Intermittent Fasting: The controlled voluntary abstinence of food. It is not starving oneself. It detoxes and cleanses our body, mind, and soul. This is recommended by many religions, including Christianity, Buddhism...

Always, always, always attempting to find raw nutrition for our permanent rehab residents here at Providence Exotic Parrot Sanctuary, we have to be very, very careful we meet or exceed their nutritional demands while...

Things are pretty calm around here at Providence Exotic Bird Sanctuary, but that’s really nothing out of the ordinary. Oh yeah, sure every once in a while the noise decibel raises when it’s a full moon, or an emergency vehicle...

The only nutrient missing from dehydrated food is the moisture as long as the food is dehydrated “correctly.” This is why I have been on the bandwagon since circa 2001-2003 educating the avian community to feed raw food...

To feed or not to feed? Strawberries, apples, cherries & grapes. I get asked this question a lot about these fruits so I thought I would address these four specific fruits in one post.

The calcium to magnesium ratio is as important in the absorption of calcium as Vitamin D. In fact, this may be more important. The current theory is that “like-to-like” such as mineral-to-mineral” aids in better absorption. Fat-soluble vitamins require the proper amount of fat circulating in the body to be properly absorbed, the same applies to minerals.

I constantly see posts on avian groups and forums telling people“Don’t feed mushrooms to your bird, they are poisonous.”Folks, this absolutely false information. Are we so unknowledgeable...

As it turns out, yes, it is common practice for parrots and other wild birds to consume water that has "pooled" in phytotelmas small, water-filled cavities in trees or any similar environments such as the axil of bromeliads. But...true "tea leaves" can zap your bird's system of vitamin B12! So, we decided to put our thinking caps on and figure out how we could overcome the loss of the vital water-soluble vitamin B12 from the high alkaloid content in most herbal blends, otherwise known as "teas."

“Silica” is the most common name for “Silicon.” Silica is the second most prevalent mineral in most living bodies. It makes sense that foods containing silica are essential to the body.

Silica is present in nearly all body tissue, including bone. ... It also prevents deterioration of connective tissue like collagen, which is vital for bones' tensile strength. Silica has the unique ability to “make the most” of available calcium, almost amplifying its effects in building bone.

Let’s be honest, we all like to compare our brand of bird food to brands others are feeding. The thing we all need to realize is that there is no “one size fits all” for all exotic birds and their caregivers. What works for one bird may not work for another depending on species, overall health and vitality, environment, past homes, etc.

As much as scientific research has revealed regarding the nutrition of exotic birds, it is still very far behind in determining the actual nutritional requirements for any species for optimum, long-term health and vitality. I suspect we will never fully know and understand all of the nutritional requirements of each species of exotic birds – or any species of bird for that matter.