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A Balanced Hookbill Diet for Large and Small Birds
A Product of
Avicultural Care & Nutritional Research Inc.
2304 Grove Lake
Lake Alfred, FL 33850
(863) 307-8580 Fax (863) 956-0481 email:
info@breedersblend.com
Analysis, Price List, Ordering
Hand fed Baby Birds
WPT-USAGoldenConureFund
This product is manufactured
by:
Kauffman's Animal Health, Inc.
21 Keystone Drive
Lebanon, PA 17042
www.ka-hi.com
Kauffman's Animal Health specializes
in custom blended agricultural feeds.
If you have any specialty needs
feel free to give them a call.
After almost 20 years of owning and breeding parrots I
have combined my experiences, the knowledge of an AAV veterinarian and
the expertise of a veterinary nutritionist to develop a revolutionary new
parrot diet.
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Cold Pelleted
Cold pelleting assures minimal to no nutrient
loss during manufacturing. Studies Have proven that natural nutrients are
more readily absorbed than synthetic nutrients. Cold pelleting leaves the
natural nutrients intact so that the need for synthetic nutrients is not
so great. Currently most pellets are produced with one of two processes.
Extruded
pellets are produced at temperatures between 400 and 650 degrees and afterward
supplemented with synthetic nutrients sprayed on the outside of the pellet
to make up for the damage that the heat has done to the natural nutrients,
leaving the density of vitamins and minerals on the exterior of the pellet
where it is easily depleted with exposure to ultra-violet rays and oxygen.
Steamed
pellets which are produced using moderate heat, (around 230 degrees) use
binders (added starches or clays) to hold the particles together. These
starches break down into simple sugars. Lysine and other amino acids are
the building blocks of the protein chain . An interaction between dietary
simple sugars and lysine results in a chemical complex that makes lysine
unavailable to the animal. Some manufacturers argue that the heat is needed
to pasteurize the food and make it more digestible. Parrots have evolved
over millions of years eating raw materials and their digestive systems
have developed to metabolize raw food. The extrusion and steamed pelleting
processes destroy many if not most of the natural nutrients leaving the
pellet that is produced as simply a vessel to carry the synthetic nutrients
to your bird. Because of the inherent risk of molds and mycotoxins in corn
we do use roasted corn in this product. We feel that the risk outweighs
the benefit with this one ingredient. Aflatoxins are the toxic byproducts
of mold growth on certain agricultural commodities. We monitor the aflatoxin
levels in this food very closely. The FDA has set industry standards for
aflatoxins in feeds fed to meat producing animals. Since there are
no standards specifically set for pets at this time we use these standards
for guidelines. To view these standards click
here and go to section 683.100. The latest analysis of Breeder's Blend
showed that the aflatoxins were below detectable levels. Molds were also
so low that they could not be identified.
Some people may argue that using heat
in the processing is necessary to kill off any pathogens that may be in
the grains used to produce the final product. Look at this realistically.
Cooking something may kill off the pathogens for a short period of time,
but it will do nothing for the long term, and most formulated avian diets
are produced long before the bird owner purchases them. For the long term,
using heat only destroys natural nutrients. Moreover, heat may kill off
some pathogens but will do nothing to the aflatoxins left behind. They
will remain fully intact. The only way to remove aflatoxins is through
an ammoniation process. Foods that have been through this type of process
are not recommended for human consumption, so you shouldn't use it on your
birds either. The answer to the problem is to start out with high quality,
clean grains; produce only enough to last for a reasonable period prior
to sale; and package it in containers designed to keep the product fresh.
This is exactly how Breeder's Blend bird food is manufactured.
Current research has proven that spirulina
holds many health benefits for your birds. Studies have been made with
spirulina on humans and other animals testing its immune system stimulating
properties. These tests include bacterial, fungal, viral and cancer cell
response to spirulina when ingested. This blue green algae also offers
a rainbow of pigments to produce beautiful feather color and sheen. Spirulina
manufacturers recommend 1/2% spirulina in your birds daily diet. Breeder's
Blend is 1% spirulina blended throughout the pellet (not just added to
the outside after processing) to assure that after supplementing with vegetables
and your birdís favorite treats that they will get their recommended daily
allowance of spirulina.
