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Cuttlebone for parakeets is more than a treat for these budgies! They help strengthen their beaks too.
First, let’s do a quick introduction to the term ‘Cuttlebone”
Cuttlebone is really not a bone (I know what you’re thinking), but a calcareous shell of a squid-like creature known as Cuttlefish.
It is a natural calcium product that is very rich in calcium and other minerals such as magnesium, zinc which is why it is used for birds and other animals such as tortoise.
This calcium bone is available at any pet store, or you can buy from any person who lives near the sea, or might even get them yourselves on the beaches.
It’s not easy to find them but if you are lucky enough to find them, they’re totally worth it.
Because it is not always available, some people prefer to use mineral/calcium blocks instead. Cuttle bones are important for budgies during the egg laying stage for the formation of healthier and stronger eggs.
They come in different sizes and are brittle to touch.
Note: You should clean them properly before feeding them to your parakeet if you found them on the beach.
Cuttlebone for Parakeets
Why You Must Own One for Your Parakeet Care
For new and old parakeet owners, a cuttlebone is a “must-have”, and more than 80% of parakeets love this addition to their cages.
It help’s your birds beak, bones, feathers and toenails stay strong by supplying them enough calcium. Plus, it gives your birdie the much needed minerals.
Cuttlebone can also aid parakeet in grooming. You will agree that birds like parakeets love to peck and destroy stuffs. So when they rub their beak against the rough surface of a cuttlebone, it grinds away the outer layers of the beak, leaving room for growth.
It helps in beak maintenance. An overgrown beak can pose problem(s) to you and your bird because it can make eating difficult, which can lead to malnutrition.
How to Get a Bird to Use a Cuttlebone
Cuttlebones are very vital for a bird. But sometimes it’s hard to make them really have it. Each bird has its own preference. In that case, you can try offering it in a different way.
Turn the cuttlebone sideways to see if your bird has a preference, or stick it through the bars in the cage so that it is jutting forward into the cage rather than hanging flat against the cage wall.
Additionally, place the cuttlebone near a perch so your bird doesn’t need to hang onto the side of the cage while trying to gnaw it. You can also crush up some of the cuttlebone and sprinkle it into their food to make sure that your bird’s body gets enough calcium.
Hope it helps. Enjoy!
Where to Buy One
As earlier stated, Cuttlebone is a calcium material. Cuttlefish have 8 arms and 2 tentacles and are found in oceans across the globe.
The primary component of cuttlebone is calcium carbonate, making it up to 85%. The 2nd biggest component in cuttlebone is organic material, which makes up to 8.9% and is primarily carbohydrate material.
You can buy cuttlebone for parakeets from Amazon Online Store.
You can buy this one:
Living World Cuttlebone
Why Is It Important?
It is true that calcium build strong bones, not only for humans but for birds and other animals too.
Cuttlebone is a vital your bird rubs his beak because it is an important source of necessary calcium and minerals, which helps birds with bone formation and blood clotting.
Cuttlebone is not an expensive source of calcium carbonate and other trace minerals for your bird. It is a natural product and does not in any way contain contaminants and toxins.
On the other hand, a large number of artificial mineral blocks are made from Plaster of Paris. It is also important to know that the artificial mineral blocks contain products like seed or food coloring the manufacturer added.
Like calcium, trace elements are important for both birds and people. The trace elements found within cuttlebone benefit birds, as well.
Iron aids with red blood cell function and formation, copper aids with prosper healing and circulation, Potassium maintains muscle and normal heart activity, and Zinc helps with the immune system.
Aside all of these dietary supplements listed above, cuttlebone has a rough texture, making it an ideal tool to help support beak strength.
Birds can use cuttlebones to help keep their beaks sharp and trimmed. Even canaries and finches will often improve their beak health if you often feed them cuttlebone.
How to Attach Cuttlebone to Cage Instructions
To encourage your bird to chew, hang the cuttlebone in your pet’s cage. Make sure the soft side of the cuttlebone is facing the bird because the hard side might be too hard on their beak (especially when the bird is younger).
All birds need calcium, but not all birds will consume normal cuttlebone. While most parrots will chew up cuttlebone, birds such as toucans or mynahs will not consume eat it in its raw form. However, you can easily scrape cuttlebone into their soft-food mix.
Occasionally, you can get creative by adding toys and perches that contain cuttlebone to your bird treats.
Keep reading for more on Cuttlebone for parakeets
Cuttlebone for Cockatiels
Cuttlebones remain the best source of calcium for your cockatiel.
You should make sure you leave a cuttlebone in your cockatiel’s cage. They are important to your cockatiel’s overall health because of the calcium they contain.
