birdsandbotanical - Tumblr blog

[birdsandbotanical]

Transparency With Parrot Food Manufacturers

There's been a significant rise in the expectation of transparency between pet food manufacturers and the general public. Dog food manufacturers, for example; have AAFCO, feeding trials, and an array of nutrient digestibility charts, base nutrient expectations, and sanitary guidelines to follow which a lot of brands then openly share with the public. These standards help pet parents make more active choices in what they feed their pets, tailor their pets diet to meet their individual needs, trust that their food meets a base line of nutrition, and that the food was produced in a sanitary manner. The dog food industry is far from perfect and even these regulations have their flaws and the tests aren't without fault but it is a good base for us to compare to when we're trying to sort out what we want from other pet food manufacturers. In this case I'm focusing on parrot pellet manufacturers.

I had a few different goals heading in to this.

I wanted to see how transparent pellet manufacturers would be with sharing information that is common to ask dog food manufacturers (information is not confidential, revealing formulas, secrets, etc.)

The availability of nutrient analysis charts (breakdowns of how much of each nutrient is in their pellets)

What standards parrot food manufacturers held themselves to

If any feeding trials were performed on their pellets

And to preface this with my own bias, I am pro-pellet, I currently feed pellets.

Before we get too deep in to this let's break things down a bit.

As it stands there really aren't any regulating bodies above parrot food manufacturers as far as I could find. There doesn't seem to be much of any standards when it comes to their sanitization or product quality, the best you get is the FDA/ CFIA which basically just make sure a food isn't outright toxic. As it stands there haven't been enough studies done on parrot nutrition for there to be a governing body stating what the minimum nutrient requirements are for parrot food, we simply do not actually know what those requirements are yet so there cannot be a set standard for it. This unfortunately leaves us open to a lot of problems, if there's no nutritional requirements and no standardized testing then we're really just putting a lot of trust in to a company that wants to turn a profit. We're hoping that the food that says it's nutritionally complete is what it says with no evidence to show for it, and no science to confirm it.

So with that said no parrot food can actually claim to be "100% nutritionally complete", we do not know what nutritionally complete looks like for parrots, there is no science to back up those claims.

So I set out and emailed every parrot pellet manufacturer I could think of and asked them the some questions.

"Does your company do feeding trials? If so, is that data available to the public anywhere?"

"Do you have a nutrient profile available?"

Feeding trials are very simply a test where you feed a set of animals exclusively one diet and then monitor them to see if the food is capable of providing the base essential nutrients needed to live. Usually they do blood work, urine and fecal alongside regular physical exams to monitor things like nutritional deficiency, ailments, and nutrient digestibility. This helps show that a food is capable of providing what the target animal needs to survive without causing health problems and provides vital information on what amount of vitamins/ minerals in the produced food are actually being digested and absorbed. These tests are common among well-known dog food companies and most are more than willing to share that data to give their consumers peace of mind with easy transparency.

And let me tell you I am beyond disappointed at what happened when I asked parrot food manufacturers the exact same thing.

TOPs: No nutrient profile listed on the website, does have a detailed breakdown of why every single ingredient was added though. Happily discloses that parrot nutritional science doesn't have all the data to claim any food as 100% nutritionally complete and advises for the feeding of fresh foods in addition to their food, didn't specify exactly how much of each to maintain optimal nutrition.

I emailed them three times and never got a response back from any of them.

Harrisons: Does say you can feed 20% vegetables by weight while the pellet should be 75%, has an easily available nutrient analysis on their website.

also emailed three times with no response back.

Caitec: no nutritional analysis listed on their main website, website did not state how they want their product to be fed, product packaging states that veggies should be a treat/ addition and lists the pellet as a "complete diet".

emailed three times with no response back.

Lafeber: Primarily promotes mixed seed and pellet formulas, doesn't state any risks of parrot's selective consumption (study on that problem), does promote the feeding of fresh produce in conjunction with their formulas at 20% of the diet, no nutrient analysis on their website.

emailed three times with no response back.

Zupreem (Compana Pet Brands): did respond back but they phrased their response in a way to dance around the subject, after some pushing they confirmed they do not do feeding trials. Encourages use of fresh foods with their formula, at least 60% pelleted diet recommended. Had an extremely small nutrient profile that just skipped over the important nutrient requirements like the Ca:Ph. I asked for a nutrient profile which they did not want to provide but were able to tell me that the naturals pellets have 0.59% calcium

Roudybush: Says fresh foods can be fed but "as a minor part of the diet", does say that science doesn't have enough information to make a product tailored to each species of bird, did make changes to their formula recently to remove menadione in favour of alfalfa due to it's potential toxicity. does seem to be evolving as science progresses. Ingredients list wasn't listed on the website, nor was a nutrient profile.

did not reply to any emails.

Tropican (HARI): I was hopeful for this one by the way their website boasts about their feeding trials and research. So so hopeful.

Talks about doing feeding trials openly on their website, recommends 70% pellet to 30% fresh foods (by caloric content not weight) but mentioned that their birds eat 100% pellets. Easily accessible albeit basic nutrient profile but it covers the main things.

