Wisbroek’s new range of Parrot feeds
Developing new nutrition
Wisbroek has a lot of experience in developing bird feeds. Over the last years we have heard from several partners that there was an urge for a special feed for parrots. When we visit a new Zoo they often ask us if we also develop Parrot Feeds because they are looking for a better one. So about 2 years ago we have started our research. A research executed with the Wisbroek staff of course, but also many parrot experts, nutritionists, parrot keepers, curators and veterinarians were consulted. Normally the first initial tests (at least 1 year before delivery to market) of our Wisbroek Feeds always take place at Wisbroek. Together with nutritionists and experts, research is being conducted to bring feed to a balanced level as this is a basis for animal health. At the Wisbroek Research & Development Center we didn’t have any parrots at that time, therefore we performed some extensive tests with some prominent partners.
Many information was gathered and interesting points were collected and after all this time we have tried to create, in our opinion, the most complete parrot feed of the market. We developed 2 different kinds of parrot feeds, the Wisbroek Parrot Fruit Blend and the Wisbroek Parrot Nut Blend. One based on fruits and the other one based on seeds and nuts, depending on the parrot feeding strategy. Both feeds are available in a daily blend (Small and Large) and a booster. The Daily Small and Daily Large variant can be combined, depending on the type of bird, because the ingredients are exactly the same. Besides we have developed for the Fruit as well as for the Nut Blend a booster; which can be fed to birds which need extra energy, for example during the breeding season.
Natural ingredients
We really wanted to make a special feed, so we collect more than 30 natural ingredients and transform these in an extruded pellet that will contain all necessary nutrients for welfare of the birds. It contains DHA fatty acids for optimal health and breeding conditions. Most of the minerals have been added in organic form and organic minerals have a higher availability since they are the natural form of minerals in animal diets. It also contains yucca extract which promotes digestion. Besides, the Wisbroek Parrot Nut Blend is based on seeds, nuts and other natural ingredients with a slow carbohydrate availability of slow release energy. Those are just some of the strong points of these feeds.
Personally one of the most interesting conversations we had was with Tony Silva. He really opened my eyes to certain points that today, in my opinion, are crucial in a parrot feed. Among many, the most interesting, was when Tony was telling the urge of having a good maintenance feed for parrots. But not a maintenance feed that will mean a cheaper and therefore incomplete feed. Just a perfect feed for the parrots but with very low values of fat and protein in order to stop them to enter in breeding mode. And when we keep that in mind, that makes a lot of sense! For example, a hornbill which normally eats fruit, will eat, during the breeding season, some small rodents, small birds or even steal some eggs from nests to get the extra protein he needs for this period. The rest of the year he will go back to his frugivorous feeding strategy. The same happens for many other species. But with parrots for example, if they are a fruit eater / nut eater, they will eat fruit or nuts all year long. The difference is that during the breeding season they also have access to fruits, nuts, flowers and leaves with high levels of protein and fat. So we do realize that the reason why many parrots in captivity have so much aggression issues might be that they are in constant breeding mode due to a diet of high fat and protein. Therefore we have created Wisbroek Parrot Fruit Blend Daily and Wisbroek Parrot Nut Blend Daily. Both in a Small and Large variant. These are extruded pellets containing all necessary nutrients for their perfect metabolism, but mimicking the wild, the less abundance and protein and fat will put them in a non-breeding mode. Besides we created the Wisbroek Parrot Fruit Blend Booster and Wisbroek Parrot Nut Blend Booster with higher levels of fat and protein to trigger them for the breeding! With this range of feeds the breeders/keepers/Zoos, can estimate what their birds need and provide them with an adequate diet, by choosing just one of these feeds, or even a mix of them.
Wisbroek Parrot Feeds
We all know that each breeder/keeper likes to make their own mix, add their own ideas, and that’s fantastic! They know their birds, understand what the specific needs of the birds are and which diet fits best, on a daily basis as well as during the breeding season. Our idea of making a premium feed for parrots was to make sure that if you want to give only the pellets, it will be enough, it is a complete feed, with all necessary nutrients present. But if you prefer to make it more diverse, according to seasons and feeding strategy, it can be used in a mixed diet as well, with no problem at all.
We are really excited with this new project and we hope that we can make a positive contribution for the nutrition of captive parrots around the world!
All information about our new Wisbroek Parrot Feeds can be found on our website. Of course we are also happy to answer your questions and provide nutritional advice. Please contact us via: info@wisbroek.com.
