ACE-High

Certain bird groups, particularly parrots and Australian finches, have been shown to have a high requirement for vitamin A which is often not met from the diet. Seed eating parrots actually get very little vitamin A, even those getting fruit, carrots and the traditional sources of green foods and rape seed must convert the dietary carotene to vitamin A, a process which may well not be very efficient. Deficiency problems range from poor fertility and hatchability in eggs, to snuffles, pneumonia, and feather plucking in adults, even kidney disease leading to sciatic paralysis. We have found that putting an amount into the palm of a clean hand or on a knife point and blowing it at food, scatters it well and increases palatability.