The first thing to be said about Quaker nutrition should be that we
are fooling ourselves if we think we know what they truly need. What we
know about their dietary needs is based on stomach contents evaluations
by naturalists, observations of feeding in the wild, psittacine dietary
research, and long term breeders' experiences.
Thankfully, the practice is no longer tolerated, but during and prior to
the 1800s, it was common practice for naturalists studying wild birds
to capture some, kill them, and examine their stomach contents to gain
insight into their diet. Though horrific in general, this practice
provided modern keepers with valuable dietary information specific for
various species. Contents found in Quakers' stomachs were the
following: Seeds, fruits and buds, grains, fruits, considerable other
"green" plant material, insects, larvae, and "earth". This illustrates
what every Quaker owner who offers a varied diet likely knows already.
They are truly omnivores in the wild. Of note, and contrary to popular
thinking, most journals consistently noted dirt, sand, and grit as
common crop contents for not only Quakers, but the majority of species
studied.
Observations of Quakers feeding in their natural habitat are limited.
However, accounts of dietary choices by modern Quakers near humans in
South America and feral populations in the US are more thorough. Again,
the observations have been that Quakers are very diverse omnivores.
They have been reported to prefer seed and grain available from feeders
and cultivated fields, but they have also been found to be partial to a
diverse diet including pretty much everything in a home garden, unripe
fruit, and insects, and they have even been seen picking through trash
cans.
Though interesting, stomach contents analysis and wild feeding
observations get us no closer to a Quaker's dietary needs. In certain
other species who have a large part of their diet based on a certain
food, such as the Hyacinth macaw and palm nuts, one may be able to make
some rough estimates of nutritional needs. But with the impressively
omnivorous Quaker, it is far from possible to translate these
observations into meaningful information that can direct us towards
their dietary needs.
Disclaimer:
What follows is a simplification of vertebrate metabolism as it applies
to the Quaker diet, and it is not intended to be, by any means,
complete. Much has been omitted for simplicity and to more clearly
illustrate concepts.
Macronutrients and Micronutrients:
Over 99% of all foods (not counting the indigestible portions) are
comprised of the 3 basic nutritional building blocks of protein,
carbohydrates, and fats. These, understandably are termed macronutrients and are where pretty much all the calories come from. The rest of what any creature eats (and actually uses) are termed micronutrients and include a myriad of substances such as vitamins, minerals, and the like.
Proteins:
Proteins are comprised of 16-30 "essential" amino acid building blocks
depending on the species in question. "Essential" means that the animal
is unable to build them itself and MUST ingest them to achieve adequate
nutrition. It is not known how many the Quaker needs, but it is likely
similar to other psittacines such as the Budgie that require 23. Most
are readily available in adequate amounts in common diets. However,
lysine, methionine, tryptophan, arginine, and threonine have been
identified as being at risk for not being present in sufficient amounts
in common diets. They are used to build the vast majority of body
tissues and, hence, become extremely important in the laying hen,
rearing parent, growing chick and developing adolescent Quaker. One key
to proper nutrition is to offer an approximate percentage of the diet
as protein in keeping with what is required by the species AND to offer
an appropriate balance of these amino acids.
Even if the protein content of a diet is extremely high, the body cannot
make needed proteins unless all the required building block amino acids
are available and in the proportions needed. So one must look beyond
the "% protein" listed on a label. Since we don't know exactly what
amino acids are "essential" for Quakers, it is probably a good practice
to offer numerous different protein sources which will all have
different amino acid makeups in an attempt to "hedge our bets" and
provide a wide array of amino acids. Also, care should be taken to make
sure good sources of lysine, methionine, tryptophan, arginine, and
threonine are offered. From pellet manufacturer research, we have a
pretty good idea that 10-15% protein is adequate for an adult pet bird.
But how much of an increase is needed for the laying hen, rearing
parent, growing chick and developing adolescent Quaker is not known.
Good sources of the troublesome amino acids lysine, methionine,
tryptophan, arginine, and threonine are (in decreasing order of amount
of amino acids per dollar) animal protein, sunflower seed, canary seed,
peas, spinach, soybeans (specifically tofu), brewer's yeast, and wheat
germ.
Carbohydrates:
Carbohydrates are sugars and starches. Sugars are quick fuel and
starches are sugars linked together in long, long chains. When linked
together like this, they require less water and are more easily stored
compactly. They can also be quickly broken down into sugars for fuel.
Thus, they are ideally used as a short term energy storage device.
There is minimal difference between different types of starches. So the
type and source is not very important as there is no such thing as an
"essential" carbohydrate as pretty much all animals can construct the
needed carbohydrates themselves from whatever carbohydrates they ingest.
So which carbohydrates you choose to feed to your Quaker are not too
important except for what other things the particular carbohydrate
source has as well such as vitamins and minerals.
Animals store only a very small amount of starch. But certain plants may
be as high as 90% starch. Gram for gram, carbohydrates provide the
same energy (calories) as proteins and half as much as fats. From
pellet manufacturer research, we have a pretty good idea that 65-75%
carbohydrates is adequate for an adult pet bird. But how much of change
is ideal for the laying hen, rearing parent, growing chick and
developing adolescent Quaker is not known.
Fats:
Fats are composed of fatty acids which are basically oils and greases.
