Phoenix Foraging Rolls Blog

Food Allergies in Pets

Lucy Towbin — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 21:43:54 GMT

Food Allergies in Pets
Is This More Common Than We Realize?
Here is part one of a series on food allergies in cats and dogs. I haven't seen anyone who has written anything similar for parrots. I know several people with parrots with specific food allergies. I find it interesting that in cats and dogs (one of my cats went through this) many of the symptoms are in the skin. I just wonder how many parrots with plucking problems start it because of food allergies.

I think it's interesting that this DVM points out that HEAT can denature proteins and cause a food to become an allergen. As we know, pellets are processed with high heat when they are extruded, plus they are mostly grains, some of which are GMO, which have problems in and of themselves. There is evidence that just the extrusion process, in addition to the heat, may alter the grain proteins.

Some food for thought in this article.

I'm not connected with this web site nor am I advocating any of their products or supplements. They do have some good articles from time to time.

What Do You Need to Know About GMOs?

Lucy Towbin — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 21:42:15 GMT

What Do You Need to Know About GMO's?

(Genetically Modified Organisms or GE, Genetically Engineered)

There is scary evidence that genetically modified organisms in the GM/GE foods we eat may actually become part of the bacteria inside our digestive tract! One study showed that the Bt toxin from GM corn was in the blood streams of 93% of pregnant women. The USDA is wanting to remove all controls on GE corn and cotton. (Read more.)

When GM soy was introduced in the UK, allergies to soy rose by 50%. GM soy has two NEW proteins in it plus the amount of trypsin inhibitor (a known soy allergen) is seven times higher in GM soy. (See here.)

How do you avoid GMO? If you buy organic, it should not have any GMO ingredients. If you want to find out about other foods that are not available to you in organic, check out this shopping guide or this one.The actual GM crops that are sold in the U.S. are corn, soybeans, canola, cottonseed, sugar beets, Hawaiian papaya, and a small amount of zucchini and yellow squash. However, processed foods often have GMO ingredients in them.

For more information, go here.

New Improved Green Chunks

Lucy Towbin — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 21:40:49 GMT

New and Improved Green Chunks!

Less Crumbling!

Green Chunks

Green chunks are one of our most popular products. A great way to get some very nutritious leafy greens into your parrot's diet as well as all of the other seeds, grains, and fruits they have in them (go here for a list of ingredients or to order). We hear nothing but good comments from our customers about them. But still, we want to make them even better. We know from our own use that there are always some crumbs in the bottom of the bag. Depending on how shipping went from our facility to your home, there may be more some months than others. Many of you use the crumbs to sprinkle over fresh foods or add to a birdie bread or mash. BUT we want that to be an option, not something you are doing because there are lots of crumbs there you feel you don't want to waste. So we have added a bit of tapioca flour and some xanthan gum to the chunks to help them hold together better.

Tapioca comes from the root of the cassava or yucca plant. It is not a grain and is gluten free. If you want to read more about it, there is information on Lance Armstrong's Livestrong site. Xanthan gum is a high fiber carbohydrate used as a thickener. Lance Armstrong's Livestrong site also has information about xanthan gum.

How to eat the UnPellet Mix

Lucy Towbin — Sun, 08 May 2011 19:03:00 GMT

There are many different ways our customers use our UnPellet mix. Here is one from a happy new customer, Dusty. Mix it with some fresh fruit!

How to Eat UnPellet- by Dusty
Here is a photo of Nancy Richards' Dusty eating a mix of fresh fruit and UnPellet mix. This was Dusty's first taste of the UnPellet mix. Nancy says it was a big hit.

Parrot Lover of the Month- Beverly Marotto

Lucy Towbin — Sun, 08 May 2011 19:01:00 GMT

Parrot Lover of the Month- Beverly Marotto
Solving Belle's Scratching and Plucking Problem

Beverly's Three Girls

I have been fascinated by parrots since I was a child. My grandmother had an old Blue Front Amazon that she bought from two elderly women. It had belonged to their brother who had died. He was an import and his age was unknown. I acquired my first parrot, a young Double Yellow Head Amazon, in 1989. There was no internet networking back then to talk to other parrot owners so I learned from reading books and joining a local bird club. In 1997, a baby Hawkhead parrot I named Cokie was added and a year later Belle, a baby Vosmaeri Eclectus joined the flock. They soon established the flock structure. Rosie enjoyed watching the other two birds and joined in with their vocalizations but did not want to get too close to them. Cokie was the clown and tried to bully Belle but Belle established herself as the boss. She kept Cokie away from what she decided was "her" territory but she absolutely loved Rosie. They all ate pretty much the same diet of quality pellets, cooked corn/bean mix, fresh fruit and veggies, and homemade bird bread. Then about four years ago, that all changed.

Belle had just finished her morning corn/bean mash and a piece of pumpkin corn bread. She climbed up onto the handle of her wicker basket to look out the glass door in the dining room. I noticed her holding a foot up and rubbing her beak across it repeatedly. I didn't give it much thought, thinking she was trying to wipe a piece of stray food off her beak. Over the next few days, I saw her repeat this behavior. Around the same time, I started coming home from work and finding plucked pin feathers on the bottom of her cage. Off to the vet for an exam and blood work. Everything was normal, including tests for lead and zinc. The scratching and plucking continued over the next month or so. Then one day as I was watching her vigorously rubbing her foot with her beak, the light dawned. It was similar to a dog licking a "hot spot", which is sometimes due to a food allergy. I wondered if Belle could have developed a food allergy. I thought back to when the behavior started. It was late August and I had purchased native corn on the cob. Each of my birds was given a 2" slice on a skewer each day that week. Also around that time, I had found a recipe for the cornmeal based birdie bread and baked up a big batch. Could the culprit be corn? To test the theory, I gave Belle 0.4mL of dye-free children's Benadryl before breakfast. I fed her breakfast and she did not do the foot scratching. I left her with corn-free food for the day and when I came home there was only one plucked pin feather. I had been finding 10-20 a day so this was a big improvement. I was pretty sure I was on the right track. I continued giving her a daily dose of Benadryl and a corn-free diet. Within a week, the scratching and plucking had completely stopped and I weaned her off the Benadryl. Her feathers started growing back and she left them alone. That was four years ago. Belle does still occasionally pluck and barber feathers but it seems to be seasonal and hormone related. She starts acting broody around Thanksgiving through late winter. I have not seen a return of the foot scratching or severe pin feather plucking since she has been on a corn-free diet. I told this story to my vet who was also convinced I had solved the problem.

