Specialist Bird Feeding Guide
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Specialist bird feeding guide EXCLUSIVE! With complete tables of analysis CONTENTS - Analyses of seed mixtures 4 - Prestige Premium Why enriched seed mixtures for birds? 5 CHIA: a magical seed with special nutritional value for birds 6 The influence of Florastimul® on the bacterial intestinal flora of birds 7 - Birdseeds Seeds 8 Canaries 10 Budgies 12 European finches 14 Suitable mixtures for all finches 16 The unique collaboration between Versele-Laga and Loro Parque 17 Big parakeets 18 Parrots 20 Exotic doves 23 Tropical finches & Aviary birds 24 Germination Seeds 26 - NutriBird Pellets 28 Hand-rearing food 29 Top Tip ! - Classic 30 - Fidelity Club 30 Birds can sometimes have an acquired preference - Versele-Laga also offers 31 for some kinds of seeds. In the interest of the bird, - Website 32 the feed will be rationed. Because Prestige seed - Order form brochures 32 mixtures are very well balanced, they are certainly suitable for rationed feeding. • Less food wastage © no part of this publication may be reproduced without the prior • More balanced diet permission of Versele-Laga nv • Better breeding results Prestige bird food: for years synonymous with top quality Since 1932, Versele-Laga has been a leading company in the The superior quality of Prestige bird foods is the result of field of animal food. Every day, more than 1,250 tonnes of feed subtle interplay between our own research, purchasing, for pets such as birds and pigeons leave our production units. production and distribution departments, under the daily Over 1,000 different products find their way to 75 countries all supervision of our strict quality control: over the world. • Calculation of the most suitable formulas Brands like Prestige, Prestige Premium, NutriBird and • Selection of the best seeds at the production site Orlux are sure to sound familiar to bird fanciers. All these products are the result of many years’ research by our own • Strict control of the seeds supplied nutritionists, in consultation with top breeders, specialised • Cleaning, mixing and packaging using hypermodern avian veterinarians, universities and leading bird parks. It is machinery no coincidence that the largest bird collections in the world choose our products to feed their birds. • Strict quality control of the finished product For basic research, our scientific team has its own Pet • Use of the shortest and quickest distribution route Research Centre, with more than 500 birds ranging from In addition, the Versele-Laga team of nutritionists and canaries to parrots. In this way, through product innovation veterinarians is at the service of bird fanciers on a day-to- they succeed time and time again in staying one step ahead of day basis to provide additional information and breeding the competition. In this folder you will find the results of their advice. efforts: All information from this folder, and lots more besides, • Analyses of the seed mixtures on the basis of hulled seeds you will find updated on our website • Seed mixtures enriched with V.A.M. pellets and chia seeds www.versele-laga.com • Adapted mixtures by season (Prestige Premium) • Adapted mixtures by bird species (Loro Parque mixtures) 3 Analyses of seed mixtures Formulation based on analyses of shelled seeds gives One of the most important conclusions was that the energy new insights and enables composing more balanced bird content of hulled seed mixtures is much higher than that foods. of the total seed mixture. Therefore, a lot of birds eat a ration with a very high energy content. Seed mixtures with a high An important aspect in the evaluation of feed rations for birds content of oil-bearing seeds (rapeseed, niger seed, sunflower is the fact that most birds hull their seeds. Only the seed seeds) appeared to contain up to 55% fat after hulling, which kernel is appreciated, and the hull is discarded. Therefore, no doubt is too much of a good thing and possibly leads to analysis of the composition of the food that is actually eaten obesity in birds with little activity. should involve analysis of the seed kernels and not of the com- plete seed together with its hull. Although this is an obvious When composing seed mixtures, the nutritionists at Versele- fact, until recently scarcely any data were available concerning Laga are the first to formulate on the basis of the food the composition of hulled seed mixtures. elements actually eaten. This is because these data are considerably more important than classic analysis data The nutritionists at Versele-Laga were the pioneers in (composition of unhulled seed mixture) for determining the determining the share of hulls and having the cell kernel nutritional value of a seed mixture. fully analysed for all birdseeds. Versele-Laga is the first to have an extensive computer database, with which not only the analysis of the seed mixtures themselves can be calculated, but also the composition of