When linked together by glycerides, they become fats as we know them
under our skin. When a food is evaluated for "fats" it is really the
total of all fats and fatty acids oils and greases). They are twice as
dense with calories as proteins and carbohydrates, but cannot be broken
down quickly. Thus, they are an ideal long term energy storage device.
Fats are common in animal foods, while fatty acids are more likely to
be found in plant foods.
There are several types of fats and fatty acids such as saturated fat,
unsaturated fat, trans fatty acids, and "essential" fatty acids.
"Essential" fatty acids are known of in most vertebrate species.
Linoleic acid is the only one that is known for sure, though others may
exist as well. But we are just beginning to learn about these in
ourselves and it is very unclear what a Quaker may need. Similar to the
approach with essential amino acids, it is a sound idea to offer
several fat sources to allow a greater chance of providing the essential
fatty acids as we have no idea what these may be in the Quaker.
Moreover, fat sources rich in linoleic acid should be favored which
include safflower seed, sunflower seed, and non-tropical vegetable oils
of all kinds.
From pellet manufacturer research, we have a pretty good idea that
15-20% fat is adequate for an adult pet bird. An increased demand for
the laying hen, rearing parent, growing chick and developing adolescent
has been determined. But the amount of this increase is anyone's guess.
What we do know is that the essential fat choline, which is similar in
function to vitamins, is in great demand in all growth situations.
Fortunately, it is readily available in almost all diets except those
extremely low in fat.
Macronutrient Interchangeability and Total Caloric Intake:
Though it is imperative to consume "essential" amino acids and
"essential" fatty acids in their small requirements, the overall
breakdown of what percentage protein, carbohydrates, or fats there are
in a particular diet (within reason) is less important. This is because
animals have evolved to do a pretty good job of using what they eat and
converting it to what they need. Generally speaking, it is the overall
caloric intake that leads to fat accumulation and NOT a high fat or
high carbohydrate diet.
Proteins can be converted to fats and stored or converted to
carbohydrates and burned as fuel. Carbohydrates can be converted to
proteins for growth or to fats for storage. Fats can be converted to
most amino acids (proteins) for growth or converted and burned as fuel
along similar metabolic pathways as carbohydrates are burned.
To illustrate, let's consider a person who needs 2000 calories a day as
their "ideal" caloric intake based on their height and weight. If that
person eats a 20% protein/20% carbohydrate/60% fat diet of 2000 calories
a day (like some native Alaskans do), they will remain thin because the
body will need all 2000 calories to "run the machine". It will break
down the ingested fats to fuel and NOT store them. Conversely, a person
who consumes a 30% protein/60% carbohydrate/10% fat diet of 3000
calories a day (like many did during the "count the fat grams" rage),
will have an extra 1000 calories their body doesn't need. If they don't
exercise it off, the body will store it as fat for the next famine.
Again, this is a result of evolution. Similarly, someone who eats a 40%
protein/10% carbohydrate/50% fat diet of 3000 calories a day (as many
Adkins followers do) will also have an excess 1000 calories they don't
need and may gain weight instead of lose it. The point is that it is
the overall caloric intake that supercedes the macronutrient breakdown
in importance when considering weight gain.
Fatty Liver Disease and Dietary Fat:
One of the main concerns with a Quaker's diet is fatty liver disease.
FLD is not a liver disorder in and of itself, but is the end result of a
Quaker who has been overfed chronically. When the body has too much
fuel, it stores fat. When the regular abilities to handle fat storage
are overwhelmed, fat is deposited in the liver causing FLD, liver
failure, and sometimes death. The same thing happens in humans, but is
generally not fatal. After reading the previous paragraph, it should be
clear that it is NOT merely a diet too high in fat, but a diet too high
in calories that is the true culprit. It is true that a gram of fat
has twice the calories as a gram of protein or carbohydrate. So a bird
ingesting the same VOLUME of a high fat diet will get more calories.
However, a Quaker that eats only sunflower seeds but takes in the normal
amount of calories it needs will have no problem. But a Quaker who
gorges on pasta daily and never gets fat in the diet is at high risk for
FLD. It is a matter of calories consumed vs. calories used just like
in dieting humans ... diet and exercise. The Quaker with FLD is the
equivalent of a human with morbid obesity. However, in humans death can
only result as a complication of obesity while in Quakers the obesity
itself can prove fatal.
Vitamins and Minerals:
Vitamins and minerals are micronutrients. A human can get far more than
their daily requirement by taking a 5 gram pill each day. This
represents 0.005% of a large human's body weight. If we made a similar
pill for a 100 gram Quaker, it would weigh 0.005 grams which is the
approximate weight of a large grain of sand. So we're talking about
miniscule amounts ingested. However, as small as these requirements
are, a deficiency will often be fatal.