Tony Silva on parrot diet

Lucy Towbin — Sun, 08 May 2011 18:59:00 GMT

Guest author Tony Silva, author of several books on parrots, on diet

I have been observing parrots in the wild during more than 30 years. I have often had the items they were eating examined for a nutritional essay. Based on this information and more than 35 years' as an aviculturist, I will give you my perception.

Most South American parrots, but especially macaws and excluding Amazons and some Pionus; African Greys; and Indonesian cockatoos require fat in the diet. I would say macaws require more fat than most species, as they fed on palm seeds which are oil rich. Amazons feed often on fibrous items which are protein rich but low in fat. Most Australian species have evolved to survive on low fat diets.

Feeding a nutritious diet is key. I have kept many species solely on pellets but production waned slowly. When fruits and other items were added to the pelleted diet, production increased. Pellets are good but not one is based on actual research of parrots in the wild and even if they were, diet varies often within species in the genus, meaning that one may feed on a totally different diet than the other. Gold-capped and Jenday Conures are similar but wild Jendays feed more on pods than Gold-caps, which prefer more fruit, flowers and buds. If you collect a weeks supply of food from the wild and lump them, it quickly becomes apparent that Jendays eat more protein than Gold-caps. I suggest feeding a diet that is balanced and which contains fruits, vegetables and living cells (sprouts, for example-- wild parrots eat a lot of 'living' foods whether it be growing buds or shoots or green pods). Macaws should have fat supplement their diet.

Whatever you feed, bear in mind that some parrots in captivity become sedentary. Amazons can easily become overweight. Mine get very little food and yet they maintain their body weight.

Lentils, small peas and many other items sprout easily. Be cautious in hot climates, which can induce bacterial growth very quickly-- once the birds begin to chew and bite the food, growth stops and fermentation begins. Feed these early in the morning and remove the unwanted items after a few hours; feed then your pellets or seeds. Supplement with greens and fruit if you can. Don't focus on cultivated fruits but look for natural foods, such as Chinaberry and others which grow wild.

Work Harder- Tastes Better!

Lucy Towbin — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 04:46:00 GMT

Research Shows Animals Prefer Taste of Food They Work Harder For

Working to get some food

Scientists at Johns Hopkins working with mice showed that not only is food valued more when it is worked for, it may even taste better for up to 24 hours. Mice were trained to press levers to get two flavors of sugar water. They had to work 15 times as hard to get one of the flavors. Later, when they were allowed free access to both flavors, they preferred the one they had earlier worked harder for.

So don't forget to set up foraging situations for your parrots. Our foraging rolls are an easy way to do this but our UnPellet, Green Chunks, or any dry foods can be hidden around your birds' cages. Hide the foods you really want them to eat rather then the treats, and see if it makes the nutritious foods more desirable for them.

To read the full article, click here

Parrot Lover of the Month- Kathy Pedrie: One Woman's Quest to Solve the Mystery of her Parrot's Illness

Lucy Towbin — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 04:45:00 GMT

I became interested in parrots when my kids were little. After asking a lot of questions, and talking to people with cockatiels, we decided on two. We had those birds for several years.

Right now, I just have Lola, my female SI Eclectus. The cockatiels were many years ago. When the kids got older, I wanted a larger parrot, since I had more time, and did my research to become familiar with the breed before we got her. I realize now that there is a lot of misinformation out there regarding eclectus.

When I brought Lola home, she came with colored pellets, and the recommendation to feed her vegetables and "some of whatever you are eating". The first sign that there was something wrong with my girl came when we were on a camping vacation. One night I noticed she was toe tapping and the next morning, she had chewed her 'ankle' to the point that she could not stand on her feet. She was lying on the floor of the travel cage. I wrapped her in a towel and held her till we got home.

Throughout the last five years, Lola has been toe tapping, wing flipping, and quivering more often than she has been well. She also gets nodules on her feet that are hard and brown colored that must be itchy or painful, because she chews on them when they appear.

Lola has been to our avian vet many times, but we've had no diagnosis from those visits. She is an enigma to them! We know it is not caused by diet as Lola is fed exclusively organic vegetables, fruit, a small amount of seeds, and nuts, rice and beans, and Lucy's Unpellet. My vet has been very supportive but she is at a total loss as to how to treat Lola, so I do the research and she listens. An antifungal allopathic drug provided relief for about two months. Then Lola had a relapse. We are now trying Candex and a homeopathic remedy with some results. I am guardedly hopeful at this point. If this doesn't work, I will continue in my research for a total cure.

Through the Eclectus Pet Owner's Group, with the help of Lisa Woodworth and Laurella Desborough, I found out about the theory that some of these birds are susceptible to yeast problems. Lisa and Laurella worked with me, answered many questions and I believe, saved Lola's life. At the point when I contacted Lisa, Lola was grossly underweight and she had a collar on every night to prevent her from chewing her feet. She would flip and tap all night long without the collar and I think part of the foot chewing was because of exhaustion from not sleeping. That is when we tried the antifungal medication.

