Okay, we get it. Many of you really do want herbal blends you can use dry atop your birds' food. Or rather, to steep as an elixir to drizzle over moist foods or serve in a separate bowl beside your birds' water dish.

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."

Voila! We have formulated a few herbal blends (Tisanes) we believe may help with some issues commonly dealt with companion birds. However, due to the alkaloids in herbal blends that can potentially leach iron and B12 from a bird's delicate system, we have taken care of that potential health problem! Iron may not be so much of a problem for our birds, although more and more research indicates that our captive birds may not be overloading on dietary iron like they once were. When it comes to B12, we have to ensure our birds are, in fact receiving, and synthesizing this all-important vitamin; they don't receive B12 from plant sources and, if they don't have the optimum healthy gut flora they aren't going to intrinsically synthesize B12 to their best advantage. Alkaloids in herbs, greens and, other plant matter literally leach B12 from our birds' systems – any food that has a diuretic action, or laxative properties leach water-soluble B12 from the system, as they do any water-soluble vitamin, but B12 is much harder to replace than most vitamins and minerals.

As mentioned above, we have taken that risk out of our herbal blends. We have added natural ingredients to our blends to make up for any loss your bird may encounter with the ingestion of these herbal blends. Therefore as your bird enjoys these blends, dry or as a steeped elixir B12 and its counterpart, folate are both supplemented with the most natural forms of both of these vitamins we can find to ensure no net loss occurs to your bird's overall nutritional profile!

We have added only a smidgen of Manuka Honey or Royal Jelly to some of our herbal blends which adds vital vitamins and minerals, but also a delicate sweet taste. Honey provides a means for the B12 and folate to adhere to the herbs long enough to carry these nutrients to your bird's food if used as a dry herb, or steep into the elixir if brewing.

To preserve the most amount of vitamins, our suggested method of steeping if you are using any of these as a liquid essence: steep in water no warmer than 170-185 degrees F and steep no longer than 45 seconds to one minute to retain nutritional properties.

To further understand "Tisanes" (sometimes spelled Tizanes) scroll to the lower part of this article.

Let us introduce you to some of our Tisanes:

Calm ~ Cool ~ Collect Tisane

For those birds who seem to be uptight, anxious, or suffering nervous disorders, this herbal blend used dry or as a steeped elixir may help to relieve internal stress or perceived triggers by the environment a bird lives in.

• Croatian Chamomile
• Lavender Flowers
• Calendula
• Rose Petals
• Jasmine Pearls (These are "pearls" made with both tea and flowers rolled into "pearls."
• Parsley
• Manuka Honey
• Methylcobalamin (Active Vitamin B12)
• Optimized Folate

Simply Soothing Tisane

Created for birds who are over-burdened with stress and anxiety-ridden, this herbal blend contains edible flowers that can be added to food or steeped into a relaxing essence.

• Croatian Chamomile – Known for their high level of chamazulene essential oil
• Calendula Petals
• Maple Syrup
• L-theanine  -GMO-free, no added salicylates
• Methylcobalamin (Active Vitamin B12)
• Optimized Folate

Balancing Act Tisane

This herbal blend used dry or as a steeped elixir should aid in the balancing of those times when your bird experiences times of hormonal unrest.

• Red Clover Blossoms
• Chaste Berry
• Raspberry Leaves
• Parsley
• Thyme
• Manuka Honey
• Clary Sage Essential Oil
• Ylang Ylang Essential Oil
• Geranium Essential Oil
• Methylcobalamin (Active Vitamin B12)
• Optimized Folate

Easy Energy Tisane

This herbal blend is for the bird who seems lethargic and/or depressed. You, as the caregiver, desires to see your feathered companion more active, alert, and joyful, but you wish to increase your bird's energy level without stress. "Easy Energy" combines the constituents of Croatian Chamomile, Green Rooibos Tea, and Green Tea / Flowering Tea, which may potentially aid in lifting your bird's overall metabolism.

Green tea has been known for centuries in China to elevate moods, boost the metabolism while calming the senses due to naturally occurring theanine contents. Watch as your bird's hand-tied flower blooms in front of your eyes…and yes, the flower is organic and edible!

• Green Tea / Flowering Tea of Your Choice
• Croatian Chamomile
• Green Rooibos – Caffeine-free and low in tannins
• Manuka Honey
• Methylcobalamin (Active Vitamin B12)
• Folate

How to prepare flowering/blooming teas:

1. Place one blooming or flowering tea ball in a clear, medium to large-sized glass teapot or tempered glass pitcher. (You can use a medium to large Pyrex bowl or measuring container, or your bird's stainless steel bowl)
2. Prepare the water. ...
3. Pour the hot water into the glass container.
4. Watch for three to five minutes as it unravels from a tiny ball into a beautiful flower-like bloom.

YouTube: https://youtu.be/4COPalSN2Zo

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytotelma

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0PCVrDowR0

The scientific name for "Tisanes" is "phytotelma" (plural phytotelmas or phytotelmata) (biology) A small, water-filled cavity in a tree or any similar environment such as the axil of a bromeliad.

Phytotelma (plural phytotelmata) is a term for water bodies held by terrestrial plants. The water accumulated within these plants may serve as the habitat for associated fauna and flora. Often the faunae associated with phytotelmata are unique. http://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev.es.02.110171.002255?journalCode=ecolsys.1

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.  The water accumulated within these plants may serve as the habitat for associated fauna and flora. "...phytotelma communities are principally based on detritus of external origin, that is, fallen leaves and drowned terrestrial invertebrates. Another attribute of phytotelma communities is that vertebrates are absent except for tadpoles in some phytotelmata." (Ref:https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233727086_2_Phytotelmata)

Tadpoles are found in some phytotelmata. So it stands to reason birds may also consume these tiny floras and faunas who inhabit these pools of water obtaining, not only the trace minerals from the water but also the animal protein and other nutrients from the live inhabitants living in the phytotelmas. 

©2017 Passion Tree House LLC – Machelle Pacion – TheBestBirdFood.com