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Vitamins for a Parrot's Plumage

 
Josie F. Turner
By Josie F. Turner, Journalist specialized in Animal Welfare. October 3, 2016
Vitamins for a Parrot's Plumage

The parrot is one of the most majestic Psittaciformes; as a pet, it is increasingly common in our homes. Its intelligence, natural curiosity and the elegance of its colorful and striking plumage are all part of its charm.

To keep your parrot beautiful it is important to give it an appropriate diet: a poor and dull plumage reflects a dietary or health problem. Indeed, a bad diet is often the primary cause of a plumage in poor condition, and it can even cause the bird to tear its feathers out.

In this AnimalWised article we'll advise you on the best vitamins for a parrot's plumage, which will help keep the feathers beautiful and bright.

You may also be interested in: How to Improve your Canary's Singing

Contents

  1. Vitamin A
  2. Vitamin B
  3. Vitamin D
  4. Vitamin C

Vitamin A

Vitamin A probably plays the most important role for the brightness and healthy appearance of feathers. Vitamin A is very important for the health of both the dermis and feathers, and it also plays a key role in the impressive blue, yellow, orange and red pigmentation.

Synthetic vitamin A can be toxic, so it is better to go for a natural source of vitamin A such as fresh food. Broccoli, parsley, pumpkin, spinach, peppers, carrots and apricots are good choices to give your parrot all the vitamin A it needs.

Vitamins for a Parrot's Plumage - Vitamin A

Vitamin B

The vast majority of diets based solely on seeds are deficient in vitamin B. If your parrot has a vitamin B deficiency, its skin will appear poor and its plumage will be of poor quality, and it can also have an abnormal yellow coloring.

Vitamin B is normally produced in your parrot's intestines, but if it doesn't have an appropriate diet you'll need to supplement it with vitamin B: hard-boiled eggs are a good source of vitamin B that the digestive system of parrots can handle well.

Vitamins for a Parrot's Plumage - Vitamin B

Vitamin D

Many parrots suffer from a deficiency of vitamin D3, which is necessary for a bright and brilliant plumage.

In order to get the necessary amount of vitamin D, your parrot should be exposed to half an hour of unfiltered natural light each day: the light should be direct, and should not pass through window glass.

Make sure that the area where you let your bird loose is safe and that it cannot escape. You should also make sure that it has a shaded area for it to shelter if it's too hot or there is too much light. You can also use a full spectrum artificial light made specifically for birds.

Synthetic vitamin D can be toxic to your parrot, but it is virtually impossible to overdose with vitamin D produced by light.

Vitamins for a Parrot's Plumage - Vitamin D

Vitamin C

Vitamin C deficiency is associated with behaviors that destroy the plumage, such as chewing the tips of the feathers, preening excessively, tearing feathers out and other forms of self-mutilation.

If your parrot exhibits any of these behaviors, you should assess both its diet and its environment. These habits could be caused by boredom, fatigue or other health problems. If the problem is caused by an unbalanced diet, you should supplement your parrot's vitamin C with broccoli, all kinds of peppers, kiwis and cherries.

Make sure that fresh fruit does not represent more than 15 per cent of its total diet.

Vitamins for a Parrot's Plumage - Vitamin C

At AnimalWised you can also discover the forbidden food for parrots; it is very important to be aware of what kind of food you can or cannot give to your parrot.

We also encourage you to take a look at names of famous parrots.

Vitamins for a Parrot's Plumage -

If you want to read similar articles to Vitamins for a Parrot's Plumage, we recommend you visit our Extra care category.

Tips
  • Dietary requirements vary from species to species, so we advise you to seek advice from your vet.
  • If your parrot starts to pull out its feathers, we advise you to go to your exotic veterinarian.

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Vitamins for a Parrot's Plumage