I should tell you that Lola is a sweet, happy, loving bird. She does not play as many other eclectus do, because she doesn't feel good. When she was in 'remission' as I call it, she chews on toys, flies through the house a bit, and laughs when we laugh. She will also imitate sounds she hears us make, but when she is ill, she sits quietly on her perch, or my shoulder throughout the day. I feel sad sometimes when I hear of other eclectus and their antics, or see Lola hurting, but it just makes me more determined to find an answer for her, and in a larger sense, other birds with the same problem.

Would you like us to feature you and your parrot(s) in our newsletter? Do you have an interesting story you think other parrot lovers would like to hear about? Please e-mail us at phoenixforaging@gmail.com and give us an idea what you would like to write about. Or we have some suggested questions you can use. Or do you have a friend that you would like us to feature because he or she has had an interesting experience or learned something useful for others related to parrots? Please let us know.

Nutritive Herbs

Lucy Towbin — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 04:43:00 GMT

Nutritive herbs are a class of plants that can be considered to be herbs but have a positive effect for anyone. They are high in minerals and vitamins, are alkalinizing foods, and have a preventive effect on health as well as healing properties. Alfalfa, which we have written about in the past, is an example. It comes from an Arabic word meaning "mother of all foods." Some other examples are dandelion leaf, nettles, rose hips, banana, barley leaf, apple, asparagus, banana, barley grass, bee pollen, bilberry, broccoli, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, grapefruit, hibiscus, lemon, oatstraw, onion, orange, papaya, pineapple, red clover, spirulina, stevia, kelp, and wheat grass.

January 2011 Parrot Lover of the Month- Sister Kathy

Lucy Towbin — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 04:39:00 GMT

Parrot Lover of the Month- Sister Kathy

The spiritual side of keeping a Parrot named Lollipop

WHO AM I

I am a parrot parent and I live in a very small town in the mountains of

the Adirondacks. My name is Kathy Henderson. I love life, and I love all creation. My respect for all creatures has always been a part of life since I can remember. The love I felt for any animal, be it one with feathers, fur or scales was so strong I needed to do something with it. I belong to the Third Order of Franciscans, which is an order of St. Francis. This saint is known as the patron saint of animals and the environment. So, here I am now, after 4 years of study, praying and walking the earth as St. Francis did, I am now called Sister Kathy.

Sister Kathy

MY CALLING

The spiritual part of my calling all started from working at a veterinarian hospital. I found my "calling" into the spiritual world as a Franciscan while working at the animal hospital and finding myself praying with families as their loved pets were dying or being euthanized. I felt such adoration for animals and their true Creator and Master, and indeed felt His presence at each "crossing over" of each animal.

QUIET TIMES AND LOLLIPOP

During my transition into the order, one of the order rules was to have quiet times and meditations during the day. I am not one to sit still for very long and found this rule was one of the hardest for me. Staring into an empty parrot cage while doing my quiet time, my mind started turning. I had had a Quaker parrot for 17yrs named Spanky that I had lost 8 months previously. Spanky filled much of my days with love and attention soooo I surfed the web on companionship birds and found a match for myself. That night I purchased 4 online books on Eclectus parrots and their care. Next day I surfed the web for the closest breeder which I found in downstate NY, I made a phone call and was told that there would be a 6 month wait. I didn't care if I adopted a male or female but did my homework on both. I read everything I could get my hands on. As I read, I found peace and awe in the details of their social lives, structure, and beauty. I found my other calling....a little parrot named Lollipop!

Lollipop

LEARNING TO BE PAITENT

Waiting was the hard part. Soon I received a call from the breeder letting me know that it was a girl! I wanted to name her something that I could sing to her so that is where I got the name Lollipop and to this day every morning when I wake her up to transfer her to her daytime cage that is the song I sing to her, and now she is the one that does the popping sound that is in the song. When she first arrived I had butterflies and I shook from head to toe, my heart was pounding so hard I could hear it. I took a week off of work to be with her to start the bonding process. She was a big baby. After all, I only had small parrots and getting used to her size took some time.

Lollipop was a total brat in the beginning, striking out at me with that very big black beak, puffing up when I walked next to the cage was an every day occurrence. Screaming was her favorite pastime. After one month she seemed all settled in and I felt confident enough to start the "step up" command. Slowly I reached in my hand talking softly to this beautiful creature that I thought was meant for me. She took a chunk off the top of my hand so quick that I didn't even know she did it until the air hit the open wound. It wasn't the bite that made me cry that day, my feelings were hurt to the core. After all, she was suppose to have been hand trained and was not a biter. This is not what I wanted, she was not what I wanted and as far as I was concerned she was going to go somewhere to just be a breeder, and I would get a baby that I could hand feed and bond to. As I stood there crying my heart out, hurt and disappointed my companion came to me and said "she has only been here a month, give her more time she will turn around and love you back." I agreed to give it a couple more weeks, no more no less before I sold her, after all she was untrained, unfriendly and evil.

The following morning I uncovered her cage to be met with a sweet "hello darling," her first words. She came to the door of the cage, jumped on my shoulder and I froze. Ok so today I am going to lose my ear or she is going to put a hole in my face, I thought. Gently she took her black baby beak, rested it on my cheek, fluffed up her baby feathers and repeated "hello darling." From that day forward she has made a 180 degree turn, she knew she hurt my feelings the day before, she knew I wanted her to love me. She understood my conversation with my companion and she understood that we were meant to be together.