Most vitamins are classified as co-enzymes. Enzymes are specific
proteins that each make a specific metabolic pathway work. Vitamins can
be viewed as the "key" for many of these enzymes and enzymatic
pathways. Without the vitamin to "unlock" the enzyme and let it work,
the metabolic process halts. If the particular process is vital, the
organism dies. The laying hen, rearing parent, growing chick and
developing adolescent have an increased requirement for vitamins A, D3,
and E. Good sources of vitamin A are carrots, yams, red peppers, and
greens of all kinds. (especially spinach) Vitamin D3 will be addressed
below, but good natural sources are fish oil, liver, and egg yolk. Good
sources of vitamin E are safflower and sunflower oils and seeds and
soybeans. (specifically tofu)
Vitamins are of two types ... water soluble and fat soluble. Water
soluble vitamins cannot be stored in the body and will be lost in the
urine on a daily basis. So they must be taken on a continuing basis to
remain in adequate amounts. Fat soluble vitamins, however, can be
stored in fat cells within the body. This proves to be a double edged
sword. On one hand it is good as 3 of these 4 are those in highest
demand during breeding and growth, so they are unlikely to become
deficient unless the diet is downright horrible. However, since the
body can accumulate them, they are among the highest risk for vitamin
toxicity. Over supplementation will most often result in toxicity of
fat soluble vitamins.
Mineral function is more varied. Some act as co-enzymes similar to
vitamins while others are very important in absorption of other
micronutrients. Still others function to stabilize membranes or
scavenge free radicals. A unique mineral in psittacines is Calcium
which is discussed below. The laying hen, rearing parent, growing chick
and developing adolescent have an increased requirement of calcium and
phosphorous. There are a number of other good sources of calcium and
phosphorous, but none are better than cuttlebone.
Ritchie, Harrison and Harrison's "Avian Medicine" lists 13 essential
vitamins and 12 essential minerals for psittacines. However the
surrounding explanatory text is repetitive with the clear message that
we do not know with any certainty what true psittacine requirements are
in general ... let alone a species specific requirement such as the
Quaker. As it is difficult (but not impossible) to cause vitamin or
mineral toxicity, most avian vets recommend a powdered vitamin and
mineral supplement daily.
Calcium, Phosphorous, Vitamin D3, and Sunlight:
Vitamin D3 is required for adequate absorption of both calcium and
phosphorous. So a diet with adequate or even an abundance of calcium
and phosphorous in the breeding hen or growing chick will be worthless
without vitamin D3 to allow the bird to absorb them. Vitamin D3 is not
available in any significant amount in any natural diet. However, all
psittacines can manufacture the precursor to vitamin D3
(7-dehydrocholesterol) themselves. It is secreted by the uropygial
gland during preening where it is exposed to sunlight. UV rays then
convert it to vitamin D3 and it is ingested during later preening.
Poultry studies suggest that as little as 11 minutes of direct sunlight
may be adequate to accomplish this! So, any Quaker that does not have
access to direct sunlight (not counting through windows which can filter
out the UV rays) should be supplemented with either a powdered vitamin
or a pelleted diet or it is at risk for calcium or phosphorous
deficiencies. Over the course of laying a clutch, a hen may lay as much
as 3% of her body weight in calcium alone! This great need for calcium
and phosphorous during breeding makes this issue absolutely critical
for breeders as calcium changes from a micronutrient to a macronutrient
for laying hens.
Early Psittacine Nutrition Research:
In the beginning, knowledge about psittacine nutritional needs was
limited. It was based primarily on stomach contents evaluations by
naturalists long ago and what little observational information that was
available on wild feeding habits. There has been a fair amount of
research done on psittacine diets since that time.
Along the vein of early dog and cat pellet research, most initial
efforts focused on macronutrient (protein, carbohydrate, and fat)
requirements. The starting point came from the poultry industry. They
were light years ahead primarily because they were well funded being a
huge commercial industry and were "married" to many veterinary medical
schools where research money and equipment were available.
Results were varied, but the following ranges were eventually deemed reasonable for maintenance in pet psittacines:
Proteins 10-15%
Carbohydrates 65-75%
Fats 15-20%
Researchers then turned to the micronutrients, amino acids, and
essential fatty acids. But the sheer number of nutrients needing
evaluation (100+) and the significant increase in cost to study these
miniscule components of foods was staggering. Rather than evaluating
proteins, carbohydrates and fats in grams, they were evaluating vitamins
and minerals in milligrams and parts per million! So efforts in these
areas have been largely ineffective. Those micronutrients that have
been studied the best are calcium, phosphorous, vitamin D3, vitamin A,
vitamin E, linoleic acid, and some of the amino acids. Fortunately
these are some of the most important ones. As mentioned above,
guidelines have been established, but even leading avian medicine texts
caution their readers that these guidelines are extrapolated from
poultry studies.
Research is ongoing, but the main reason why it has suffered is funding.
As opposed to the poultry industry and the dog and cat food markets,
the parrot market is extremely small. This is not only in numbers, but
in volume. The average dog or cat eats 50 times what the average pet
bird does. So research that led to a wonderful pellet diet breakthrough
would only have 1/50th the profitability. Funding, therefore, has been
limited to very few independent veterinary school projects and studies
funded by pellet companies. In the future, research will be ongoing,
but it should be slow.