However, they also have lots of other health benefits for your bird:
- They serve as a source of entertainment and activity for your bird.
- They help keep your cockatiel’s beak trimmed and sharp.
- They are really essential for female cockatiels, who need the extra calcium for egg production.
A big number of female cockatiels will lay unfertilized eggs on their won, even if they have no mate. A lack of calcium can lead to egg binding, which can result in death of your bird.
Quick Facts
Cuttlebone are white long funny looking object shaped like a canoe and can be found in bird cages almost everywhere in the world and can be bought at online pet stores like Amazon and offline ones.
But is it really a bone? Is a cuttlebone something pet birds actually need?
The Shell of the Cuttlefish
Cuttlebones for parakeets are not really bones, but are rather the internal shell from the cuttlefish, a member of the cephalopod family of sea creatures.
The cuttlefish is really a mollusc, related to the nautilus, squid, and octopus, and a cuttlebone is an internal shell with gas-filled chambers that helps it move in water and make it thrive.
Uses for Cuttlebone
Over the course of the time, these internal shell structures of the cuttlefish have been used for various purposes. Amidst early uses for the substance include:
- Ground up as a fine powder, cuttlebone made a great polishing agent in toothpaste.
- As a fine powder, pulverized cuttlebone was used as a polishing agent by jewelers.
- Very rich in calcium, pulveritized cuttlebone can be used as a dietary supplement that also serves as an antacid.
- Jewelers also made use of whole cuttlebone as a shaping material for making molds for casting metal jewelry and lots of other small metal objects. They cut bone in half, rubbed halves together until they were perfectly flush, then carved mold shapes into the bone.
Cuttlebone can withstand high temperatures and so was used a s the perfect material for making casts for poured metal.
Living World Cuttlebone
Cuttlebone for Pets
There is not only cuttlebone for parakeets; it serves many other functions for pet birds, as well as other pets in general. Cuttlebone is offered to hermit crabs, turtles, reptiles, and turtles, where they serve a s a good source of additional dietary calcium.
A cuttlebone is awesome for this animals because it floats and doesn’t foul the water like other supplements can.
By volume, cuttles have almost the same level of calcium as eggshell. But it is considered more comfortable to offer cuttlebone rather than feeding eggshells, which needs to be boiled and disinfect before offering them to your pets.
A cuttlebone helps make the cage better looking as adding another object and another texture will make your bird healthy and happy.
Feeding Cuttlebone to Your Bird
There are lots of other ways you can offer cuttlebone to your bird. It normally comes with a set of clips that allows you to attach it to the side of the cage.
Another option would be to secure the cuttlebone to the bars of the cage using a plastic tie. A lot of bird owners have learnt that shoving it into th cage sideways through the bars will encourage the bird to play with it.
If this does not work, you can simply place it on the bottom of the cage, where the constant act of pushing it around and tossing it offers great exercise as your bird polishes its beak and ingests additional calcium.
If your bird does not engage in the activity of playing with a cuttlebone, another option is to just break off bits and offer it sprinkled on top of its food. Some parakeet parents prefer to use a mortar and pestle to rind up the cuttlebone.
Whichever method works and is acceptable as long as it offers the calcium your bird needs.
Minerals
Cuttlebone for parakeets provides calcium to your already balance diet of fruit and seed, you feed it. Let’s not forget the additional minerals it offers.
Calcium, which helps your bird’s feathers, beak, bones, and toenails stay strong. While vegetables and fruits can be a good source of calcium, a bigger number of parakeets prefer to pick and choose which foods they will eat, which can lead to deficiencies.
So, what are cuttlebone benefits for skin?
Cuttlebones are an important source of calcium, as well as other trace minerals your bird needs.
Beak Maintenance
Each time your bird rubs his beak against the rough surface of a cuttlebone, he’s helping to keep himself groomed. The cuttlebone grinds away the outer layers of the beak, leaving plenty room for growth.
An overgrown beak can prove to be a problem because it can make eating real difficult, which can lead to malnutrition. While your bird scrapes away at those dull outer layers, he’s also exercising his jaw.
Concerns
A cuttlebone is a natural product and is in no way a bone at all. Rather, it is the inner shell of a squid-like cephalopod known as a cuttlefish.
Some people worry about the cuttlebone getting contaminated but according to the Humane Society of the United States, cuttlebones are safe for birds to use.
Note: If you are a vegetarian and would prefer your bird nt consume animal products, you can always use a mineral block to supplement his need for calcium instead of a cuttlebone.
Considerations on Cuttlebone for parakeets
Remember, to change position of cuttlebone if your bird does not like it.
Cuttlebone for parakeets are an excellent way of treating your birds nice. Get your bird some from stores today!
Living World Cuttlebone
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