MY VIEW

I have been asked numerous times about my view on pets and spirituality. Do they go to heaven, do they have souls? Yes, I do believe they go to heaven and yes to get to heaven you have to have a soul. I find comfort in knowing that they are there. I was told as a very young child, "you never own an animal, you only borrow them till their true Master calls them home , so you must take very good care of them for Him". Today, in this world, it seems many have lost their way and their identities as spiritual beings. They have transferred their priorities that they traditionally placed on nature to their own accomplishments . Many are unaware of their connection to their relationship with nature, they instead are focused upon a superficial and material world. Many have lost sight of the fact that they are all a part of the world of nature and the Creator Himself, which is responsible for the whole of life, and all living creatures.

SHARING THE JOY

I recently had my parents come and live with me. My mother suffers seizures, is in a wheelchair, and is deeply depressed. My dad is totally blind, has heart disease and is dying of cancer. This little parrot has brought many hours of laughter to the both of them. To see my mother smile is something rarely seen but when she has Lollipop on her shoulder or watches with me as Lolli plays in her toy box, steals cat toys or feeds the dogs peanuts, she transforms into the mother I remember years ago.

My dad asks every day if I would bring Lolli to him . To see someone that is dying smile because of the joy of holding a 560 gram bird shows how much love has been put into her creation. She helps my parents emotionally, mentally, spiritually and physically....wow.

Lollipop helps me attain "living in the moment." That's what she does, a moment in which Spirit can be most easily accessed. Just look into a birds eyes and not find life a miracle, I dare you. Celebrating life with my parrot has become a way of life for me.

Lastly

If I could mimic the same faithfulness and acceptance in my relationships that I experience with my parrot and all my other pets, then I am a better person for it. If the only thing that changed is how I live my life today, the joy of companionship and friendship, living more in the moment as it happens, then that's enough for me.

Editors Note: Kathy also has a leopard gecko rescue:

http://adirondackgecko.com and has just adopted a sun conure named Sunny from parrot rescue.

Additives to pellets and natural alternatives by guest author Leslie Rivera

Lucy Towbin — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 04:28:00 GMT

(In response to someone being told that a well known brand of pellets didn't have artificial coloring, Leslie wrote this analysis of their ingredients. We have not mentioned the brand of pellets, as it probably applies to many of them.)

I am shocked that X brand pellets told you or anyone else that their pellets do not contain artificial coloring. The ingredients clearly state that they do. There's no possible way to get that kind of bright color in a processed pellet without adding color. Either way, they DO have artificial coloring and preservatives, as well as mineral and vitamin supplements. I won't argue that many parrots do just fine on a pelleted diet. Even some ekkies do ok on them... however, I must argue the point that all pellets are the same. They are definitely not the same!

I'm not a naturalist or fanatic about having all organic or whatever but I believe in providing the best possible diet for my family as well as my pets. And when it comes to pet food, there is a very wide range of quality. You can't even compare the mineral and vitamin supplements in pet food to human grade b/c they're usually not close in quality. "Feed grade" food additives are generally low-quality... not to mention that many are chemically sythesized or derived from non-food sources. All you have to do is look at the ingredients and do your homework. But back to brand X...

I wanted to outline the ingredients in their Eclectus pellet that would be of concern to me, personally, which is about all of additives - I'll also highlight the food sources for each one (ekkie-safe foods, anyway). This is only my opinion so I don't wish to start a debate... just wanted to put it out there. Everyone has to make their own educated decision. Below you'll find notes on each ingredient in X brand Eclectus blend in the order found on the bag.

To start, the (processed) food-source ingredients in X brand Eclectus are: Corn, Oat Groats, Soy Concentrate, Corn Gluten Meal, Wheat, Fructose, Soya Oil, Coconut Oil, Raisins, Coconut, Papaya, Apricot, Banana, Sweet Potato, Pineapple, Apple, Spinach, Broccoli, Carrots, Dates.

Following are the additives:

Calcium Carbonate - Dietary supplement, source of calcium. **Natural sources of calcium: blackstrap molasses, Swiss chard, yogurt, kale, basil, thyme, cinnamon, peppermint leaves, romaine lettuce, celery, broccoli, sesame seeds, cabbage, summer squash, green beans, tofu, Brussel sprouts, oranges, asparagus, Oregano, rosemary, parsley, kelp.

Dicalcium Phosphate - Dietary supplement, source of calcium and phosphate. **Natural sources of phosphorus: nuts, eggs, whole grains.

Choline Chloride - Dietary supplement derived from ethylene oxide, hydrochloric acid, trimethylamine. I won't even go into those chemicals... **Natural sources of choline: soybeans, eggs, peanuts, cauliflower, potatoes, lentils, oats, sesame and flax seeds.

DL Methionine - Amino acid supplement (typically given to dogs to lower the pH of urine so it doesn't kill grass). **Natural sources of methionine: sesame seeds, Brazil nuts, oats, peanuts, chickpeas, corn, almonds, pinto beans, lentils, brown rice.

Vitamin E Supplement - self-explanatory. **Natural sources of Vit E: mustard greens, chard, sunflower seeds, turnip greens, almonds, spinach.

Ascorbic Acid - a synthesized form of Vitamin C (80% of the world's supply comes from China). **Natural sources of Vit C: parsley, brocoli, bell pepper, strawberries, oranges, papaya, cauliflower, kale, mustard greens, brussels sprouts.

Ferric Sulfate - Iron supplement. **Natural sources of Iron: cherries, eggs, most leafy greens, soybeans, lentils, blackstrap molasses, quinoa, variety of beans, potato, just to name a few.

D-Biotin - Dietary supplement in the B-complex family. **Natural sources of biotin: Swiss chard, Romaine, tomatoes, carrots, almonds, eggs, cauliflower, cabbage, cucumber, raspberries, strawberries, oats, walnuts.

Yucca Schidigera Extract - Added to animal feed to lower ammonia gases in animal waste. In poultry feed, increases performance of stock = more eggs. I'm not quite sure why parrots would need this????

