Feed processing effects on digestibility, palatability, excreta fermentation products and blood parameters in blue‐fronted amazon parrots (Amazona aestiva)^†

Abstract

Captive parrots show a high incidence of obesity and other metabolic disorders due to the consumption of unbalanced diets. Therefore, this study evaluated the digestibility and metabolic effects of transitioning blue‐fronted amazons from a high fat diet (sunflower seeds) to processed diets with three degrees of starch gelatinization (SG). The same feed formulation was processed to obtain pelletized feed (PEL) at 27.1% SG; low‐cooked extruded feed (EXTL) at 81.6% SG; and high‐cooked extruded feed (EXTH) at 98.5% SG. Thirty adult parrots were fed sunflower seeds for 90 days, then were distributed in a completely randomized design with 10 repetitions per treatment, and fed one of the three prepared diets for 160 days. Feed palatability, apparent digestibility, excreta concentrations of volatile fatty acids, lactate and ammonia, initial and final radiographic examinations, blood cell counts and glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol, total protein, albumin, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and uric acid levels were evaluated. The data were analysed by an analysis of variance and compared by Tukey's test (p < 0.05). Sunflower seed was more digestible than processed feeds (p < 0.05). Diet processing interfered with fat and starch digestibility (p < 0.001), being higher in the PEL than in the EXTH and EXTL respectively. Transitioning from sunflower seeds to balanced diets reduced serum glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol and AST (p < 0.05) and increased red blood cell, haemoglobin, lymphocyte, monocyte and leucocyte counts (p < 0.01). Radiographs indicated a decreased hourglass (p = 0.015) and a reduced heart‐liver ratio after ingesting the processed feeds (p < 0.05). Feed processing did not affect blood cell counts, serum biochemistry or radiographic examinations. In conclusion, parrots preferred the extruded diet and did not require an extensive SG to properly digest the feed. Consuming the processed diets improved the birds’ metabolism and health.

What We (Don’t) Know about Parrot Welfare: A Systematic Literature Review

“…For instance, human (neonatal) handling was linked to changes in the immune system (68), increased respiration rate (69) and in serum corticosterone concentrations (68); social isolation affected telomere length (70); indoor housing and lack of UV-B lighting increased the risk for vitamin D deficiency (71, 72). An unbalanced diet was correlated with changes in several parameters: feather colour (73), immune system responses (73, 74), plasma, aortic, arterial and hepatic cholesterol levels (75) as well as echocardiographic parameters that were considered to be associated with cardiovascular dysfunctions (76), and higher incidence of atherosclerosis (74) (Table S11).…”

>b<Papagaios Neotropicais (>i<Amazona>/i< spp.) em cativeiro:>/b< causas de morbidade e mortalidade durante o período 2009-2019

“…In general, parrots tended to prefer the extruded diet and didn't need a lot of starch gelatin to adequately digest the feed. The birds' health and metabolism increased after consuming the processed foods (DI SANTO et al, 2019).…”