!!!!!!!!!!!!! Is It True !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[billspets]

hello all
just wondering if it is true that you can feed rainbow lorikeets soaked dog biscuits i have read this in several articles and was wondering if anybody does it
regards
bill

[Smiley]

Yes Bill you can..Just make shore it is a good brand..check the fat contents..It is a good sorce of protein for them...I give dry dog food to my birds...Those that eat it...One per day...Dry for them..But yes soaked for your lorys..

[Brad]

I have read alot on here of people feeding dog biscuits to the birds but i have heard it should never be feed to them due to the high iron content in them.overtime the iron deposits itself and the bird can get iron posioning.

Anyone else heard of this?

I cant remember where i read it but im sure it was written by a avian vet.

[fischer]

I've been reading these posts with interest too Brad, now it's time to get controversial and I stress that this is just my opinion ;D. ;D

I have to say strongly that I don't agree with any of the opinions on feeding dog biscuits to birds of any size, soaked or not, I think in the long term its highly depremental to the birds health.

Most, if not all dry dog biscuits, expensive brands included, are high in both sodium (salt) and other minerals, Brad has mentioned just one of them, Iron. Dog biscuits are also high in fat content, all these salts, minerals, and fat are not readily available to birds in the wild and certainly not available to them in the quantities the dog biscuits contain.

Salt... if available to birds in anything but tiny amounts, would have dire effects on a birds health, an unatural amount would ultimately chrystalize in the birds kidneys and cause fits at first then death is inevitable, this result will depend on the birds size and constitution, some birds won't show signs of this for years, some never, but most will in a relatively short time and the result is as mentioned.

Minerals...Some minerals contained in dog biscuits are beneficial to birds, most are not in anything but small to tiny amounts, the result is much the same, only this time effecting the liver of the bird, unable to be totally absorbed into the system, remain and chrystalize, result as above.

Fat... Well I need not dwell on this, we all know the result of too much fat in the diet, we all spend a considerable amount of time and effort trying to limit it in other foods, why feed it in a concentrated form.

Make what you like of these statements, agree or disagree, I've seen the results of improper diets in birds, and dogs, too many times, to sit by and not warn of the consequences of this type of diet.

Hope this gives you all reason to pause and think carefully just what you feed your birds, as I said at the start , this is just my opinion, discussion is what this forum is all about ;D ;D

Ok sermon over... Cheers Tony

[billspets]

hello all
so going on the info that has been put foward i would conclude that it is like most things in moderation is good but as a main part of the diet is bad
regards
bill

[Brad]

I do agree with your opinion fischer.

I have never feed dog biscuits to my birds and never will.
just my opinion.

Being new to the forum i dont want to start any heated debates.

Cheers
Brad

[billspets]

hello all
brad here there is no sutch thing as a heated debate it doesnt matter if you are new or been here from the begining everybody here has a vioce and are encoraged to use it so please feel free to join in
regards
bill

[kim1]

Ok guys I emailed my avian vet on the subject, and his reply was that in small amounts birds may gain some basic vitaminsand minerals from dog food but birds receiving a healthy diet would not need this , another vet I also emailed to get a second opinion also said that it is thought to increase protein intake, but as the protein is animal based rather than plant based it is of little value to the bird.


So in small amounts it doesn't appear to be harmfull, but it really isn't of much importance in a healthy birds diet. There you go, I add it all the time so I won't really bother now unless the bird appears deficient or something like that.

[chickabee]

OK Guys here is another point:

Dog biscuits are for dogs.....if there was to be any benefit from feeding parrots the same type or similar type of biscuit do you not think that the manufactures would have a parrot biscuit, this is what I would be looking for but I have not seen any as of yet, again if your parrots are receiving all the vitamin and minerals that they need why give them the dog biscuits any way, if it is also the need to give them something hard and chewy try natural things like pine nuts and cones etc or big branches with lots of chewy bark on them.....

The salt and fat content is very high in Dog biscuits go try one and you will taste it straight away.....most of us go out of our way not to feed our birds certain seeds, sunflowers come to mind because of their high fat content....even vets will tell you that too many suns are no good...so feeding dog biscuits is a higher concentrate again......