Zinc Oxide - An inorganic compound. Supplement. **Natural sources of zinc: soybeans, spinach, sunflower seeds, eggs, wholegrain flour.

Manganese Oxide - An inorganic compound, derived from the metal form of manganese in the Earth's crust. **Natural sources of manganese: mustard greens, kale, chard, raspberries, pineapple, romaine, collard greens.

Niacinamide - Dietary supplement in the B-complex family. **Natural sources of niacin (B3): almonds, barley, brown rice, buckwheat, pine nuts, red chili peppers, sesame seeds, split peas, sunflower seeds, wild rice, whole wheat.

Vitamin B12 Supplement - Dietary supplement. **Natural sources of B12: brown rice, rye, whole wheat, leafy vegetables, eggs.

BHT (as a Preservative) - butylated hydroxytoluene, used in foods to preserve fats. The oxidative characteristics and/or metabolites of BHA and BHT may contribute to carcinogenicity or tumorigenicity. (http://chemistry.about.com/od/foodcookingchemistry/a/bha-bht-preservatives.htm)

Copper Sulfate - Dietary supplement for copper. A trace mineral additive in poultry and swine feed. **Natural sources of copper: turnip greens, blackstrap molasses, whole grains, beans, nuts, potatoes, dark leafy greens.

Calcium Iodate - Dietary supplement for iodine. **Natural sources of iodine: yogurt, eggs, strawberries, asparagus, soybeans, spinach, summer squash, Swiss chard, turnip greens.

Beta Carotene - Widely available in fresh foods: sweet potatoes, spinach, kale, turnip greens, winter squash, collard greens...

Vitamin A Supplement - Dietary supplement. **Natural sources are primarily animal but it is found in eggs. Precursors to vitamin A (carotenoids) can be attained through carrot, sweet potato, spinach, kale, collard greens, tomatoes.

Calcium Pantothenate - Dietary supplement for vitamin B5. **Natural sources of B5: cauliflower, brocoli, turnip greens, sunflower seeds.

Sodium Selenite - Dietary supplement for selenium. **Natural sources of selenium: Brazil nuts, eggs, wheat germ. It's also found in many vegetables but levels are dependent on the amount in the soil they were grown in.

Folic Acid - a.k.a. vitamin B9. **Natural sources of folate: romaine, spinach, asparagus, turnip and mustard greens, parsley, collard greens, brocoli, cauliflower, beets, lentils.

Riboflavin - a.k.a. vitamin B2. **Natural sources of riboflavin are largely meat but can be attained via dark, leafy greens and while grains.

Pyridoxine Hydrochloride - Dietary supplement for vitamin B6. **Natural sources of B6: bell peppers, turnip greens, spinach, cauliflower, asparagus, brocoli, Brussels sprouts.

Thiamine Mononitrate - Dietary supplement for vitamin B1. **Natural sources of B1-thiamine: asparagus, romaine, spinach, sunflower seeds, green peas, tomato, Brussels sprouts.

Menadione Dimethylpyrimidinol Bisulfite - synthetic form of Vitamin K3. The U.S. FDA does not allow sale of K3 in it's menadione form. There is controversy over K3 in pet foods. I won't go into that here but you can find more onilne (http://www.petfoodindustry.com/Columns/Ingredient_Issues/2372.html)

**Natural sources of K: dark, leafy greens, green beans, asparagus, brocoli.

Vitamin D3 Supplement - Too much D3 can cause calcification in the kidneys and proventriculus of birds. Vitamin D is necessary for the absorption of Calcium. **Natural sources of Vit D: THE SUN! Eggs also have some vit D. Other sources are meat.

Cobalt Sulfate - This has been widely banned in non-industrial and non-veterinarian purposes. There are health risks associated with it. It is still added to animal feed as a trace mineral to aid in B12 production, however B12 is available in foods that our ekkies commonly eat.

I probably got carried away but it was interesting to me to really look at all the different additives that are not plant or animal-derived... instead they're synthesized chemically, etc... and really, how healthy can that be for us or our pets in the long run??? There are a lot of common denominators in all the natural sources I listed above. If our Eclectus are being fed a variety of healthy foods, they should have no problem getting all of the nutrients they need! In cases where they aren't offered or won't eat enough fresh foods to stay healthy, I can see the role that a GOOD pellet would play. But I think in most cases, people who are diligent about their ekkie diets will have happy and healthy fiddies without the artificial food additives found in X Brand and many others! Sadly, there are still many parrot owners who just assume pellets are enough so that's all their birds get.

I hope this was insightful to at least some of you... if you've even read this far!! LOL!!

Leslie

Does Your Parrot Have a Sweet "Tooth?"

