At the bird show, we talked to a lady who breeds eclectus and had a simlilar story like Lucy's (was given hormone shots). We talked to her and she recommended we give her some calcium supplement once a week. We talked to out vet (was there doing sexing) and she said that this was probably a good thing to give her to help her rebound better. I am now wondering if I should give it to Echo. I've heard greys need a lot of calcium and don't know if Echo is getting enough...

Thanks!

While I've heard that greys may need extra calcium, I've also heard numerous times that its very important to run the tests to make sure they're actually deficient first. I'd never give Ollie calcium unless her avian vet ran tests and then told me to supplement.

Greys are usually calcium deficient so I would suggest it. I use a product called Caliboost which I put in their water twice a week. Storm, one of my male greys, used to have calcium seizures when he'd get really really scared. Since I started him on Caliboost he hasn't had one in three years.

Thanks! This stuff is called Calcium Plus. The most you can give is everyother day because whenyou give it, the body will store some and the next day when you don't give it, they use it. Its natural and I'm just putting it in water for now. Thanks again!

You are giving too much and I've never heard of an avian calcium called 'Calcium Plus'. There is one for people (I take it)... Are you sure this is avian calcium? It is true that one should never give calcium seven days a week. The reason for this is that birds move calcium in and out of their bones to produce the egg shells and, when you give them calcium every day, they lose the ability to do this which is a dangerous thing to happen. As to the dosage, calcium is a tricky, tricky thing and too much (hypercalcium) is as bad as too little (hypocalcium). And we are not talking a little thing here, we are talking seizures, we are talking liver damage, we are talking death.

Some species require a bit more than others and females all require more than males (that's why it's so important to sex them). But the dosages need to be tailored to your husbandry and should not be improvised upon: people that feed animal protein (which I don't recommend for any species and it's specifically forbidden with ekkies) should give practically nothing (once a month) because D3 and calcium is found in animal products (they also destroy the liver and kidneys though). People that provide a full day of good quality full spectrum lights, external sources (cuttlebone) and offer often food naturally rich in calcium (broccoli, bok choy), need to provide little (once a week -this is my regimen during the winter, during the summer that the birds get direct sun, I only give them calcium once a month except to the laying hens that get it several times a week). People that don't provide a calcium rich diet and full spectrum lights need to give more (about twice a week). And, during breeding season and when birds are laying, all females regardless of diet or lights should get more.

So, in conclusion, you need to analyze your own bird's environment and diet before you decide how much the bird should be given but it's always good to give them some as no captive bird receives as much direct sunshine as it needs or the diet they evolved to eat.

Personally I would err on the side of caution my self, and get some blood work to see if indeed there is a deficiency. Much of what Beatriz says is correct. And as a side note, it is not that greys need more calcium, but rather much like vasa's who literately lie down on the backs to sun bath on the ground, it is the D3 that most greys do not get enough of in order to use the calcium. One field study test huge flocks of wild greys and found,(I am obviously paraphrasing as to the details) found that the greys wild diet does not contain that much more calcium rich foods than new world parrots and that the main difference is the amount of sunlight exposure between new world and old world parrots. I have an extensive and highly copywritten field study on Ekkies that might interest you. But I must email it as it can not be reprinted. And it took a friend of mine who works for the state to get it. My computer however is down due to a virus, so when I get it back if you would like to read this study I can send it to you. Just pm me your email. It turns out that Ekkie with the exception of diet are a lot like vasa's and this info may help you.

Yes, I am positive this is for birds. If it wasn't I wouldn't be giving it to them (I'm not clueless when it comes to vitamins and supplements, we have a professional who actually sets up these things in my dad's office, so I'm no stranger to what is for people and what is for animals). I an NOT giving it 7 days a week or even every other day. Once a week, every Monday, no more. What you said about them moving it in and out of bones etc is exactly what this lady said, word for word. Becaue our vet was there and we were able to talk thouroughly to her and she thinks that after the recent blood work done on all the birds (only 2 months ago) that this would be good for them as a once a week thing.

Kimba, I would love to read the document. It sounds very interesting and I want to do everything I can to help Lucy stay on track and continue to improve

sorry, you did not say how often you were giving it and had made a reference as to every other day so I thought that was what you were doing which is too much.

And yes, Kimba is right, it is not so much the amount of calcium they need to ingest but the amount of D3 they need to produce which translates into the amount of sun they receive in nature only when we are talking captive birds, it all comes down to the same thing: avian liquid calcium which already has D3 in it... unless we can provide access to direct sunlight, which would be the ideal situation.

And I checked and this Calcium Plus is identical to Calciboost in content so you are on the right track.

Thanks Bea! Sorry if I sounded rude in my last reply, I was typing really quick

I wanted to ask about another product they sell. Its called Feather Fast. The website is Lady Gouldian Finch.com – Superior Birds, Supplements, Medications & Supplies. Its the only place I can find that sells it and wonderif it would benefit Lucy's poor feather quality?

Here's a link to the product ingredients, etc. Lady Gouldian Finch .com - Feather Fast, and the manufacturer is Red Bird Products. I would run it by your vet at least, and perhaps any Ekkie specialists you're in contact with. I always worry about over-supplementing, but that's just a gut level feeling with me. I'm sure there are cases where it is beneficial and called for.