what the bird actually eats. This valuable information enables us to gain better insights in the dietary requirements of birds and to compose birdseed mixtures on a more scientific basis. At congresses, our R&D team has already presented a number of contributions about this innovative ration calculation methodology. A scientific article about this research was even published in the renowned periodical “The Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition” (89 (2005) 215-221). In this study, a comparison was made between the total analysis and the analysis after hulling for 30 commercial seed mixtures. The findings were also compared with the composition of 27 commercial pellets. Share of hulls (percent) in various seeds 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Oat Millet Cardy Barley Wheat Peanut Walnut Linseed Almond Pine nut Pine Panicum Hazelnut Brazil nut Brazil Pine seed Pine Rapeseed Pecan nut Pecan Paddy rice Paddy Niger seed Hempseed Buckwheat Canary seed Pumpkin kernel Big black rapeseed White sunflower seed sunflower White Striped sunflower seed Striped sunflower 4 Why enriched seed mixtures for birds? In nature, birds eat a number of other things besides seeds. The colour, shape and taste of the V.A.M. pellets, as well as Insects, fruit, herbs etc., these are picked up daily by a bird the quantity incorporated in the various mixtures are care- living in its natural habitat to assure it of the necessary food- fully adapted to the feeding habits of the birds. This ensures stuffs it requires. That is why every successful bird keeper will optimal absorption. At first the birds may hesitate to eat supply along with the standard seed mixtures various supple- these unfamiliar looking pellets. However once they grow mentary products ensuring the supply of vitamins, minerals accustomed to them, they will eat the pellets along with the and amino-acids which are required. seeds. Shortages of certain amino-acids, vitamins and minerals in Moreover the Prestige Premium seed mixtures are completed the daily ration of the bird leads quite often to poor breed- with oystershells and sea minerals. These additions will ing results and diseases. The veterinarians and nutritionists assure a sufficient presence of the essential Calcium and of Versele-Laga developed therefore seed mixtures for birds, a correct Calcium/Phosphorus balance. Moreover a good enriched with V.A.M. pellets. functioning of the gizzard will be assured. V.A.M. pellets are extruded pellets, manufactured by the same process as the very highly praised NutriBird pellets. As is well known, these NutriBird pellets are a complete food. V.A.M. pellets however are very rich in vitamins, minerals and amino acids. They also contain Florastimul® (fructo- oligosaccharides) and a high percentage of proteins and energy. V.A.M. pellets are not a complete food, but a supplement to the seed mixtures. The composition of V.A.M. pellets is based on recent scien- tific studies on the nutritional needs of birds. An analysis of the diagnoses by prominent bird veterinarians provided a list with the most current nutritional deficiencies in birds. By adding V.A.M. pellets to the appropriate seed mixtures, the well-balanced Prestige Premium seed mixtures for birds are obtained. Diseases resulting from nutritional deficiencies are prevented. Nutritional deficiencies in birds Top 5 1. Vitamin A deficiency 2. Calcium deficiency 3. Iodine deficiency 4. Vitamin D deficiency 5. Lysine deficiency Prestige Premium seed mixtures contain extra PRESTIGE food elements required by the bird to remain PREMIUM fit, to breed properly and to deliver excellent = results on exhibitions and competitions. much more than just a seed mixture 5 CHIA: a magical seed with special nutritional value for birds Chia (Salvia hispanica L.) is a small oval seed (2 mm long) with intestines, as a result of which pathogenic bacteria can cause a light-brown colour, with health-maintaining properties that less damage. Unlike other mucilaginous seeds such as linseed, were already discovered centuries ago by the Aztecs and chia does not contain any anti-nutritional factors that Indians. Today, scientific studies confirm that chia supplies impede the effect of vitamin B6. Chia also has a much better many interesting nutrients. As a result, this magical little seed taste and is taken by birds more readily. is currently being “rediscovered” in the world of nutrition and Chia is a good source of high-quality proteins with an is rapidly gaining popularity for humans as well as for animals. excellent amino-acid profile. It should also be noted that chia Chia contains no less then 23% polyunsaturated fatty acids is rich in minerals (including 0.65% calcium). and is the seed with the highest content of omega-3 fatty You will appreciate why this amazing little seed is an excellent acids in the plant world. In addition, the oil from chia is rich in ingredient for the better Prestige Premium seed mixtures for natural antioxidants.