Lucy Towbin — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 23:47:00 GMT

What about fats and salt?
      Years ago an Indian man named Shailesh had a vegetarian restaurant here in town in which you got a serving of nutrition philosophy along with your food, both on the menu and when Shailesh would stop by your table to chat. He said something to me once that I have found to be very true from what I observe of people's eating habits and I think it would apply to our parrots, too.
     Shailesh said that we evolved to crave sweet foods as well as those with high fat and salt content. That was because our ancient ancestors rarely got foods like that so when they did find some fruit (which was much less sweet than today's fruit), killed an animal or found some nuts for fat, or found some mineral deposits with salt, they ate a lot of it because they didn't get it very often.
     Now foods that are high in sugars of various kinds, fats of various kinds and salt are abundant. In fact, unless you never buy any prepared or packaged foods, it's hard to buy food without them. The industry around these foods is huge. If you are interested in a scary article about the lobbying power of Monsanto, read this article on how they have renamed aspartame and got labeling requirements removed, despite the studies that show it has numerous health risks.
     So what about our parrots? Well, first of all, if you really must feed your parrots junk food, be very careful about how much you give them. Having your parrots at the table with you or eating in front of the TV, may feel like good companionship, but it's an unhealthy habit for your birds. The less the better of human foods unless it is something fresh that you know is good for parrots. Watch the prepared foods. As the article above shows, lots of things can be hidden in labeling.
     It makes sense that parrots probably crave sweet, salty and high fat foods, too. Some of the larger parrots are designed to eat high quanitites of nuts. But learn about your particular species because many species should not be having lots of nuts and seeds. What about salt and sugar. If you feed pellets or other prepared treats, even if they are natural and organic, read the labels. Many of the natural, organic foods say they have no sugar but then they have blackstrap molasses (or sometimes other sweeteners) in them. Molasses is made from cane sugar, but it has other minerals in it and the sugar content is lower (Read Wikipedia article here.) So this probably makes it more appealing to the birds, but is it good for them? We don't really know how much sugar they would have in a natural diet in the wild. Just watch what you give them and try not to feed too much with any added ingredients like this. Another reason, is that often sweeteners, salt, and fats/oils are added to make foods more appealing that really don't have much flavor otherwise. So if you feed your parrot a healthy natural diet, they will not be used to having these sorts of additives. If they have been eating a lot of it, you may have to gradually wean them off of them.

December 2010 Parrot Lover

Lucy Towbin — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 23:44:00 GMT

Parrot Lover of the Month- Pat Gower

Pat and Tom in front of travel trailer

This month our Parrot Lover of the Month is Pat Gower, Professor of History San Antonio, Texas.

How many and what type of parrots do you have? I have two eclectus, one blue and gold macaw, one nanday conure and one galah.

How long have you had them? Our experience with parrots began with Bartleby,the conure, over 10 years ago. The last parrot I got was Percy, the galah, and I got him almost 3 years ago.

What do you like most about having parrots in your life? I love to talk to them and interact with them--I love seeing their intelligence and curiosity. I love traveling with them. When we travel, the birds ride in the back seats of the SUV and they can see out the window. They talk to us, to the trucks passing by (Aloysius, the male eclectus, always says, "Whoa, careful!!" to trucks he thinks are going too fast) and make comments on things. In the trailer, they are great fun--they love looking out and seeing new things, they get to be close to us and they don't have to be walked like the dog! They are easy to travel with--we have travel cages that are a nice size--even for the macaw. We make sure they have their same food and toys and all get time out each day. They love meeting new people too. They are great fun to travel with.

Bartleby (conure) in the trailer

What do you think people considering getting a parrot need to know? I think all folks need to know the time involved--it is time consuming to feed well and keep their homes clean. They can be LOUD when bored or isolated. They require stimulation just like children. I always think of them as children with beaks and wings. They are curious, investigative, and LOVE to chew stuff up! You have to be ready to child-proof your house with a vengeance. And they can BITE. But it is usually something you do that brings on the bites.

What do you feed them? Because elcectus in particular have specific dietary needs, all my guys eat a good fresh diet--they get a cooked breakfast with fruits, greens, sprouts and other good stuff in it. I vary the ingredients and try to keep it interesting. They also LOVE the UnPellet and get it in the afternoon as their snack--sometimes, I add some nice seed. For the macaw, who has a higher fat requirment, I add whole nuts.

Emma in trailer

What are some funny things they have done or said? Aloysius, the male ekkie, is always saying funny things--he copies my husband and says "Don't bite my hair!!!" in his voice. He says "Dammit!" in my voice and says it when I get frustrated and sigh. Percy, the galah, asks me where I'm going in the morning. If I say I'm going to work, he often says "Bye!"

Do you have some foraging or other enrichment ideas you'd like to share? I keep a stainless steel bucket in a small litter box on the floor of each cage and I stock it with footie toys and change them around--big variety of things for them to look at. They also love pinecones to play with.

A favorite toy you made or bought? For all my guys, the adding machine tape toy is probably the favorite. The birdie bagel toys are also big hits. The galah is VERY destructive and needs lots of shredding toys. The macaw likes wood to chew up but also puzzle toys to solve. The ekkies tend to like footie toys and the conure LOVES to shred up paper and boxes in his litter box. The bigger the mess the better, I think.

Angus in his travel cage in trailer

Do you change the cage around from time to time or do your parrots prefer to not have any changes? Some of them like lots of change--Percy, the galah, and Angus, the macaw especially. Bartleby, the conure, HATES change and wants me to leave it alone. Aloysius, the male ekkie isn't crazy about change either. Emma likes new toys in her cage often and doesn't seem to mind change.

What one thing do you most wish you had known before you got a parrot? How much fun it was and how challenging they are. I would've gotten them when I was younger. It's lots of work but I figure taking care of all pets is work if you do it right.

Percy (galah) and Aloysius (eclectus) in trailer

Sincerely,

Parrot Lover of the Month- Iris B.

Lucy Towbin — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 22:46:00 GMT

A New Newsletter Feature

Iris' Wilbur

We get to know many of our customers and we think they are an outstanding group of people. Overall, they are more knowledgeable, caring, and dedicated than the average parrot owner. We want to highlight some of you in our newletter.

Our first parrot lover of the month is Iris B. from Chicago. She is a high school art teacher. She says:

"I love my parrots. I am owned by 4 of them (2 Senegals, Leonard and Wilbur ,a Red Belly Maya and a Brown Head named Kiwi). The fact is I want the best for them. Finding Phoenix Foraging and the foods prepared by Lucy has made my life so much easier! Health wise they have never been better! They love Lucy's Unpellet blend and Green Chunks mix.

I realize that fresh vegetables are the best for parrots but it isn't always practical for me. I just don't have the time every day. I live in a condo and work long hours. Returning home to an apartment where fresh vegetables had remained long hours in cages would be a smelly and unhealthy situation. So seeing them eating the Green Chunks and Unpellet foods during the day is a relief!"