The low fat level of this diet assures
that if it is kept in a cool dry place, it should have a natural shelf
life of at least a year. You should always feed your bird fresh food. It
is not necessary to add artificial preservatives to extend the shelf life
of this product. We manufacture only enough product to last about a month
or two before it is sold. Mother nature put hulls and shells on seeds and
grains to preserve them. The grains that are used in this product are left
intact until just before processing. Some manufacturers are using ethoxyquin
as a preservative which used to be used as a herbicide, is currently used
as a rubber preservative in tires and may possibly be linked to health
problems in birds and other animals.
Most formulated diet manufacturers use
soy meal as a protein source. Soy meal is a very inexpensive unrefined
protein source and tends to be difficult to digest resulting in the production
of protein byproducts. Protein byproducts must be excreted through the
kidneys and excesses can create kidney problems. Breeder's Blend uses a
lesser quantity of a high quality protein source, soy protein concentrate.
Because it is much more refined it is also much more digestible, and more
easily metabolized. Breeder /growth diets with high levels
of protein (usually around 20%) raise concerns for the adult male bird
who is consuming excessive levels of protein and has no uses for it, increasing
the risks of kidney problems. Breeder's Blend has been developed to have
sufficient levels of very digestible protein for egg production in females
and proper development in young birds without the adverse effects to the
adult males. This formulated diet can singly be used on pet birds as a
maintenance diet as well as on breeders and young developing birds.
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No Animal Proteins or By-products
Some manufacturers have said that animal
proteins and byproducts contain certain amino acids essential in the avian
diet not found in any other food source. This statement should be revised
to say any other cheap food source. Spirulina contains all
of the amino acids that current research has shown to be essential in the
avian diet. Spirulina is very expensive and can be damaged by the high
temperatures that the other manufacturers are using during their processing.
There has been a lot of controversy between the many pellet manufacturers
about whether or not the avian digestive system can withstand animal proteins
on a daily basis without causing damage. Realistically parrots do eat certain
insects and grubs. They have also been observed eating on animal carcasses
periodically, but not on a daily basis. Can their liver and kidneys deal
with animal proteins on a regular basis? The jury is still out on that
one. We have played it safe. We have used spirulina to make sure that your
bird will get all of the essential amino acids without the risk of the
potential damages that animal proteins may cause. There is also concerns
for the quality of the animal proteins used in animal feeds. These are
usually ingredients that can not meet human FDA standards and would be
discarded if there were not an animal feed industry intact to purchase
them.
The cold pelleting process allows us to
implement certain ingredients that are heat sensitive. Manufactures of
steam pelleted or extruded pellets can not use these ingredients because
they would not survive their manufacturing processes.
An enzyme blend of protease, amylase,
cellulase, lipase and pectinase has been added to Breeder's Blend pellets.
Studies of this blend have shown that it hydrolyzes feed components to
a more usable form, accelerates antibiotic absorption, increases bone structure
and produces more muscle and less fat in boiler chickens.
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Avian Specific ProBiotics
Probiotics are good bacteria, sometimes
referred to as normal flora. All living animals have good bacteria in their
digestive systems to aid in digestion. During times of stress, illness
or antibiotic treatment these essential bacteria can become depleted. Theoretically
if the gut is full of good bacteria there is less opportunity for the growth
of the pathogenic bacteria. We have added avian specific probiotics to
Breeder's Blend pellets, so that even during times of stress, illness or
antibiotic treatment your bird will constantly be supplemented with good
bacteria.
The Proper Feedingof
your bird. An article on the generalized proper feeding of parrots.
Analysis
Price List, Ordering
Places to Purchase
Majestic
Cocka2s is a great place to purchase Quality birds and products.
It is also a good place for
avian related information.
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If you would like to place an order call 863-307-8580,
or email us at
info@breedersblend.com
This site was created by Glenn Reynolds
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