usually suitable as are quartered (domestic) grapes. 

For breeding birds, we recommend adding greens to the diet when parents have laid their first egg through the time they 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, mealworms and/or waxworms should also be provided to breeding birds daily, especially in the first week of chick feeding.

Supplements should include whole food powders like the Hemo Helper powder available through biobirdblends.com.  This includes whole food powders like decaffeinated black tea, milk thistle, and other items specifically for liver support and to stave off iron storage disease.  This should sprinkled on food every other day so these tannins can block the absorption of iron by the liver, therefore preventing hemochromatosis, a disorder common to toucans, mynahs, starlings, and some related taxa. We also strongly propose brewing teas for additional health benefits, especially the Free & Clear Tea, which is specifically formulated for these species and available at biobirdblends.com. This should be offered daily and replaced with clean, filtered water late afternoon/evening.