After my email Mr. Hagen actually ended up calling me and what I was hoping would be a motivating call ended up being very hostile. Whenever I asked questions about data or results of a feeding trial I was immediately shut down, the topic was changed, I was interrupted mid-sentence over and over again. I was able to get small tidbits of info that were as vague as "we've fed multiple generations of birds on this food" and "we do annual weigh-ins". He would casually mention data from a study he had done but then dart away if I asked for the name of the study so I could read it later. It was an extremely off-putting phone call. Completely unwilling to say how many birds were in a trial, how many years the trial went on for, if there was bloodwork or nutrient digestibility charts, nothing at all. He also casually mentioned that once the birds are old enough they get sold to stores which was very unnerving to me.

So I guess they maybe do legitimate feeding trials but they will under no circumstances offer that data to the public? I don't know. They wouldn’t provide any published articles or data to actually prove that the trials exist and I will definitely not be contacting them again to find out. They suggested I was trying to steal their formula and lying about my identity. I'm not going to try to get a simple answer out of them again.

Mazuri: recommends 20% fresh foods 75% pellets, nutrient profile available on the website.

did not reply to any emails.

Pretty Bird: Does not do feeding trials, prompt to reply, at least knew what a feeding trial was. Couldn't find feeding recommendations on the website, no nutrient profile aside from the generic guaranteed analysis having a few add-ons but still skipping on the important nutrients you'd want to know about.

Kaytee: Did not know what a Feeding Trial was. Thought I wanted samples and offered me a coupon. I had to explain to this animal food manufacturer what a feeding trial was. Unsurprisingly they do not do feeding trials. Website had no listing of a nutrient analysis. Recommended 70-90% pellets to some fresh foods. In their own published article they went over how damaging seed diets are for parrots but then they also sell seed-only diets with the ingredients they were specifically bashing in their own article. When I asked for a nutrient profile this is what I was given:

"Nutrient levels are calculated based on ingredient data, feed compendium tables and direct diet analysis. Actual levels may vary slightly due to ingredient and analytical variation."

Kaytee exact naturals cockatiel pellet:

"0.4% Calcium 0.2% Available Phosphorus (non-phytate P) 0.1% Magnesium 120 ppm Zinc 140 ppm Iron 700 IU/kg Vitamin D3"

and that's just extremely limited information. I'm glad they were willing to provide something but in comparison to some of the others it's just not a lot of data.

Psittacus: advises for the use of grit in parrots, recommends 100% pellets but says you can feed a minimum of 70% to make room for fresh foods. Their response to feeding trails was really vague: "our products have been evaluated and tested in our centre as well as collaborating centres. This information is for internal use and it is not published anywhere". Wouldn't say what tests were done or elaborate further than that in any way. I then inquired for a detailed nutrient analysis chart saying that Mia's calcium has been a bit of a struggle (since it has been), curious if their brand may have more calcium than the ones Im using now to help her out to which they replied with "our food contains the calcium levels appropriate for him/her". (you literally cannot say that, you haven't run tests on my bird, you haven't worked with my vet regarding my bird, you cannot guarantee a blanket statement like that.). They did offer me a link to this catalogue which has more detailed info on their pellets production and a more thorough nutrient analysis chart.

I am shocked by the responses I received. I am disappointed in parrot food manufacturers. I am frustrated with parrot food regulations.

I knew I wouldn't get much out of these emails since the standards for parrot food are so low but the amount of companies that just pretended not to get my emails or didn't even know what a feeding trial was is ridiculous. The amount of companies that were making claims that science can't back up, or making claims that science actually disagrees with is astounding.

The complete lack of transparency is terrifying.

[birdsandbotanical]

Catio by Lorraine and Adrian Marshall.

Not only is this an extremely beautiful catio, but these dedicated owners could use some help. Most of these cats were once free-roaming indoor/outdoor cats that they brought in and created this wonderful, enriching space for and now the area they live in is trying to force them to tear it down.

If you're up to it, they could use a few more signatures on their petition.

[birdsandbotanical]

Adopt Don’t Shop folks always be like “But you CAN get purebred dogs from rescues/shelters!” and like. I’m sorry, but where do you think those dogs come from? Responsible Breeders that health test their breeding stock & take back puppies when their puppy buyers can no longer look after the dog? NOPE.

Responsibly Bred Dogs Don’t End Up In Shelters. The baseline of responsible breeding is taking back/appropriately rehoming any dog you’ve produced that may need those services AND Health Testing breeding stock (which is DIFFERENT than a clean bill of health from a veterinarian). I’m sorry that I prefer a dog from parents that have good scores on eyes, hips, elbows and breed specific disease, parents that have been proven to be fit for purposes I need my dogs to be able to do. I can’t get that reliably in a shelter dog.

