Why are minerals important in bird feed?
 
Bird fanciers usually pay too little attention to a correct level of minerals for their birds. It is so that the traditional seed blends contain insufficient minerals to meet the needs of our birds. A bird's body is made up of over 5 % minerals. These minerals are mainly present in the skeleton and muscles. The daily provision of all the minerals in the correct proportions is essential for good health. Deficiencies of one or more minerals may result in serious health problems.
 
The nutritional minerals may be divided into macro- and microelements.
The macroelements are the minerals that must be administered in relatively high concentrations via the food. The most important minerals are calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, sodium, potash, sulphur and chlorine. Calcium is a particularly important mineral because it forms the main component of the skeleton and the eggshell and is moreover essential for the correct functioning of the nerve cells (brain function!) and muscle cells. As the calcium content in the traditional seed blends is much too low, calcium deficiency or "hypocalcaemia" is also one of the most common nutritional disorders in birds. Depending on the time and the breed of bird this disorder may become evident in different forms: decalcification of the skeleton, curvature of the bones (S-shaped curvature of the sternum or crooked legs in young birds), spontaneous fractures of bones, egg-binding or poor egg shells. Epileptic fits ("calcium tetany") are typical for the African greys (or redtail parrots) as a result of the disturbed stimulus conduction in the brain. Consequently it is also extremely important that birds also have appropriate sources of calcium available in addition to their seed blend. Take account of the fact that hens need to use a large proportion of their calcium reserves for laying eggs. One egg represents 20 % of the total calcium reserves in canaries. During the breeding seasons it is particularly of utmost importance to ensure that the animals absorb sufficient calcium.
 

Microelements or trace elements are minerals that only have to be present in the feed in very small concentrations ("traces"). Nevertheless a correct provision of these elements is also very important: their presence is essential in various metabolic processes. The main trace elements are cobalt, zinc, iodine, molybdenum, manganese, iron, copper and chrome. In bird veterinary medicine iodine deficiency is a frequent problem in parakeets. Iodine deficiency causes abnormalities to the thyroid gland. In many breeds of bird this causes respiratory disorders and difficulty breathing as a result of pressure from the swollen thyroid gland on the windpipe.   When discussing the minerals in bird feed we must certainly not forget the importance of grit. It is of the utmost importance that birds regularly have small stones available to them. These stones end up in the gizzard and play an important role there in crushing the seeds. The gizzard in birds has a grinding function that can best be compared with the function of teeth in mammals. For correct grinding function it is necessary for grit to be constantly present in the gizzard. In the absence of grit digestive disorders often occur, in which complete grains are found in the faeces as a result of the inadequate grinding capacity of the gizzard. Birds should consequently have a constant supply of minerals, trace elements and grit. These essential nutritional elements can be found in the various products on the Orlux Mineral Line.   A dedicated bird owner will ensure that his birds always have these products available. This is not only a good habit but also essential to keep the birds in good health.     TOP   Back to the previous question.   Continue to the next question.   Back to the overview of all questions.