If your bird is losing weight, you must provide it with a scrumptious treat, so the bird can gain weight and lead a healthy life. Weight loss can lead to nutritional deficiency which weakens the immune system and makes the bird vulnerable to different diseases.
Maintaining a healthy weight is essential as it keeps the muscles, feathers, and bones strong and also allows the bird to fly longer distances without feeling tired or fatigued. Thus, it is essential to check whether a bird is underweight or overweight through BMI.
Being overweight can also generate problems in the limbs and joints and bone issues, putting extra weight on the skeletal structure of the bird.
So, here we are about to share 9 tips that would help to maintain a standard weight for the bird.
Why is the Bird Losing Weight?
The common reason for weight loss among birds is stress, which decreases the appetite and also creates an imbalance in the diet. along with this irregular food, and contaminated water. Poor diet plan, parasitic infestation and also boredom can lead to rapid weight loss in birds.
There can be other reasons as well such as eating difficulties, polyuria, diarrhea, renal disease or any other illness.
Tips to Help Bird Gain Weight
If you want the bird to gain weight, then you have to understand the cause, so that proper intervention can be applied. Remember that every bird has different nutrient requirements, based on the species, age and environment and so you must help them to reach their ideal healthy weight by consulting with avian veterinarians.
Feed them Properly
You have to provide the bird with a balanced meal which would help the feathered friend to gain weight, you have to offer them pellets, sunflower seeds, hard-boiled eggs, grains, nuts and cooked beans. You must also add fruit and proteins to the meal, such as tuna, salmon, cooked chicken and more. You can also add supplements such as omega-3 fatty acids, which are meant to boost the appetite of the bird and it is also essential for getting the right quantity of vitamins and minerals.
Give them Variation
You must always offer variation to the food offered to the bird, which should be nutritious and encouraging. keep rotating to food, to cut the monotony, so that the birds can get different types of food regularly. you have included food that would offer energy to the birds and help them maintain a healthy weight.
Add Activities to the Mealtime
You can make the mealtime fun for the birds by providing them with different shapes and sizes, color and textures of food. this would make the food look like an adventure and they would not create a fuss over eating. you need to add a bit of enrichment to the food intake process. You can also create obstacles or play hide and seek with the food dish.
Offer Small Amounts of Meal
To keep the energy level of the bird steady, you can offer smaller and more frequent meals throughout the day. This would help the bird gain weight in inappropriate parameters, but if you provide large meals, then it would lead to an instant gain of weight and also if the food quantity is not monitored properly it makes the bird fatigued.
Keep Accessible Water
You have to keep water accessible for the bird 24/7 so that the bird can stay hydrated and it would also help in digestion. you must keep enough clean water and it should be evenly placed throughout the cage and in areas where they are seen hanging out.
Give them a Source of Calcium
To help the bird maintain their bone strength and prevent certain illnesses, you have to give them calcium supplements. This would also assist in preventing diseases that can affect the kidneys and liver. So, give broccoli, kale, eggshells and sardines and that too in the proper amount.
Give them Healthy Treats
You have to offer them healthy treats which can be a reward for their good behavior. choose treats that are low in fat and sugar content, and so try to offer them dark leafy greens, vegetables and fruits. but you must mix fruits in the diet as they contain a lot of water and can make the parrot full too quickly if a lot is served. They also have low calories and fat, so to gain weight a bird needs to have something rich in calories, such as seeds and nuts.
Allow Them to Exercise
A sedentary life can make the bird overweight, so you must keep them mentally and physically stimulated and give them enough time to exercise. which can help them to adapt to a healthy lifestyle. So, give them toys and encourage them towards active playtime. You can also add climbing ropes, and perches and also allow them to fly freely for a certain duration in a day. This would keep them stress-free and the bird can maintain a healthy body weight. This would also strengthen the muscles and bones. You would find that the birds that fly every day have firm pectoral muscles and the healthy fat turns into muscle mass.
Keep Monitoring the Weight
You also have to keep monitoring the weight of the bird and mark the fluctuation. usually, a change is noticed based on the time of the year and season, so if you notice any difference, you can consult with an avian veterinarian
What are the 6 Healthy Foods to Make a Bird Healthy?
When you are choosing the best food for the bird to help it gain weight, you can give it – sunflower seeds, nuts, eggs, rice, potatoes, and sweet potatoes.
What are the Signs of Being Underweight?
A bird is underweight, which can be visible through signs, such as knee bone visible, loss of muscle mass, behavior change, altered eating habits and decrease in activity level.