Pelleted Diets:
When we first began breeding it was suggested to us that "scientific
research" has shown that the absolute best thing one can offer to any
pet bird is a pellet diet. More specifically, we were encouraged to
offer 100% pellets which we did initially. The purported advantages of
an all pellet diet are as follows:
- lower cost
- less work
- minimal risk of spoilage
- avoidance of birds picking and choosing seeds they like from a seed or soft food mix
- "ideal" nutrition based on science
However, we learned a few things from some very helpful breeders and our
avian vet during our first year or two that made us reconsider this
approach. (we also had ZERO babies)
Most pellet studies are NOT scientifically sound in nature, essentially
none have specifically addressed Quakers, and precious little is
available that has NOT been funded by pellet companies or parties with a
financial interest in their outcome. So the cautious reader would take
their results with a grain of salt. Moreover, most of the studies
either focus on comparing one pellet preparation to another to see which
level of this or that did better or focus on comparing pellets to an
all seed diet. In my research I only found one independent study
(meaning not funded by pellet companies) that directly compared pellets
and a "good" seed diet with added "good" soft food. The study found no
difference.
In most species, including humans, instinct plays a role to help adjust
an animal's intake according to their individual nutritional needs at
any given time. Therefore, allowing a bird some degree of free choice
to enable their instinct to help guide their nutrition seems like sound
practice to many Quaker breeders including ourselves.
Our Diet:
We offer a dry seed mix that we mix ourselves, germinated seed that we
mix ourselves, and a soft food that we make ourselves as well as having
pellets in the cages 24/7.
Parrot beaks are made to crack seed and anyone who has ever owned one
will tell you they absolutely LOVE it! The dry seed mix was adopted
from Bob Nelson who has used it for decades. By using the FDA's
information on nutrient content of foods (i.e. the individual seeds in
the mix) and a little math I calculated the protein, carbohydrate and
fat content of this seed mix. It matches the protein, carbohydrate and
fat content of Roudybush pellets almost EXACTLY! It has 0.5% more
protein, 0.5% more carbohydrates, and 1% less fat than the Roudybush
preparation. We feed 1/8th cup of this per breeding pair each morning.
At this amount, they pretty much consume it all which avoids the
problem of birds picking and choosing certain seeds in a mix.
To allow our parents a fair amount of free choice and a little "fun" in
mealtime, we also offer daily soft food. Each breeding pair gets a
heaping tablespoonful each morning.
32oz long grain brown rice (it comes in this size)
20oz mixed 15 bean soup mix (it comes in this size)
5 cups water
Combine these in a LARGE pot, bring to a boil,
simmer for 25 mins and then turn off the heat.
32oz frozen corn (it comes in this size)
16oz frozen peas (it comes in this size)
Add these to the pot, mix thoroughly, and let stand for about 15 mins.
We will often substitute another frozen veggie such as mixed veggies for
half of the corn to vary this a bit.
While waiting the 25 then 15 mins above, chop up 12 cups of a fresh
variety of fruits and vegetables into Quaker sized niblets. These
should be at least 3/4 veggies and the fruits should be not quite ripe.
These are some of our birds' favorites.
Apples Green beans Rhubarb
Pears Carrots Broccoli
Mango Yellow squash Green peppers
Papaya Zucchini Yellow peppers
Cranberries Citrus Rinds Red peppers
Blueberries Jalapenos Yams
Bean sprouts Spinach Tofu
As soon as the frozen veggies have stood for 15 mins, add the chopped
fruits and veggies and drain the excess water. Immediately divide this
into portions and freeze those not immediately used. This recipe will
make about 30 cups of soft food. As we have many birds and feed this to
all our pets as well, it lasts a week for us. We divide it into 7
portions. One is served right away, one is placed in the refrigerator
for the next day and 5 are frozen for the rest of the week.
There are breeders who frown on freezing soft food citing that nutrients
are lost. However, human nutrition research indicates that nutritional
loss during freezing is minimal as long as the freezing takes place
quickly. Moreover, nutritional loss from cooking fruits and vegetables
is large and on the order of 10 to 20 times that of freezing. The soft
food is left in the cage for only 4-6 hours to avoid spoilage. Though
it rarely lasts more than 2-3 hours as they absolutely love it.
In breeding season we also offer 1/4 cup germinated seed per breeding
pair in the evenings. Our custom mix was also stolen (with permission)
from Bob Nelson. It has a slightly higher fat content, but is only
offered in breeding season when the breeders need a higher caloric
intake to meet the needs of their chicks. The advantages of geminated
seed are 2 fold. First, it is a very high protein food. When a seed
germinates, it transforms carbohydrates to proteins in preparation of
the new plants growth. The protein available is in the form of amino
acid building blocks and is VERY available nutritionally. Many sees
will double or triple their protein content at germination. When the
plant actually sprouts, then this becomes cellulose and is not
digestible. So the key is to offer it when the shoot is just breaking
out of the seed. The other great advantage is that germinated seed says
"time to breed" to Quakers as it is only available in quantity in the
Spring when breeding in the wild begins. So it acts as a wonderful
stimulus to breed for our birds. The germinated seed stays overnight as
it is a live food and has all the natural defenses against bacteria and
fungi that germinating seeds in the wild have.
The first thing to be said about Quaker nutrition should be that we are
fooling ourselves if we think we know what they truly need. What we
know about their dietary needs is based on stomach contents evaluations
by naturalists, observations of feeding in the wild, psittacine dietary
research, and long term breeders' experiences.
