Supplements v. Fresh Food

[rancho2]

I've been reading so much on this forum about fresh versus supplement. My dilemma is I'm not home for about over 12 hrs. a day so leaving 'fresh' food in the cage isn't an option except when I'm not working. And even when I am able to give them all the fresh stuff, the birds, for the most part, are not interested. I have the usual things available to them: cuttle bones, alfalfa/herb salad, eggshell, mineral grit, and a good quality seed + a separate varied seed mix with kelp, bee pollen, and other things in a tray. With this being the case, are vitamin/calcium/water cleaners ok to give them in their water 3, 4, or 5 days a week?

[lovezebs]

rancho2

Regarding fresh foods, as in vegetables etc.
I wouldn't hesitate to have some vegetables washed, chopped and ready in the fridge, and offer a small handful in the morning, before leaving for work. They will probably have it finished before you get home .

As to supplements: Eventhough my guys get fresh veg/fruit daily , I do add a drop or two of liquid multi vitamin to their drinking water every second day or so.

Elana

[rancho2]

thx elana,

the lights are on a timer to go on around 6 am and off about 6:30 and I'm out the door at 6. I used to leave food in the cage and my husband would take it out when he got home but sometimes he'd forget. well, if nothing else they'll get the feast about 3 days a week when I'm home.

[Sally]

Could you set your timers to go on at 5:45am? That way, you could chop up a small amount of veggies the night before, then quickly add them to the cages before you are out the door. It is fine to leave veggies all day.

[rancho2]

that I can do. Thought I'd read different posts that bacteria could be an issue if left out all day.

[lovezebs]

rancho2

There is always bacteria on pretty much everything, the minute it's taken out of the freezer or fridge. I honestly don't worry about it that much. We have bacteria on everything in nature, and all of us have been dealing with it for as long as we've been around, and that most assuredly includes birds.

Leaving a bit of veggies/fruits for a few hours, is not going to hurt your feathered kids. Mine will actually take some limp greens and put them in their bath water to freshen them up, then pull them out later for a snack.

Elana

[rancho2]

hopefully mine will get interested in them. it's always the owls that lead the parade. thx elana

[Sally]

I grew up in an era when we drank tap water, Mom left the butter out all day so it was nice and soft for spreading, we ate the veggies that had probably been sprayed with pesticides, ate in hole-in-the-wall restaurants around the world, and I have a cast-iron stomach. My fellow crewmembers who were especially finicky were the ones who always seemed to get sick. My personal philosophy is that we build up some immunity by being exposed to things, and I think it is the same with my birds. Though I'm not going to try to deliberately poison them, I don't baby them either.

[rancho2]

sounds good to me!

[lovezebs]

Sally

Oh so right Sally.
I've heared in the last few years, how important and healthy it is for kids to play outside and in the dirt (like we used to do). They are starting to come to the conclusion, that a lot of today's allergies that kids suffer from, are due to being overly sanitized, and living in an environment that is simply 'too' clean and sterile.

Elana

[slwatson]

I do the same thing....put my veggies out when I leave for work, and clean them up when I get home. It seems to be working just fine for my birds, and no one has gotten sick from eating wilted veggies. I was also a firm believer in letting my kids get into dirt and things to build their immunity. I can always tell those kids who were overly protected...they're sick a lot during the school year, especially when they start prek and kinder.

[cindy]

if you can't always give fresh veggies the dried herbs also contain nutrients as well. I like using a powdered vitamin, mineral and amino acid supplement mixed in the soft foods as directed. I use AviTech AviVita Gold. It has an orange smell to it and mixes well in egg food and chopped veggies.