We don't want this feature to just be an ad for our products. We want to tell you what Iris did last summer. She worked as a volunteer for a month at the Limbe Wildlife Center in Africa assisting the zookeepers with a large group of African Greys that had been confiscated from poachers at the Douala airport. They were kept at the Wildlife Center until they were able to be released.

Iris was surprised to find that she knew more about parrot care than the zookeepers there. It was primarily a primate center so they had little experience with parrots. The parrots did receive some veterinary care. Iris made a power point presentation to teach the zookeepers about parrot cleanliness and care. One with a broken wing had to stay longer before being released. They also had a problem with aspergillosis. Here are some photos of the greys, and Iris at the Wildlife Center.

Foraging Reduces Feather Picking

Lucy Towbin — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 22:42:00 GMT

One Possible Factor if Feather Picking is an Issue

A Variety of Foraging Opportunities

Feather picking or plucking can be a complex issue. We do not intend here to take the place of the advice of an avian veterinarian. If there are health issues, always discuss them with your vet.

Two articles (Vol. 80 and Vol. 96) in the journal Applied Animal Behavior Science discuss the unavailability in foraging opportunities as being one factor in feather picking (the scientific term is pterotillomania). This has been known to be a factor in chickens for some time now. The authors of these two studies found that enriching the environment of the Amazon and Africa Grey parrots in their studies led to less feather picking behaviors.

You don't have to buy expensive foraging toys to give your parrots foraging opportunities. You can fill a tray on the floor of their cage with foot toys or any bird safe objects (pine cones, pieces of safe wood, etc.) and put one or two bits of food on the bottom of the tray under the other objects. You can get some small food bowls and places them around the cage and use them just for foraging, like the tray but smaller. You can hang foods by leather or safe types of string in various places around the cage or use some of the skewers sold for that purpose. Another idea is to cover their food dishes. When you first start it you can just put a small piece of paper on top. Progress to a larger piece and then a piece that is tied over the top. This way they have to tear through the paper (or make it harder with several layers) to get to their food each day.

Darwin and Rosie at foraging dish

After about an hour

Suddenly It's News!

Lucy Towbin — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 02:42:00 GMT

Suddenly It's News But We Knew It Years Ago
Black Rice, Purple Corn, and Black Boned Chicken!

black rice bowl

Your friends may have asked why you feed your parrots that strange black rice and purple corn and other unusual foods you buy from us. Maybe you've read up on it or you just took our word for it that it's good stuff. We've been using the black rice ever since we developed the UnPellet mix and added the purple corn soon afterwards. Well, now it's being discussed on the food channel. Here's an article that includes statements by Caryl Levine of Lotus Foods, which is where we get the organic Forbidden black rice in some of our rolls. You may enjoy reading it here. As we've mentioned before, the black rice, purple corn and other dark foods like blueberries are loaded with anthocyanins, powerful antioxidants, which are very good for you and your feathered friends.

Speaking of feathers, there is a type of chicken called a Silkie that has downy feathers all over. I (Lucy) have been going to a Chinese medical doctor who prescribed some medicine that comes with each dose inside two balls. She told me that it had "black boned chicken" in it. A friend looked on the internet and found this article about black boned chicken. Evidently, it is also high in antioxidants, in this case, one called carnosine.

We keep copies of the back issues of our articles from the newsletter as well as other nutrition articles we have written on our blog. Our blog is not being well used and we think it is not well known partly due to its location. Please help us spread the word about it. It's really not too hard. You just go to the "site" part of our web site, which is www.site.phoenixforagingrolls.com and look in the upper left corner of the page. Not the tabs under the banner. Above the banner. There you will see several words that are links to other parts of the site including the blog. If you want to check it out now click here. Please post some comments so we know you visited. You can read the article we sent out on purple corn on the blog.

UnPellet Ingredients- Why We Use The Ones We Use

Lucy Towbin — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 01:56:00 GMT

How and Why We Choose Our Ingredients

First we would like you to take a look at the ingredients of four other popular natural parrot foods. These are better than most. They use mostly organic ingredients and are not extruded, which causes loss of nutrients due to high temps. We aren't going to use any names. We just want you to look here to compare with ours so you will understand more about our products:
Pellet #1: Corn, Wheat, Barley, Alfalfa Leaf Powder, Amaranth, Roasted Peanuts, Sesame Seeds, Millet, Quinoa, Dandelion, Rosemary, Chlorella, Barley Grass, Wheat Grass, Purple Dulse, Beet Root, Spinach Leaf, Rose Hips, Citrus Peels.
Pellet #2: Rice, hulled millet, barley, alfalfa leaf, sunflower seed hulled, sesame seeds unhulled, quinoa whole, buckwheat hulled, dandelion leaf powder, carrot powder, spinach leaf powder, purple dulse, kelp, rose hips powder, rose hips crushed, orange peel powder, lemon peel powder, rosemary whole leaf, cayenne ground, crushed red chili peppers, nettle leaf.

