FINCHforum

Here I go again...being a board hog...please bear with me!

This is mostly directed to FairestFinches but I wanted to ask the questions here for the benefit of others who might be interested.

Sean and/or Michele....I see you sell Spirulina on your website....here is what I would like to know please.

1. Do you use this regularly for your Finches or occasionally?

2. Do you happen to know if Humans could safely consume this particular formula too? (maybe a dumb question but my sister uses it and I was thinking of trying it too...so that is why I ask)

Thank you!....*Your aviary is so lovely by the way!*

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

Wow....thanks for the reply....It is nice to know the Morning Bird is Human Grade!

I guess Spirulina has to be used carefully...like you say...too many sources of vitamins can do damage.

I know bird owners who own the big parrots like how the Spirulina enriches the colors of the feathers. One gal posted a picture of her Eclectus before and after the Spirulina and you could see the difference in the color and feather quality...quite impressive! But it might be harder to see with finches with their small stature. Now I wouldn't mind having my feathers...I mean....'hair' be more shiny and lustrous....lol

I use spirulina in a veggy drink for myself and my blue caps get it sprinked in their food and their blue is more vivid as a result. As for me, my allergies are not as bad from taking it. Go figure!