I think the answer here is for all of us to come up with a recipe for making parrot biscuits, then we can put them on the market and make lots of money....what do you think guys ...are you in with me ;D ;D

[kim1]

actually my local pet shop sells fruit flavoured parrot biscuits they are brightly coloured, but the birds hate them, so yes we need to come up with some parrot biscuits, as for the dog food, I guess the occasional one would be no different to the Spaghetti Bolognaise my birds love to eat when we have it for dinner, but I wouldn't feed it to them as an evey day part of there diet. After the response I had back from the vets I'm not going to bother with the dog food.

[AussieBirds]

Brad said:

I do agree with your opinion fischer.

I have never feed dog biscuits to my birds and never will.
just my opinion.

Being new to the forum i dont want to start any heated debates.

Cheers

Brad we encourage debate here at AussieBirds and our motto here is the only stupid opinion is the opinion you don't give so please don't worry about introducing debate on here.
For what it's worth I agree with Tony and Deb on this subject.

John


Brad

[billspets]

well i recon i might have to have a look and make my own any body got any recipts for treats for birds
salt is bad
iron is bad
any body got anything else to watch out for
regards
bill
i will let you know how i go

[hillcresttiels]

Hi Bill i dont know the contents and quantities of salt intake in dog biscuits as i have never used them however i wouldn't cut Iodine totally out of the diet as I do beleive strongly that a lack of a iodine/calcium and protein is a huge major factor in chronic feather plucking incidents and between sprouts,seeds, Mineral bells,cuttlefish/oyster grit and volcanic salt rocks most mineral requirements are covered especially for breeders to produce large healthy unplucked chicks! Strange how the salt rocks i use are hardly touched out of season but once chicks have arrived in the nest they will lick the rocks after every feed and to encourage them i dip the salt rock in their water dish for ease of intake. cheers

Frank

[lovemytiels]

Well Bill, seems you & I posted something on dog biscuits but in different sections lol. What great imput on this subject but I don't think I will personally use dog biscuits as my main concern was the amount of salt & other things in it. If birds need a bit of salt, then I think Frank is on the right track by providing a salt lick. You could be a first Chickabee with Parrot biscuits ;D ;D ;D smart girl. Thanks everyone for this imput. Cheers Anna

[billspets]

hello all
i think the first question that has to be answered is
is flour ok for birds as that is one of the main ingredients in any biscuite
any comments
regards
bill
ha deb if you want i will work with you to put something together to try ?? what do you think

[indy]

My local pet store does stock parrot biscuits, TROPICAN a HAGEN product has been in Australia for about 5yrs now. My Ringnecks love them.

[nova]

I found this on the web but it doesn't sound to healthy to me as u add it to your norm home made cookie mix.
www.feathersnhand.com/nutrition.htm
Heres another...
www.birdsnways.com/birds/rcakes.htm

Applesauce Cookie Bars
Posted by: Cindy Cook - [e-mail] - April 8, 2001
*Note: This is high in vitamin A, calcium and iron.
4 Boxes Jiffy Cornbread Mix
3 bottles baby food banana/yogurt juice
1 jar baby food mango dessert
1 jar baby food sweet potatoes
1 jar baby food squash
2 jar baby food macaroni & cheese
1 jar baby food oatmeal & apples cereal
1 jar baby food diced apples
1 jar baby food carrots
1 egg w/shell crushed
4 jars baby food applesauce

Mix well and pour into pan. Bake on 350* until done. Makes (3) 8" x 11" pans. Cut into long strips and top with applesauce. Thaw as needed. Birds cannot resist this!

[stillsqwarkin]

read all this with a great deal of interest
had heard about the dog food tried the bigger birds majors and corellas very little interest
and and had to give them a good talking to for chasing cars
no seriously
but we do give our birds rock salt in little containers
and in the breeding season it is taken quite well

[hillcresttiels]

Hey S/sqwawking I also keep Salt rocks and find them very acceptible by the birds in breeding season. They will come down and lick them as soon as i have dunked them in the water,i also find its great for their iodine intake and helps with feather pluckers ;D cheers frank