Pellet #3: Hulled organic barley, Roasted organic soybeans, Organic corn, Organic pureed papaya, Organic Triticali, Shelled almonds, Organic flax seed, Organic hulled oats, Organic alfalfa, Maltoferm malt extract, Organic Pasteurized honey, Organic Quinoa, Organic Kamut, Beets, Amaranth, Organic spelt, Apples (cored), Sesame seed, organic Fenugreek, Pureed organic Guava, shelled Pumpkin seed, Dried Lactobacillus acidophillis fermentation product, Dried Lactobacillus casei fermentation product, Dried Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation product, Dried Lactobacillus fermentum fermentation product, Dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, and Dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, and Dried Bifidobacterium longum fermentation product. Parsley, Fennel seed, Sweet potatoes, Carrots, Blueberries, Raspberries, Wheat grass, Star anise seed, Ginger, Echinacea, Red clover leaf and Cilantro.
Pellet #4: corn meal, alfalfa meal, soy protein concentrate, rice, flaxseed meal, molasses, glucose solids, oat groats, calcium carbonate, spirulina (human grade), dicalcium phosphate, oil (coconut/vegetable), lecithin, potassium chloride, Llisine, HCI, cayenne pepper, salt, dl methionine, choline chloride, magnesium oxide, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, manganous oxide, riboflavin, niacin, d-calcium pantothenate, dl-alpha tocopheryl acetate, menadione dimethylpyrimidinol busulfite, d-biotin, folic acid, copper sulfate, pyridoxine HCI, vitamin A acetate in gelatin, thiamine mononitrate, cholecalciferol (source of Vitamin D), vitamin B12 supplement, othylenediamine dihydriodide, sodium selenite, dried rhyzopus oryzae (a source of enzymatic activity), dried lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried bifidobacterium thermophilum fermentation product, dried bifidobacterium lonum fermentation product, dried enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried bacillus subtilis fermentation product, calcium propionate.

As you can see from our red highlights, the main ingredients (since what is listed first is what there is most of) are grains. Two of the three have wheat and corn and two have soybeans. Some people prefer to avoid these because they are common allergens. (We use only purple corn which is much more nutritious and not a GMO product as are many yellow corns.) Grains are inexpensive. Some companies (as with #4 and many less natural pellets) add vitamins and minerals to make up for the fact that grains don't contain enough of these. But it isn't the same as getting those vitamins and minerals from their natural sources. Also, very few parrots would be eating large quantities of grain in the wild unless they are raiding a farmer's fields.

Now look at the ingredients in our Unpellet mix. It is a little harder to show what foods there are most of on our package and web site, since we list green chunks separately on the package label. So for the purpose of this article, we will list them in order of predominance in a bag:

Vegetables(alfalfa, dandelion, zucchini, green beans, carrots, peas, bell peppers, hot peppers, purple corn)- 39%
Nuts (almonds, coconut) & seeds (pumpkin, hemp, flax, sesame, milk thistle)- 17%
Flowers (chamomile, chrysanthemum, calendula, hibiscus)- 16%
Fruit (goji berries, blueberries, mulberries, elderberries)- 10%
Grains (sweet brown and black rice, quinoa, buckwheat)- 8%
Beans (adzuki, mung, lentil)- 3%
Everything else (star anise, rose hips, coconut oil, red palm oil, lemon peel, orange peel, lemon grass, cinnamon, ginger, montmorillonite clay, green calcium, African Bird pepper, citric acid, rosemary oil)-7%

Now briefly, we want to talk about why we are not 100% organic YET. If you will look at the companies who sell 100% organic parrot foods, you will see that most of their products are mostly grains, as we discussed above. We buy organic grains, as well. But some of the foods that we think are the nutrition powerhouses are not available organic yet. Or, for example, to get organic blueberries, we would have to buy ones with oil and sweetener added. We don't want to do that. So we try to get the best for you, as we do for our own birds. As more foods become available as organically grown, we will add them to our products. If you have questions about which of our ingredients are organic (we don't list them because they sometimes change and our package labels are so long already) please write to ask us.

How to get to our store and main site page

Lucy Towbin — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 15:37:00 GMT

The way our site is set up, there are several areas and they are linked together but have different URLs. Sometimes this is confusing to people. So if you are reading in our blog and want to get to our store go to www.PhoenixForagingRolls.com.

We also have information about our products and our staff at www.site.phoenixforagingrolls.com. This is also where you can subscribe if you want to get our products on a regular basis, rather than buying them in the store each time. There is a tab at this part of the site that will take you to the store and subscriptions. Also, if you look in the upper left corner of each page, there are links to this blog as well as photo albums and a media page.

Alternatives to Teflon

Lucy Towbin — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 15:25:00 GMT

Most parrot owners have heard that teflon can be lethal to birds if it overheats. So most of us do not use teflon in the home. What are the alternatives? Here is an article that discusses some:
http://www.ewg.org/healthyhometips/dangersofteflon?utm_source=hhtengage&utm_medium=email&utm_content=first-link&utm_campaign=fund

The problem, however, with cast iron is that new research has shown a link between iron and copper that has accumulated in people and some of the chronic diseases. The recommendation is that people over 50 (and it may be younger for men) should not be taking copper and iron supplements. So check your multi-vitamins if you are taking them. Cast iron cookware DOES add iron to your food, especially if the food is acidic. Here is an article about that:
http://www.pyroenergen.com/articles/cast-iron.htm

So that leaves us with stainless steel for cooking on the stove top and glass or ceramic for the oven. Perhaps new alternatives to the teflon non-stick cookware will be shown to be safe. But for now, I'd stick with the old standbys, stainless and glass. After all, think how long teflon was in use until its dangers became known!

Hibiscus is the New Pomegranate!

Lucy Towbin — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 22:56:00 GMT

If you know us at Phoenix Foraging Rolls, you know we are always reading and researching information about foods. We aren't happy just to leave a great product as is, there is always more to know and possible improvements. We have been hearing from a lot of you that you munch on the UnPellet mix when you are feeding your parrot! That's great because many parrot owners say they feed their birds healthier foods than they eat themselves. So many of our ingredients are considered to be "super foods." We must have a lot of Super Parrots out there as customers! So here is the latest. It's about hibiscus, which is in the UnPellet mix and in the Kaipen (soon to be renamed with a new wrapper) rolls. Here is a link to an article telling about the health benefits of hibiscus and a recipe for humans to have fish with a hibiscus cream sauce!

www.jdate.com/jmag/2010/07/not-just-a-pretty-face/?eid=email-jdmydFhb1art10 />