Calcium Supplement?

[LoveMyConlan]

I don't think my GCC is getting enough calcium. She don't touch her cuttlebone and is such a picky eater she will barely touch the calcium rich foods I try on her. She is given a Lafebers pellets, a Nutriberry, and fruits and vegetables daily. I have even resorted to organic baby food which she eats a bit of.

What is the best calcium supplement for her? She's currently not laying eggs and is 9 months old. Any recommendations?

 

[Aquila]

It sounds like she's eating pretty well, so I wouldn't be too concerned, but there's calcium powder that you can mix into the baby food. My conure would eat some scrambled eggs that I mixed the shell up into, you can grind them up so they're superfine as well and mix them in, even scraping a cuttlebone into her baby food will help.

Broccoli, kale, arugula, spinach, and similar veggies are all high in calcium. Almonds, sesame seeds, and brazil nuts are good too. Greens I buzz up in a food processor into a paste and mix it with baby food or apple sauce. If she's really picky, disguising it as much as possible should help.

 

[ZephyrFly]

If your bird is happily eating pellets and behaving fine then Aquila is right, she's probably fine. Calcium problems are (or were at least) common for some parrots so I'd imagine most pellets are very good for calcium.

Otherwise, yes to everything Aquila said!

 

[SailBoat]

As everyone else has stated, the current diet should have her covered.

Now, if you have received a blood test that showed a low level of calcium, than it is worth adding to the diet. Males can show a low calcium level, but it is rarer than females.

The best calcium is TUMS (white tabs). Obtain a pill grinder and simply crush one tab at a time as needed. It can be added over the top of dry food, mixed into wet. Most will go unused (falling to the bottom of the dry food bowl), but enough will carry into the parrot.

 

[Birdman666]

I just scramble and egg, and crush the egg shell up in it.

They will eat that stuff... warm comfort food, yum!

 

[WilliamKenyon]

I don't use this for my bird as she loves the cuttlebone but you could try using vetafarm calcivet which is a liquid calcium supplement that goes in the bird water. Any way just as other posts have said the current diet of your bird is adequate for your birds calcium supplement. I hope her egg laying goes well.