can mynah birds eat bread?

Too often, bird owners assume they are feeding a proper diet to their pets when, in fact, they are not. Poor nutrition is a common cause of many health problems in birds. Mynah birds have specialized dietary needs. Before you consider having one as pet, you should be familiar with their nutritional requirements so that your Mynah bird can be healthy and thrive.

Mynah birds are omnivorous. In the wild, they eat a huge variety of fruits, insects, larva, amphibians, lizards, small snakes, eggs, baby birds, baby rodents, and they scavenge for garbage occasionally. Mynah birds are not seed-eaters in the wild.

Mynah birds do not chew/bite their food into pieces like parrots do. For this reason, they should be provided with food in small, easy to swallow, bite sized pieces. Consult your veterinarian with any questions regarding your Mynah bird’s health and nutrition.

Pelleted Diets. Pellets have been developed to meet all your bird's nutritional needs. Pellets are nutritious, easy to feed, and since pellets are dry, bird droppings tend to be less messy when birds eat a pelleted diet.

Mynah birds are very sensitive to the iron levels in their food. They should be offered pellets, typically labeled for soft bills, that are low in iron. Some pellets, while nutritious, may contain too much iron. For Mynah birds, this may contribute to the development of iron storage disease, also called hemochromatosis, a potentially fatal disease which causes birds to develop heart and liver failure. Pellets are safe to feed Mynahs if they contain less than 90-100 mg of iron/kg of diet. Check with your veterinarian for their recommendations regarding appropriate pellet choices for your Mynah bird.

Fruits and Vegetables. A large variety of diced fruits (see table below) should be offered to a Mynah every day. Fruits and vegetables must be washed thoroughly to remove chemicals. They should be cut into manageable pieces appropriate to the size of the bird. It is not necessary to remove the skin. Fruits and vegetables should be offered in a separate dish from pellets and other foods. If your bird appears to develop a particular fancy for one food item, reduce its volume, or stop feeding it temporarily to promote the consumption of other foods.

Some suggested fresh food items include:

* Foods with higher iron content (or that increase iron absorption)  should be fed sparingly, if at all, to a Mynah bird.

Small amounts of diced vegetables may also be offered, but vegetables should not comprise a large portion of a Mynah bird’s diet. Pale vegetables, with a high water composition (i.e., iceberg or head lettuce and celery), offer very little nutritional value and should not be offered. Avocado is potentially toxic to birds and should never be fed to them. The acid in citrus fruits increases iron absorption, so Mynahs should not be fed citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit. If they are fed citrus fruits, it should be done so sparingly. Raisins are also high in iron and should be fed rarely or not all. Remove the seeds in fruits before they are fed to birds, as they may be toxic.

Avoid giving green vegetables that are high in iron, such as peas, green beans, sweet potatoes, and broccoli. All fruits and vegetables must be washed thoroughly to remove chemicals before they are given. If organic produce is available, it is preferable. Consult your veterinarian if you encounter any problems with the diet or health of your bird.

Water. Fresh clean water must be available at all times. If the quality of your tap water is poor, consider using bottled water. Clean your bird’s food and water dishes every day with hot, soapy water, and rinse them thoroughly before using them.

As a rule, nearly any wholesome, nutritious food that you and your family eat can be offered to your bird in very small quantities. Junk food, including chocolate, caffeinated products, alcoholic beverages, and foods high in salt or fat should not be offered.

Occasionally, some birds even enjoy a small amount of lean cooked meat, fish, egg white, or yogurt. Dairy products should be consumed only in small amounts, as birds are lactose intolerant. Once in a while, Mynah birds may also enjoy pinky mice or insects such as mealworms, wax worms, crickets and other insects.

In general, Mynahs eating a base diet of pellets, along with a variety of other foods, do not need supplements. Specific vitamin or mineral supplements may be more important at various times during a bird's life (e.g., calcium supplementation is required when laying eggs). Your veterinarian can help you assess your bird's diet and its particular needs.

Controversy exists over birds’ need for gravel. Previously, it was believed that grit was necessary for the mechanical breakdown of food in the gizzard to aid in digestion. This is true for birds that ingest seeds whole, shell and all. However, Mynah birds eat mostly soft foods and do not require grit or gravel for proper digestion.

Never force them to drink water. They don't need it and you will only end up drowning them.It only takes a tiny amount of water in a Myna's lungs to kill it. Myna's get most of the water they need from their food. Never feed them bread or sugar...in fact if you're not 100% certain of what you should feed them then for heavens sake do a Google search and find out. Your ingnorance will probably kill the very bird you have rescued and are trying to help.

Below are links to websites where people will tell you exactly what you need to do and what you need to feed a Myna bird from baby to adult.

http://www.mynahbird.org/rescue/rescue.html

Some good general info here:http://www.marathonwildbirdcenter.org/baby_birds.html

http://www.wildlifeincrisis.com/guidelines/index.htm

http://www.dailypuppy.com/articles/how-to-care-for-baby-mynah-birds/cfb95146-f4f1-28b4-805a-f24c40963b9b

http://www.ehow.co.uk/how_5818526_care-baby-mynah-birds.html

Some of the sites above list the same things, but that's good because it shows they're all on the same track to correct feeding technique.

When our Aussie Miner was a baby we placed a tiny amount of food on a cotton bud and the bird would open his beak and suck the food off the cotton bud. We used a fresh cotton bud every thrid time to avoid loose strands getting into the baby'south.

We never could find any Mynah bird pellets in nearby pet stores, but we did okay with Insectovroe and Nectorvore made by a comapny called Womabaroo. We also used Lorikeet rearing and condition food powder by Avione.

The lorikeet powder we serve dry. The Insectovore we mix with the Nectorvore and a bit of fruit baby food and serve slightly wet/mushy but not dripping in water.

Most pet shops sell Meal Worms..these are an excellent baby Myna food, but contain a lot of fat and should be given as an occassional treat to an adult bird. We fed our bird Meal Worms off the end of a pair of stamp pliers, the sharp ends sanded blunt to protect the birds mouth.

We would sometimes put a drop of water on the end of our finger or back of our hand and the baby would lick it off with his tongue...but we never forced water down his beak.

Remember baby birds parents don't feed them bread and milk, so neither should you. Lots of human food will kill Myna's. I can't say it enough...if you don't know exactly what to feed a bird or an animal then go Google it and find out. Doesn't take long and the animal will thank you for it by remaining alive and healthy.

People often ask if birds can eat bread and if bread is bad for birds. Because bread causes birds to become full quickly, fliers may skip foods with actual nutritional value. Birding experts Kenn and Kimberly Kaufman say, “We discourage people from feeding bread to birds, as there are far too many potential risks.