Jayd Posted March 31, 2010 Share Posted March 31, 2010 Calcium: Food or Sun? There seems to be a lot of talk on the net about calcium absorption in Greys. The latest theories seem to be pointing toward the fact that there is speculation that Greys might not absorb Vitamin D well in food sources. "Research shows when exposed to full spectrum light or sunlight, serum levels of Calcium increase. Parrots are able to manufacture their own Vitamin D when exposed to sunlight." (Pamela Clark CVT, CPPC) Good sources of calcium are tofu, kale, turnip greens and a good source of Vitamin D is dark green leafy vegetables. Kale is an excellent source of absorb-able calcium. So it appears, give your Grey more sun or full spectrum lighting. Jayd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JillyBeanz Posted March 31, 2010 Share Posted March 31, 2010 Goodness - you've read my mind! I was just about to post about this!! Harvey gets supplements - Calcivet and Daily Essentials 3. I was advised by my breeder to use both of these (couple of times a week). I don't have full spectrum lighting, and wasn't considering getting it either as I'd been advised to give the supplements to help with the calcium and D3 insufficiencies suffered by greys in captivity. Do you think it's just because I live in the grim UK that these are advised then? PS. Edited to add that I still feed Harvey all of the good leafy veg etc too - the supplements aren't there as a substitute <br><br>Post edited by: JillyBeanz, at: 2010/03/30 20:38 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayd Posted March 31, 2010 Author Share Posted March 31, 2010 Jill, My personal feelings on *Supplements* If its not for a medical reason I don't like to give them...UVA AND UVB are present to some extent on even on some over cast days.A nominal amount of around 4 hr's a day of *Full Spectrum lighting* is usually sufficient.I know your a good parront, and your food choices are right-on;) Jayd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmcq Posted March 31, 2010 Share Posted March 31, 2010 Good topic Jay! Vitamin D only comes from a few times as you listed. The best and most reliable form, is of course sunshine. After that it is full spectrum "Avian" lighting and placed as recommended by the manufacturer due to their knowledge of the strength of UVB and UVA the tube or bulb produces. I use full spectrum lighting indoors 12 hours a day, in the winter. Spring and summer, the birds are rolled out in their cages and give a spritzing and full glorious sunshine for 2 to 4 hours depending on the heat...gets up to a 110 here in sunny California by mid afternoons. Vitamin supplements are marginal at best even in humans and are absorbed in the body in different percentages based on diet and items eaten with or just before the supplements. There is a ton of information on the Internet written by doctors and how sunlight is the best source of vitamin D and necessary for all life. Unfortunately now humans have become obsessed with no skin cancer and no wrinkles and are having low calcium levels and record high cancer rates due to vitamin deficiencies... You have to have Vitamin D for Calcium absorption in the human body as well. :-) Harrison's had a study done on their pellets and the Vitamin D levels measured. It can be found on their website. Some is absorbed, but the question is how much pellet did the bird eat and how effective was the outcome? Most birds will not eat enough pellets to get all they need. Personally, I worry more about vitamin A in my birds. I think they get plenty of calcium and D from natural sources. But, I always fret that they are not eating enough orange or yellow veggies, yams etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JillyBeanz Posted March 31, 2010 Share Posted March 31, 2010 I have it in my mind (be it true or not) that UV lighting would be expensive to run. Fuel prices here in the UK are at an all time high and therefore restricting my electricity consumption to the minimum is always at the forefront of my mind. It doesn't seem that UV lighting is so popular here in the UK - and that supplementation is brokered, perhaps due to cost? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayd Posted March 31, 2010 Author Share Posted March 31, 2010 Hi Jill, A 26 watt fluorescent light is quite inexpensive. It's approximately 4 times smaller than your average living room lamp. http://www.zoomed.com it's called a AvianSun Compact Fluorescent Lamp or Vita-Light Spiralux http://www.lightbulbkenny.com Jayd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greywings Posted March 31, 2010 Share Posted March 31, 2010 Some cooked grains such as quinoa and millet will also boot the calcium intake along with those dark leafy greens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jessdecutie18 Posted March 31, 2010 Share Posted March 31, 2010 My problem with fluorescent lighting is making it fit without taking up more space... question! I looked at the AvianSun 5.0 Compact Fluorescent Bulb and it isn't too expensive but what can I put it in? If I just screwed it into the main light on the ceiling like any other lightbulb would it be too far away from the cage? Does it need to be directly pointing at the cage? Would that light be too bright for a common use light? I hope I don't sound dumb lol, it's just that Yoshi's huge cage is in our computer room/den so I'm trying to figure out somthing that will work for everyone without a big floorlamp taking up more space. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jessdecutie18 Posted March 31, 2010 Share Posted March 31, 2010 Also, do windows block out all good sunlight? The way our house is located, we don't get a lot of sunlight anyway but when we do, I wonder if Yoshi gets anything from it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayd Posted March 31, 2010 Author Share Posted March 31, 2010 No question is dumb!!! Jut screw it in like a regular bulb... 26 watts will be good for your room Glass eliminates most benefits. Jayd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovethatgrey Posted May 5, 2010 Share Posted May 5, 2010 (edited) Also, do windows block out all good sunlight? The way our house is located, we don't get a lot of sunlight anyway but when we do, I wonder if Yoshi gets anything from it It would be very important for your Grey parrot to receive "direct" sunshine that is not filtered by the glass of a window. When their feathers are exposed to direct sunlight, an active form of Vitamin D is formed by the secretion on their feathers. They ingest this vitamin when they preen. For parrots like pionus parrots who do NOT have a uropygeal gland.. their skin cells are activated to produce vitamin D3 when exposed to direct sunshine. Edited May 7, 2010 by lovethatgrey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
she Posted May 5, 2010 Share Posted May 5, 2010 My vet has long told me that sun light is vital for a greys health and well being. It helps with the absorption and convertion of food into calcium. I think I have worded that right lol. He does not advise giving suplements unless the bird has a medical need for them.Full spectrum lighting is always beneficial as is real sun shine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmcq Posted May 5, 2010 Share Posted May 5, 2010 I agree, all birds for that matter benefit greatly from direct sunlight or when not avaliable in the winter, full spectrum lighting. Greys, as others pointed out are prone to calcium deficiency, many times not due to calcium not being in their diet, but D3 missing due to no sun or full spectrum lighiting which is essential for calcium absorbtion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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