Purebred dogs in shelters/rescues are from irresponsible breeders/owners, backyard breeders, and puppy mills. AND let’s not forget that some rescues even buy purebred dogs AT AUCTION from puppy mills. These animals go EXTREMELY fast in a shelter environment and YES, I get the appeal that you’re getting a breed that you like AND ‘saving a life’ from life in the shelter. But these dogs were not bred with intention other than money, some rescues are giving puppy mills MORE MONEY to continue breeding irresponsibly bred dogs because it benefits them also. they were not put in the shelter system with intention other than money, they exist to make money and for you to give your money for their ‘sob stories’. 

The best way to reduce overpopulation in shelters is to 1.) support the purchase of  dogs from responsible breeders that are health testing breeding stock AND will take dogs back if needed. These dogs NEVER end up in the shelter system and breeders provide amazing resources to puppy buyers 2.) help responsible ownership to become as accessible as possible by promoting low cost spay/neuter and health clinics and further education on responsible ownership.

[birdsandbotanical]

How Can We Do Better By Pacman Frogs?

Pacman frogs (genus Ceratophrys) are one of the most common pet frogs, and for good reason! They’re large, personable frogs that come in a wide variety of morphs and can live up to 10 years. There are eight species in the genus, though only three are common in captivity (C. cranwelli, C. ornata, C. cornuta), as well as a hybrid of C. cranwelli and C. cornuta usually labelled as a “fantasy pacman frog.” Occasionally you may see some of the other species for sale, but not nearly as often. This article focuses on the three most common species of pacman frog, excluding the hybrids.

This article is not intended to be used as a care sheet. Please do further research of your own to figure out the best way to care for your pet pacman frog. 

Visual differences between the three common pet pacman frogs, plus the ‘fantasy’ hybrid (source)

Keep reading

[birdsandbotanical]

his ears be flapping

[birdsandbotanical]

I’ve been wondering how many followers I have of each for awhile, so do me a favor and let me know on this post whether you keep freshwater, saltwater, or brackish aquariums

[birdsandbotanical]

Here’s a tiny nudibranch I found in my 4g reef! I observed him under a microscope for awhile, but unfortunately he’s of the Montipora eating variety. He’s the only one I found though, and despite his coral munching habits he made my day. Such cool little creatures.

[birdsandbotanical]

Awesome, thank you so much!!

Help with stocking my 125

So! My 125g is almost ready to go, the cycle is just about complete.

My current fish split between 40g are:

- ocellaris clown

- blue damsel

- three stripe damsel

- three spot domino damsel

- algae blenny

- skunk cleaner shrimp

Does anyone have any suggestions for fish or inverts to add? It’s a FOWLR tank

@letsgetsalty I was hoping you might have some insight

[birdsandbotanical]

Help with stocking my 125

So! My 125g is almost ready to go, the cycle is just about complete.

My current fish split between 40g are:

- ocellaris clown

- blue damsel

- three stripe damsel

- three spot domino damsel

- algae blenny

- skunk cleaner shrimp

Does anyone have any suggestions for fish or inverts to add? It’s a FOWLR tank

@letsgetsalty I was hoping you might have some insight

[birdsandbotanical]

I’ve been wondering how many followers I have of each for awhile, so do me a favor and let me know on this post whether you keep freshwater, saltwater, or brackish aquariums

[birdsandbotanical]

BIG NEWS

hello all 2 of my followers, I am finally posting here again! I am in the process of moving my 30 gal and 10 gal salt tanks into a nice 125g FOWLR! Yay!!!!

This has been a long time coming and frankly I’ve been a terrible pet parent this past year. I really let my depression get on top of me and unfortunately my animals suffered for it. I managed to rehome my hermit crabs over the summer which was the right move, they deserved someone who could give them their full attention and I managed to find an INCREDIBLE adopter, so very happy with how that turned out.

Anyway, with 2020 literally hours away in my area, I know that this new year needs me to recommit myself to my first love, animals. I’ve managed to find a really great therapist who has been helping me get through my depressive episodes and helping me find ways to manage it so that I don’t fall into the cycle of neglect with my pets. My aquariums have suffered the most, so I am so very happy to announce that they will be getting a major upgrade that will not only give them more space, but a better life in general. The 125g is still in its beginning cycling phases, but pictures will be coming in the next few weeks!

Wishing everyone a very happy new year, and may 2020 be your best year yet! And please remember that no matter how far you’ve fallen, it’s never too let to get out of that hole. You’re worth it, I promise.

[birdsandbotanical]

[birdsandbotanical]

Oh my god, food extract is not the same as an essential oil.

Food extract is the flavoring of something cooked down into a carrier oil or alcohol that is safe for human ingestion.

Essential oil is the pure extract of the plant refined down and distilled for concentrated medicinal purposes to a significantly higher strength than simply adding ground up mint leaves to your water. The two are not comparable in any way.

Cinnamon extract and cinnamon essential oil are not the same thing.

One is about 100 times the strength of the other and can also cause acute organ failure. I’ll give you a hint, it’s not the food extract.

Sweet gods I’m not trying to be mean, I want you to be aware and safe and stop putting yourselves and others at risk. Please.

[birdsandbotanical]

This made me laugh so hard

[birdsandbotanical]

Unwinding after a long day

[birdsandbotanical]

Ohhhhhh that’s a sandy boy