Thankfully, the practice is no longer tolerated, but during and prior to
the 1800s, it was common practice for naturalists studying wild birds
to capture some, kill them, and examine their stomach contents to gain
insight into their diet. Though horrific in general, this practice
provided modern keepers with valuable dietary information specific for
various species. Contents found in Quakers' stomachs were the
following: Seeds, fruits and buds, grains, fruits, considerable other
"green" plant material, insects, larvae, and "earth". This illustrates
what every Quaker owner who offers a varied diet likely knows already.
They are truly omnivores in the wild. Of note, and contrary to popular
thinking, most journals consistently noted dirt, sand, and grit as
common crop contents for not only Quakers, but the majority of species
studied.
Observations of Quakers feeding in their natural habitat are limited.
However, accounts of dietary choices by modern Quakers near humans in
South America and feral populations in the US are more thorough. Again,
the observations have been that Quakers are very diverse omnivores.
They have been reported to prefer seed and grain available from feeders
and cultivated fields, but they have also been found to be partial to a
diverse diet including pretty much everything in a home garden, unripe
fruit, and insects, and they have even been seen picking through trash
cans.
Though interesting, stomach contents analysis and wild feeding
observations get us no closer to a Quaker's dietary needs. In certain
other species who have a large part of their diet based on a certain
food, such as the Hyacinth macaw and palm nuts, one may be able to make
some rough estimates of nutritional needs. But with the impressively
omnivorous Quaker, it is far from possible to translate these
observations into meaningful information that can direct us towards
their dietary needs.
Disclaimer:
What follows is a simplification of vertebrate metabolism as it applies
to the Quaker diet, and it is not intended to be, by any means,
complete. Much has been omitted for simplicity and to more clearly
illustrate concepts.
Macronutrients and Micronutrients:
Over 99% of all foods (not counting the indigestible portions) are
comprised of the 3 basic nutritional building blocks of protein,
carbohydrates, and fats. These, understandably are termed macronutrients and are where pretty much all the calories come from. The rest of what any creature eats (and actually uses) are termed micronutrients and include a myriad of substances such as vitamins, minerals, and the like.
Proteins:
Proteins are comprised of 16-30 "essential" amino acid building blocks
depending on the species in question. "Essential" means that the animal
is unable to build them itself and MUST ingest them to achieve adequate
nutrition. It is not known how many the Quaker needs, but it is likely
similar to other psittacines such as the Budgie that require 23. Most
are readily available in adequate amounts in common diets. However,
lysine, methionine, tryptophan, arginine, and threonine have been
identified as being at risk for not being present in sufficient amounts
in common diets. They are used to build the vast majority of body
tissues and, hence, become extremely important in the laying hen,
rearing parent, growing chick and developing adolescent Quaker. One key
to proper nutrition is to offer an approximate percentage of the diet
as protein in keeping with what is required by the species AND to offer
an appropriate balance of these amino acids.
Even if the protein content of a diet is extremely high, the body cannot
make needed proteins unless all the required building block amino acids
are available and in the proportions needed. So one must look beyond
the "% protein" listed on a label. Since we don't know exactly what
amino acids are "essential" for Quakers, it is probably a good practice
to offer numerous different protein sources which will all have
different amino acid makeups in an attempt to "hedge our bets" and
provide a wide array of amino acids. Also, care should be taken to make
sure good sources of lysine, methionine, tryptophan, arginine, and
threonine are offered. From pellet manufacturer research, we have a
pretty good idea that 10-15% protein is adequate for an adult pet bird.
But how much of an increase is needed for the laying hen, rearing
parent, growing chick and developing adolescent Quaker is not known.
Good sources of the troublesome amino acids lysine, methionine,
tryptophan, arginine, and threonine are (in decreasing order of amount
of amino acids per dollar) animal protein, sunflower seed, canary seed,
peas, spinach, soybeans (specifically tofu), brewer's yeast, and wheat
germ.
Carbohydrates:
Carbohydrates are sugars and starches. Sugars are quick fuel and
starches are sugars linked together in long, long chains. When linked
together like this, they require less water and are more easily stored
compactly. They can also be quickly broken down into sugars for fuel.
Thus, they are ideally used as a short term energy storage device.
There is minimal difference between different types of starches. So the
type and source is not very important as there is no such thing as an
"essential" carbohydrate as pretty much all animals can construct the
needed carbohydrates themselves from whatever carbohydrates they ingest.
So which carbohydrates you choose to feed to your Quaker are not too
important except for what other things the particular carbohydrate
source has as well such as vitamins and minerals.
Animals store only a very small amount of starch. But certain plants may
be as high as 90% starch. Gram for gram, carbohydrates provide the
same energy (calories) as proteins and half as much as fats. From
pellet manufacturer research, we have a pretty good idea that 65-75%
carbohydrates is adequate for an adult pet bird. But how much of change
is ideal for the laying hen, rearing parent, growing chick and
developing adolescent Quaker is not known.
Fats:
Fats are composed of fatty acids which are basically oils and greases.
When linked together by glycerides, they become fats as we know them
under our skin. When a food is evaluated for "fats" it is really the
total of all fats and fatty acids oils and greases). They are twice as
dense with calories as proteins and carbohydrates, but cannot be broken
down quickly. Thus, they are an ideal long term energy storage device.
Fats are common in animal foods, while fatty acids are more likely to
be found in plant foods.
