Am i giving my bird diabetes?

[Ephy]

Ive been buying these organic bird mashes you soak in hot water before feeding birds and althouh its all organic with nothing added, i am suddenly concerned I might be giving them too much?

My house sparrow is carb obsessed and devours the grains. I usually make a serving size that could last 2-3 days and there is always tons to throw out. I leave it out for him for about an hour as a treat on a daily basis. He usually has his fill of it at least a couple times in that hour.

I also add fresh fruits or veggies every couple days or so. (mixed salad greens, cucumber, cherries, grapes, celery, oranges, etc)


Should i be worried he is getting too many carbs? Could this lead to diabetes?

Some of the ingredients in the mashes I use are below

Kamut® flakes, buckwheat, lentils, currants, sesame seeds, carrots, ginger

Buckwheat, KAMUT® Brand grain, rown rice, couscous, quinoa flake, peas, pumpkin and sunflower seed, KAMUT® Brand grain, KAMUT® Brand flakes, lentils, oat flakes, triticale flakes, quinoa, flax, carrots, peas, almonds, sweet potato powder, parsley, dandelion

Organic Brown Rice, Organic Triticale, Organic Spelt, Organic Kamut, Organic Rolled Oats, Organic Barley, Potatoes, Sweet Potatos, Carrots, Zucchini, Parsley, Green Beans, Beets, Peas, Broccoli, Cilantro, Green Bell Peppers, Red Bell Peppers, Apples, Peaches, Raisins, Pears, Apricots, Oat Straw, Flaxseed

 

[lplummer52]

Sounds fabulous to me. You have a house sparrow? Tell me more,

 

[lplummer52]

Where do you get these bird mashes?

 

[GaleriaGila]

Welcome.
I'd suggest looking for a local wild bird rescue, and ask them. Or maybe a not-so-close rescue, and call/ask. Or maybe an avian vet... Here's a link.
http://www.aav.org/search/custom.asp?id=1803

 

[ChristaNL]

I would do without the currants and sunflowerseeds, but that also would depend on the percentage in the mix.

So...you make this mash for your parrot and the leftovers go the the sparrow, or do you cook exclusively for the sparrow?
(Because the parrot wil need greens and maybe some fruit every single day)

Sparrows are natural seed-eaters so I do not think it will die of that menu anyway.
Do you mean a 'passer domesticus' of do you actually have one *in* your house.
(Because birds do need to have more meals than 1 big one every day - with smaller species birds just leave it available all day long)

 

[Ephy]

Thanks for the quick responses.

I dont have any parrots. Just a dove and a house sparrow, but there are not enough active small bird forums that I have been able to find that is as informative. Also, i find parrot owners have a better understanding of what care birds really need and alot of the things I have read has been used succesfully for my house sparrow.

I usually order the food mash from Things for wings -canadian company and I just bought Dr. Harveys whats cooking.

My house sparrow's name is Kiwi. He just turned 4 in july. Ive had him since he was only a couple days old. I guess he must have fell out of his nest. We found him sitting on the hot pavement in the sun on a disgustingly hot day.

We took him in. He bonded to us and we knew we could never release him to the wild.

Ive been cautioned against taking him to a veterinarian for standard check ups because Ive been told they may feel obligated "by law" to take him away from me, since he is a wild bird.

So I'm trying to learn what I can and do my best from the internet and wonderful forums like these. I do tend to over worry.

Thanks for the link, i will look into it.

Here are a couple pictures of Kiwi and Baby (hopefully I attach them properly) Kiwi is getting cozy for a nap and in the first pic I clearly disturbed him, hehe.

I also have a 22 year old ring neck dove named Baby. We got him when he was less than a year old. He is a picky eater and doesnt touch most of the mash or fresh fruits/veggies although I keep trying.

First pic of Baby is just after his bath.
oh and the housecoat on the tv in the back is to keep Kiwi away...he hates the colour pink! The house coat has pink stripes, lol

 

[Ephy]

They have their own bird seed mixes as well as the option of Harrison's bird high potency pellets available to them all day.
They also get fresh water 2x a day and their cages changed daily, and daily outages to fly around, and snack on fresh fruit/veggies and bird mash. Of course baths every other day.
Kiwi is an extemely high maintenace bird. He hates mess, hates a messy cage bottom and wont drink his water if something (like a seed) drops into it. I actually keep 2 water dishes available to him at all times because of this.
He also trims his own toe nails and keeps his beak quite trim, its amazing actually!

 

[condobirds]

I doubt your vet would turn you in for having a sparrow. I know in Florida it is illegal to have native species without a license. Don't know about a non-native.

In addition to seed, sparrows eat insects. Try feeding some meal worms. The diet you are feeding is good but add the other things. Plus some fruits and veg.

 

[Laurasea]

I think it's wonderful that you providing such a high level of care for KiWi. You are right to be careful, they are considered an invasive non native species, and actively displace our native species such as bluebirds and chicadees. Wildlife centers I was involved with would euthanize them. But I am glad he found a home with you.

 

[ChristaNL]

That is one great looking guy there


(same problem here: al native species are overprotected almost to a fault - people no langer help them because of the potential legal mess ...)
(Laura: and even more unfair: those guys were intentionally imported because the resident birds did not want to clean up the messes left behind by the carthorses )



Yup, you spoil your birds and they love it - well done you!!

 

[SassiBird]

House sparrows are native to to Europe and Asia. Maybe a consult across the pond would work? Wonders of the Internet?