Hi, FeatherHarp!
Thank you for your compliment on our aviary! Your kind words are very much appreciated!
To answer your questions, we offer the Spirulina on occasion. The reasons why are: 1) price -- it's not cheap even for us to purchase it; and 2) the diet we offer our birds is already pretty complete from a nutritional perspective.
If you compare the nutrient content of spirulina to that of Miracle Meal, Hearty Bird, Breeders Blend, or Feather Fast, you will see there are few differences. Spirulina is a source of high protein and it does contain a few vitamins, minerals, and amino acids that Miracle Meal, Hearty Bird, etc. do not contain. Likewise, Miracle Meal, etc. also contain some vitamins & minerals that spirulina does not have.
I have heard that those who do offer spirulina to their birds do so because it is an easy way to provide a significant amount of protein to their birds. I agree. It is .... *IF* your birds will eat what you put the spirulina on. That's the key.
Many finches do not consume fish as part of their natural diet -- even in the wild. And spirulina has a very fishy smell to it, which can keep some birds from eating it. As such, the phrase "a little dab will do ya" is definitely something that relates to using spirulina. Just a wee pinch added to eggfood or veggies is enough. More than that and the food turns bright green and smells like fish. Take it from experience! Almost ruined a whole batch of eggfood. LOL! It's the same with the Powdered Kelp. It smells fishy and too much of it sprinkled on eggfood or veggies makes the food smell fishy.
Also, if you read the directions on how much spirulina should be offered to birds on a daily basis, it says it should be no more than 1% of a bird's total dietary intake. I don't know about anyone else, but I don't go to the extreme of weighing or measuring all the food we put in cages or the flights. And, since we offer everything to our birds as "free choice," I would have no idea if a bird consumed more spirulina than is recommended.
As for human consumption, all Morning Bird supplements -- and even some of the medications -- are human grade, including the spirulina ... meaning a person could safely consume them without being poisoned. Now, that doesn't mean you should take a bag of Miracle Meal to work with you to snack on during the day, regardless of how tasty it looks.
But, if you wished to add spirulina to your diet, Morning Bird's spirulina would be safe for you to consume.
Michele