There are several types of fats and fatty acids such as saturated fat,
unsaturated fat, trans fatty acids, and "essential" fatty acids.
"Essential" fatty acids are known of in most vertebrate species.
Linoleic acid is the only one that is known for sure, though others may
exist as well. But we are just beginning to learn about these in
ourselves and it is very unclear what a Quaker may need. Similar to the
approach with essential amino acids, it is a sound idea to offer
several fat sources to allow a greater chance of providing the essential
fatty acids as we have no idea what these may be in the Quaker.
Moreover, fat sources rich in linoleic acid should be favored which
include safflower seed, sunflower seed, and non-tropical vegetable oils
of all kinds.
From pellet manufacturer research, we have a pretty good idea that
15-20% fat is adequate for an adult pet bird. An increased demand for
the laying hen, rearing parent, growing chick and developing adolescent
has been determined. But the amount of this increase is anyone's guess.
What we do know is that the essential fat choline, which is similar in
function to vitamins, is in great demand in all growth situations.
Fortunately, it is readily available in almost all diets except those
extremely low in fat.
Macronutrient Interchangeability and Total Caloric Intake:
Though it is imperative to consume "essential" amino acids and
"essential" fatty acids in their small requirements, the overall
breakdown of what percentage protein, carbohydrates, or fats there are
in a particular diet (within reason) is less important. This is because
animals have evolved to do a pretty good job of using what they eat and
converting it to what they need. Generally speaking, it is the overall
caloric intake that leads to fat accumulation and NOT a high fat or
high carbohydrate diet.
Proteins can be converted to fats and stored or converted to
carbohydrates and burned as fuel. Carbohydrates can be converted to
proteins for growth or to fats for storage. Fats can be converted to
most amino acids (proteins) for growth or converted and burned as fuel
along similar metabolic pathways as carbohydrates are burned.
To illustrate, let's consider a person who needs 2000 calories a day as
their "ideal" caloric intake based on their height and weight. If that
person eats a 20% protein/20% carbohydrate/60% fat diet of 2000 calories
a day (like some native Alaskans do), they will remain thin because the
body will need all 2000 calories to "run the machine". It will break
down the ingested fats to fuel and NOT store them. Conversely, a person
who consumes a 30% protein/60% carbohydrate/10% fat diet of 3000
calories a day (like many did during the "count the fat grams" rage),
will have an extra 1000 calories their body doesn't need. If they don't
exercise it off, the body will store it as fat for the next famine.
Again, this is a result of evolution. Similarly, someone who eats a 40%
protein/10% carbohydrate/50% fat diet of 3000 calories a day (as many
Adkins followers do) will also have an excess 1000 calories they don't
need and may gain weight instead of lose it. The point is that it is
the overall caloric intake that supercedes the macronutrient breakdown
in importance when considering weight gain.
Fatty Liver Disease and Dietary Fat:
One of the main concerns with a Quaker's diet is fatty liver disease.
FLD is not a liver disorder in and of itself, but is the end result of a
Quaker who has been overfed chronically. When the body has too much
fuel, it stores fat. When the regular abilities to handle fat storage
are overwhelmed, fat is deposited in the liver causing FLD, liver
failure, and sometimes death. The same thing happens in humans, but is
generally not fatal. After reading the previous paragraph, it should be
clear that it is NOT merely a diet too high in fat, but a diet too high
in calories that is the true culprit. It is true that a gram of fat
has twice the calories as a gram of protein or carbohydrate. So a bird
ingesting the same VOLUME of a high fat diet will get more calories.
However, a Quaker that eats only sunflower seeds but takes in the normal
amount of calories it needs will have no problem. But a Quaker who
gorges on pasta daily and never gets fat in the diet is at high risk for
FLD. It is a matter of calories consumed vs. calories used just like
in dieting humans ... diet and exercise. The Quaker with FLD is the
equivalent of a human with morbid obesity. However, in humans death can
only result as a complication of obesity while in Quakers the obesity
itself can prove fatal.
Vitamins and Minerals:
Vitamins and minerals are micronutrients. A human can get far more than
their daily requirement by taking a 5 gram pill each day. This
represents 0.005% of a large human's body weight. If we made a similar
pill for a 100 gram Quaker, it would weigh 0.005 grams which is the
approximate weight of a large grain of sand. So we're talking about
miniscule amounts ingested. However, as small as these requirements
are, a deficiency will often be fatal.
Most vitamins are classified as co-enzymes. Enzymes are specific
proteins that each make a specific metabolic pathway work. Vitamins can
be viewed as the "key" for many of these enzymes and enzymatic
pathways. Without the vitamin to "unlock" the enzyme and let it work,
the metabolic process halts. If the particular process is vital, the
organism dies. The laying hen, rearing parent, growing chick and
developing adolescent have an increased requirement for vitamins A, D3,
and E. Good sources of vitamin A are carrots, yams, red peppers, and
greens of all kinds. (especially spinach) Vitamin D3 will be addressed
below, but good natural sources are fish oil, liver, and egg yolk. Good
sources of vitamin E are safflower and sunflower oils and seeds and
soybeans. (specifically tofu)
Vitamins are of two types ... water soluble and fat soluble. Water
soluble vitamins cannot be stored in the body and will be lost in the
urine on a daily basis. So they must be taken on a continuing basis to
remain in adequate amounts. Fat soluble vitamins, however, can be
stored in fat cells within the body. This proves to be a double edged
sword. On one hand it is good as 3 of these 4 are those in highest
demand during breeding and growth, so they are unlikely to become
deficient unless the diet is downright horrible. However, since the
body can accumulate them, they are among the highest risk for vitamin
toxicity. Over supplementation will most often result in toxicity of
fat soluble vitamins.
