Is daily calcium supplementation too much for my bird's diet?

Thanks for reaching out about Peaches. Does the diet normally include any calcium sources, such as green vegetables? Calcium supplements do need to be kept within reason, as oversupplementation can lead to calcification of kidneys. Are the eggs soft? Photoperiod manipulation, removing nests, separating from mates, can all help to reduce egg laying. A veterinary visit is recommended as some hormones might help. Good luck.

Birds require calcium for more than just egg laying. It strengthens bones, aids in enyzme and hormone function, muscle development, nerve transmission and certain metabolic processes among other biological functions. A cuttlebone or mineral block should always be available. Limit dehydrated fruits that can be high in sugar. Fresh fruits, vegetables and greens would be preferred. They should make up no more than 25% of the diet. Pellets should make up the majority of her diet at 75%. Fresh foods can make up the remaining 25%. Generally, anything good for you is good for her except for chocolate, caffeine, alcohol and avocado.

You should not need to be supplementing these items as long as the parents are feeding the baby from their own balanced diet, or you are providing a baby bird formula for the bird to eat. You can however, provide extra calcium for the mother to help with any future egg-laying and prevent egg-binding.

It is best to follow the dosing instructions given to your by your vet. It should be fine to still give fruits and veggies as a snack in addition to the vitamins and Naoki's regular diet. If you are concerned about underlying health issues, going ahead with bloodwork is a good idea so you can get a clearer picture of what is going on as well.

You can over supplement calcium so be careful. Use a supplement made for birds and follow the instructions on the bottle. ( https://www.arcatapet.com/item.cfm?cat=24044 ) Normal clutch size is 4-6 eggs.

Thanks for reaching out about your bird. Yellow droppings could be a result of the pigment in the calcium supplement, but is also a common clinical sign of possible liver disease. Stop giving the calcium supplement for a few days to see if the urine returns to a normal color. Good luck.

Unless your vet recommended it specifically, I would be giving eggfood or even cuttlebone/oyster shell as a calcium alternative to the Tums if you need a long-term calcium boost (Tums is great for short-term after an egg-binding episode, but longer term eggfood or oyster shell may be easier on your bird's GI tract). Otherwise, her diet and routine looks pretty good!