Hosted by Dr. Greg Harrison, DVM of Harrisons' Pet Products
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Greetings and use me up!
Thank you Jean for making this new media avaiable. I look forward to being of service to all who want to get the most out of our products, use my experience or just chat.
I just wanted to stop by and thank you for such a great product. Time and time again I see a positive change (appetite, plumage, temperment) in my new rescue birds when Harrisons is introduced to their diet in place of dyed pellets or poor quality seed mixes. Most recently my newest rescue, a 9 yr old CAG, has shown improvement in feather quality and has stopped plucking the feathers around his crop.
I do have a question though. How do you feel about adding antioxidant rich fruits to the diet? For example, I add goji and blueberries to bird bread and sparingly in foraging toys.
Okay, so two questions. What is your opinion of using organic herbs? For example I use chamomile with birds of a nervous/stressed disposition and believe I have seen results (less inclined to startle in training sessions, reduction in repetitive behaviors) although I could also be seeing what I want to see LOL
Thank you for the great report. Since our food is manufactured (cooked) it is a good idea to use antioxidant products like the blue berries. I have had no experience with goji berries. Tell me about them.
I think organic herbs are great and many of our ingredients meet herb standards like spirulina, alfalfa and kelp.
I was never impressed with getting birds to calm down with herbs. I always felt many were hyper because of hormone stimulation so I tried to watch owners behaviors that stimulate courtship actions like over preening (petting) and keep foods away that stimulate breeding. Foods like sweet corn, grapes seemed to need to be limited. Any sweets. Often even nuts. I found our organic red palm oil and limited flax or organic hemp gave the oils many birds need without the breeding stimulation of other nuts.
Well I thought I had subscribed to this, but apparently not! So I apologise for the delay in response.
Goji berries aka wolfberry have been put in the same category of "superfoods" as blueberries due to it's high levels of antioxidants. I don't have a subscription, but based on what little is available there are a number of studies published on Pubmed supporting this. They are normally bought dried, but I have found my birds prefer them reconstituted in a little water either in bird bread, or as part of a chopped veggie and berry mix (lots of leafy greens, squash, berries). My lovebird is the only one who prefers them dried, and I use them hidden around his cage for foraging opportunities.
I have a TAG and was wondering about the UV requirements for the species. Currently, I have two 110 VHO AquaSun lights in the room with the bird cage that are on 4 hrs per day. The manufacturer only provides the color temperature which is 10,000 degrees K.
I just wanted to stop by and thank you for such a great product. Time and time again I see a positive change (appetite, plumage, temperment) in my new rescue birds when Harrisons is introduced to their diet in place of dyed pellets or poor quality seed mixes.
ReplyDeleteMost recently my newest rescue, a 9 yr old CAG, has shown improvement in feather quality and has stopped plucking the feathers around his crop.
I do have a question though.
How do you feel about adding antioxidant rich fruits to the diet? For example, I add goji and blueberries to bird bread and sparingly in foraging toys.
Okay, so two questions.
What is your opinion of using organic herbs? For example I use chamomile with birds of a nervous/stressed disposition and believe I have seen results (less inclined to startle in training sessions, reduction in repetitive behaviors) although I could also be seeing what I want to see LOL
Thanks!
Thank you for the great report. Since our food is manufactured (cooked) it is a good idea to use antioxidant products like the blue berries.
ReplyDeleteI have had no experience with goji berries. Tell me about them.
I think organic herbs are great and many of our ingredients meet herb standards like spirulina, alfalfa and kelp.
I was never impressed with getting birds to calm down with herbs. I always felt many were hyper because of hormone stimulation so I tried to watch owners behaviors that stimulate courtship actions like over preening (petting) and keep foods away that stimulate breeding. Foods like sweet corn, grapes seemed to need to be limited. Any sweets. Often even nuts. I found our organic red palm oil and limited flax or organic hemp gave the oils many birds need without the breeding stimulation of other nuts.
Well I thought I had subscribed to this, but apparently not! So I apologise for the delay in response.
ReplyDeleteGoji berries aka wolfberry have been put in the same category of "superfoods" as blueberries due to it's high levels of antioxidants. I don't have a subscription, but based on what little is available there are a number of studies published on Pubmed supporting this.
They are normally bought dried, but I have found my birds prefer them reconstituted in a little water either in bird bread, or as part of a chopped veggie and berry mix (lots of leafy greens, squash, berries). My lovebird is the only one who prefers them dried, and I use them hidden around his cage for foraging opportunities.
Thanks for the tip. What does your avian veterinarian find these do for your birds?
ReplyDeleteI have a TAG and was wondering about the UV requirements for the species. Currently, I have two 110 VHO AquaSun lights in the room with the bird cage that are on 4 hrs per day. The manufacturer only provides the color temperature which is 10,000 degrees K.
ReplyDelete