Mineral function is more varied. Some act as co-enzymes similar to
vitamins while others are very important in absorption of other
micronutrients. Still others function to stabilize membranes or
scavenge free radicals. A unique mineral in psittacines is Calcium
which is discussed below. The laying hen, rearing parent, growing chick
and developing adolescent have an increased requirement of calcium and
phosphorous. There are a number of other good sources of calcium and
phosphorous, but none are better than cuttlebone.
Ritchie, Harrison and Harrison's "Avian Medicine" lists 13 essential
vitamins and 12 essential minerals for psittacines. However the
surrounding explanatory text is repetitive with the clear message that
we do not know with any certainty what true psittacine requirements are
in general ... let alone a species specific requirement such as the
Quaker. As it is difficult (but not impossible) to cause vitamin or
mineral toxicity, most avian vets recommend a powdered vitamin and
mineral supplement daily.
Calcium, Phosphorous, Vitamin D3, and Sunlight:
Vitamin D3 is required for adequate absorption of both calcium and
phosphorous. So a diet with adequate or even an abundance of calcium
and phosphorous in the breeding hen or growing chick will be worthless
without vitamin D3 to allow the bird to absorb them. Vitamin D3 is not
available in any significant amount in any natural diet. However, all
psittacines can manufacture the precursor to vitamin D3
(7-dehydrocholesterol) themselves. It is secreted by the uropygial
gland during preening where it is exposed to sunlight. UV rays then
convert it to vitamin D3 and it is ingested during later preening.
Poultry studies suggest that as little as 11 minutes of direct sunlight
may be adequate to accomplish this! So, any Quaker that does not have
access to direct sunlight (not counting through windows which can filter
out the UV rays) should be supplemented with either a powdered vitamin
or a pelleted diet or it is at risk for calcium or phosphorous
deficiencies. Over the course of laying a clutch, a hen may lay as much
as 3% of her body weight in calcium alone! This great need for calcium
and phosphorous during breeding makes this issue absolutely critical
for breeders as calcium changes from a micronutrient to a macronutrient
for laying hens.
Early Psittacine Nutrition Research:
In the beginning, knowledge about psittacine nutritional needs was
limited. It was based primarily on stomach contents evaluations by
naturalists long ago and what little observational information that was
available on wild feeding habits. There has been a fair amount of
research done on psittacine diets since that time.
Along the vein of early dog and cat pellet research, most initial
efforts focused on macronutrient (protein, carbohydrate, and fat)
requirements. The starting point came from the poultry industry. They
were light years ahead primarily because they were well funded being a
huge commercial industry and were "married" to many veterinary medical
schools where research money and equipment were available.
Results were varied, but the following ranges were eventually deemed reasonable for maintenance in pet psittacines:
Proteins 10-15%
Carbohydrates 65-75%
Fats 15-20%
Researchers then turned to the micronutrients, amino acids, and
essential fatty acids. But the sheer number of nutrients needing
evaluation (100+) and the significant increase in cost to study these
miniscule components of foods was staggering. Rather than evaluating
proteins, carbohydrates and fats in grams, they were evaluating vitamins
and minerals in milligrams and parts per million! So efforts in these
areas have been largely ineffective. Those micronutrients that have
been studied the best are calcium, phosphorous, vitamin D3, vitamin A,
vitamin E, linoleic acid, and some of the amino acids. Fortunately
these are some of the most important ones. As mentioned above,
guidelines have been established, but even leading avian medicine texts
caution their readers that these guidelines are extrapolated from
poultry studies.
Research is ongoing, but the main reason why it has suffered is funding.
As opposed to the poultry industry and the dog and cat food markets,
the parrot market is extremely small. This is not only in numbers, but
in volume. The average dog or cat eats 50 times what the average pet
bird does. So research that led to a wonderful pellet diet breakthrough
would only have 1/50th the profitability. Funding, therefore, has been
limited to very few independent veterinary school projects and studies
funded by pellet companies. In the future, research will be ongoing,
but it should be slow.
Pelleted Diets:
When we first began breeding, it was suggested to us that "scientific
research" has shown that the absolute best thing one can offer to any
pet bird is a pellet diet. More specifically, we were encouraged to
offer 100% pellets, which we did initially. The purported advantages of
an all pellet diet are as follows:
- lower cost
- less work
- minimal risk of spoilage
- avoidance of birds picking and choosing seeds they like from a seed or soft food mix
- "ideal" nutrition based on science
However, we learned a few things from some very helpful breeders and
from our avian vet during our first year or two that convinced us to
reconsider this approach.
