Evaluation of the consumption of two integral diets for psittacines in captivity in a wildlife rescue unit

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the consumption of nutrients intake in a traditional and aproposed diet for parrots in captivity.Design / methodology / approach: The study took place at Pachuca de Soto,Hidalgo, Mexico. Twelve parrots were assessed in captivity. The traditional diet(TD) provided to the birds was evaluated and a proposed diet (PD) was thealternative. The consumption and the amount of waste of each diet were recordedfor five weeks. PD formula contained fruits, vegetables, and seeds. Data wereanalyzed with the Student's t-test at p< 0.5 significance.Results: TD lacked homogeneity in the ingredients offered during the five weeksevaluation. There were significant differences in the consumption between the two 2 evaluated diets. The individual bird consumption was 349 g for TD and 314 g forPD. The TD was 41.87% fruits and 58.12% vegetables. The PD diet includedseeds supplements. From the second to the fifth week of the evaluation PD hadless waste.Limitations of the study: The age, weight, sex and excreta collection from theparrots were not registered due to restriction rules in the conservation area.Findings / conclusions: The PD offered the requirements that parrots need. It isnecessary to train technical personnel on diet preparation. Feeding frequenciesand food diversity stimulated consumption and waste decreased, improving thenutritional balance of the birds in captivity.