Adding supplements to seed is not very reliable. Most falls to the bottom of the seed container and much of what does stick is discarded when the husk is removed. You have come to this page because your bird is not eating any food that we can use to deliver the supplements effectively. So you must choose whether to introduce something else into the diet or to add supplements to the water. For an explanation of the pros and cons of in-food and in-water supplements please follow this link then return to this page with the back button or the navigation bar to the left.

Assuming you have chosen to add your supplements to the drinking water please read on. For non breeding birds you will need two supplements - Calcivet (CalciBoost) and one of the Essentials products listed below. Do not add supplements to the water of birds eating lots of moist food like fruits and vegetables. These birds do not drink enough water to be properly supplemented.

You will use Calcivet (CalciBoost) once a week added to the drinking water. For Eclectus parrots and African Greys we recommend twice a week. When egg laying commences this will increase to five times a week and continue at this level right through the breeding season. Calcivet (CalciBoost) should be added to the water at the rate of 10-20mls per litre (1-2 teaspoons per pint).The reason for the broad range is because some diets (and tap waters) are much higher in calcium than others so some people will be able to use the lower dose. Others will need the higher dose.

Most people will use Daily Essentials1 as their basic supplement.  As its name indicated it should be added to the drinking water every day. 4 grams (one level teaspoon) should be added to 400mls (2/3rds pint) of water.

For larger collections you may like to try Daily Essentials2 instead. This very concentrated product is 10 times the strength of Daily Essentials1 so is much more economical to use. 5 grams (one level teaspoon) makes 5 litres (81/2 pints) of water.

Often birds on seed and water diets become protein deficient. In particular this leads to poor feather quality, slow moults and reduced breeding. Ideally these birds should be switched to a diet containing a broader range of foods but some birds stubbornly refuse to touch eggfoods, pellets or fruits. For these birds we have developed Fussy Feeder Essentials. This remakable product contains the extra protein required and is highly palatable. We believe The Birdcare Company is the only supplement firm in the world to tackle this difficult technical and nutritional problem. An extra bonus of FFE is that many birds drinking it do start to eat more fruits so can be switched to an on-food system.

It is a good practice to give your birds a regular probiotic. Once or twice a week for non-breeding birds. More for breeders. BioPlus can be used in the drinking water and is added at the rate of 5 grams (one level teaspoon) to 1 litre (2 pints) of water. For breeders Potent Brew is even more effective and is added to the water at the rate of 5 mls (one level teaspoon) to one litre (2 pints) of water. Note that Potent Brew has a 3-4 month shelf life so should be purchased in small quantities.

People wanting to hive their birds the maximum protection against infection may also wish to use Flourish.

We would strongly recommend you add the water sanitiser Aviclens (Saniclens) to your birds' drinking water to prevent the build up of harmful germs. Many diseases are spread from bird to bird through the water and the germs benefit from the supplements too! We regard this as absolutely compulsory with Fussy Feeder Essentials as this is a particularly nutritious mixture.

For information about breeding diets for you birds click this link .

A better understanding of the function of different nutrients and their role in maintaining health and stimulating breeding, growth and feathering can be found by reading our Nutrition Articles.

For information about the many unique and innovative ingredients we use in our product and why we believe they are sthe best supplements in the world read our Innovations page.