When you have a bird at home, you might not be fully aware of whether the weight of your bird is ideal or not. Not many pet owners consider the weight of their birds and think that it can be of any harm when they have birds as pets.Â
So how do you understand if your bird has a normal healthy weight or not?
Birds, when they live outside they tend to eat a lot of things and might not carefully watch their diets. Their energy requirements include amino acids, calcium to name a few. When you have a pet at home, it is important to understand that you are responsible for the nutrients they are getting. You can consult your veterinarian to understand the body composition of your pet bird and feed them Bird food and treats accordingly.Â
How to understand if your bird is underweight, overweight, or has normal weight?
In order to understand if your bird is at an optimal weight the easiest weight to check would be using a weighing scale. There are bird scales available that can help you to monitor the weight of your bird. You can even measure their weights daily to keep track of their weight and notice any small or big differences that there might be. Even a very tiny percentage of weight loss can be a result of some illnesses.
If you have already looked into how to identify the bird’s body composition, you might have heard about feeling the keel bone. This bone protrudes out of the chest of the bird and has muscles attached to either side of it. On a general basis, the edge of the bone can be felt. However, if your bird is too skinny, the bone might be too prominent and if your bird is obese you might not be able to feel the keel bone at all.Â
These are the two popular ways to find out what the weight of your bird is.
What to do if your bird is overweight?
If you notice that your bird is overweight there are a few things you can keep in mind to bring your bird back to its optimal weight.
Getting the right pet toys: If you think your bird is overweight, you can get pet toys that can increase the physical activity that your pet is required to do. The Best bird toys are available online which can help in increasing their level of fitness. You can also get ropes and ladders and make physical activity fun for them.Â
Training birds: When you have pet birds, a lot of people might assume that you need not a lot of training. While many of the breeds are obedient, it is still important to understand that birds need training and this training session can also become quality bonding time for you. Training your birds can also result in an increased level of physical activity for them hence losing weight.
What to do if your bird is underweight?
If you observe that your bird is underweight, there are a few common steps you can take.
Diet: Diet and the food you give to your pets can help in gaining or losing weight. Foods such as peanuts can help in gaining pets for your bird. Make sure you increase the protein and fat in your diet.Â
Diet and food can majorly help your pet bird to gain weight and intake all the required nutrition. You can also consult your vet before you decide on a certain diet for your pet.Â
We hope this article helped you to understand the body composition of your chirpy friend!Â