Bird Nutrition and Feeding Flashcards
seed eaters example
cardinal
fruit eaters example
parrot
nectar eaters example
hummingbird
carnivores example
owls, hawks
beak
no teeth, swallow food whole
crop
bottom of esophagus, storage organ
proventriculus
similar to stomach, produces acid
gizzard
grinds up food
why does a bird have rocks in the gizzard?
to grind up their food, functions as teeth
cecum
birds have 2 (ceca)
contains microorganisms that digest things the bird couldn’t
cloaca
equivalent of human’s rectum
2 methods of feeding
human foods
pellet method
advantages of human food method
no special food to buy
can offer variety (environmental enrichment)
disadvantages of human food method
waste food, eat favorites
more prep time
short spoilage time
do birds eat dairy products?
yes, even though they don’t produce lactase
advantages of pellet method
mixes everything together, can’t pick out favorites
can’t spoil
disadvantages of pellet method
lack of variety
might not like if used to other food
cooking can damage vitamins, have to provide more to account for loss
problems with seed diet, specifically sunflower seeds
they aren’t a balanced diet on their own
birds can get addicted to them
why should you feed a bird oyster shells/limestone
the acid dissolves it, providing calcium
is it save to feed uncooked rice to birds?
yes, they will grind it in the gizzard
why should you hand feed a baby bird?
to connect with them/provide socialization
2 things feed needs to be when hand feeding
precise temperature and humidity
moist
tube feeding advantages
better measure of consumption
faster and cleaner
spoon feeding advantages
cheaper
may seem “nicer”
2 important things to do/look for when hand feeding
need to feed every 2 hours in first week
birds should double weight in 1st 5 days
potential problems with hand feeding (3)
aspiration of food
beak deformities
crop burns (if food is too hot)