Most pellet studies are NOT scientifically sound in nature, essentially
none have specifically addressed Quakers, and precious little
information is available that has NOT been funded by pellet companies or
parties with a financial interest in their outcome. The cautious
reader would take the results with a grain of salt. Moreover, most of
the studies either focus on comparing one pellet preparation to another
to see which level of this or that were better in which pellet; or they
focus on comparing pellets to an all seed diet. In my research, I only
found one independent study (meaning not funded by pellet companies)
that directly compared pellets and a "good" seed diet with added "good"
soft food. The study found no difference.
In most species, including humans, instinct plays a role to help adjust
an animal's intake according to their individual nutritional needs at
any given time. Therefore, allowing a bird some degree of free choice
to enable their instinct to help guide their nutrition seems a sound
practice to many Quaker breeders, including ourselves.
Our Diet:
We offer a dry seed mix that we mix ourselves, germinated seed that we
mix ourselves, and a soft food that we make ourselves as well as having
pellets in the cages 24/7.
Parrot beaks are made to crack seed, and anyone who has ever owned a
parrot will tell you they absolutely LOVE it! The dry seed mix was
adopted from Bob Nelson, who has used it for decades. By using the
FDA's information on nutrient content of foods (i.e. the individual
seeds in the mix) and a little math, Scott Doak calculated the protein,
carbohydrate and fat content of this seed mix. It matches the protein,
carbohydrate and fat content of Roudybush pellets almost EXACTLY! It
has 0.5% more protein, 0.5% more carbohydrates, and 1% less fat than the
Roudybush preparation. We feed 1/8th cup of this per breeding pair
each morning. At this amount, they pretty much consume it all which
avoids the problem of birds picking and choosing certain seeds in a mix.
To allow our parents a fair amount of free choice and a little "fun" at
mealtime, we also offer daily soft food. Each breeding pair gets a
heaping tablespoonful each morning.
32oz long grain brown rice (it comes in this size)
20oz mixed 15 bean soup mix (it comes in this size)
5 cups water
Combine these in a LARGE pot, bring to a boil,
simmer for 25 mins and then turn off the heat.
32oz frozen corn (it comes in this size)
16oz frozen peas (it comes in this size)
Add these to the pot, mix thoroughly, and let stand for about 15 mins.
We will often substitute another frozen veggie such as mixed veggies for
half of the corn to vary this a bit.
While waiting the 25 then 15 mins above, chop up 12 cups of a fresh
variety of fruits and vegetables into Quaker sized niblets. These
should be at least 3/4 veggies and the fruits should be not quite ripe.
These are some of our birds' favorites.
Apples Green beans Rhubarb
Pears Carrots Broccoli
Mango Yellow squash Green peppers
Papaya Zucchini Yellow peppers
Cranberries Citrus Rinds Red peppers
Blueberries Jalapenos Yams
Bean sprouts Spinach Tofu
As soon as the frozen veggies have stood for 15 mins, add the chopped
fruits and veggies, and drain the excess water. Immediately divide this
into portions and freeze those not immediately used. This recipe will
make about 30 cups of soft food. As we have many birds and feed this to
all our pets as well, it lasts a week for us. We divide it into 7
portions. One is served right away, one is placed in the refrigerator
for the next day and 5 are frozen for the rest of the week.
There are breeders who frown on freezing soft food, citing that
nutrients are lost; however, human nutrition research indicates that
nutritional loss during freezing is minimal as long as the freezing
takes place quickly. Moreover, nutritional loss from cooking fruits and
vegetables is large and on the order of 10 to 20 times that of
freezing. The soft food is left in the cage for only 4-6 hours to avoid
spoilage. Though it rarely lasts more than 2-3 hours as they
absolutely love it.
During breeding season, we also offer 1/4 cup germinated seed per
breeding pair in the evenings. Our custom mix was also stolen (with
permission) from Bob Nelson. It has a slightly higher fat content, but
is only offered in breeding season, when the breeders need a higher
caloric intake to meet the needs of their chicks. The advantages of
geminated seed are twofold: First, it is a very high protein food.
When a seed germinates, it transforms carbohydrates to proteins in
preparation of the new plants growth. The protein available is in the
form of amino acid building blocks and is VERY available nutritionally.
Many sees will double or triple their protein content at germination.
When the plant actually sprouts, then this becomes cellulose and is not
digestible. So the key is to offer it when the shoot is just breaking
out of the seed. The other great advantage is that germinated seed says
"time to breed" to Quakers as it is only available in quantity in the
Spring when breeding in the wild begins. So it acts as a wonderful
stimulus to breed for our birds. The germinated seed stays overnight as
it is a live food and has all the natural defenses against bacteria and
fungi that germinating seeds in the wild have.
To round out their diet, cuttle bone is always available, and we add a
powdered vitamin to the soft food daily. This ensures that vitamins are
always present without contaminating the water. Vitamin supplements in
water can put birds off their water and create increased bacterial
growth. Offering cuttle bone in this fashion allows a laying hen to
consume a large amount without forcing a cock to take in a large amount
of calcium as many powdered preparations can. Moreover, many of our
hens break off pieces and keep a stockpile in the nest box for easy
munching while they sit. We've even caught the occasional doting cock
shuttling cuttle bone chunks up to his sitting hen ..... too cute !
Their water is special well water provided by our district of the city.
We route it through a multi-step filtration system before entering the
aviary. We change it twice or three times daily, depending on how messy
the pair is.
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