Tuesday, June 2, 2015

I don't own birds... they own me


"Button's" health has been improving since I've tweeked her diet by adding cooked food and bringing her outside for some muted sunlight.
 I've been trying to alternate the rest of the birds to bring outside as well for sunlight.This has now been added to the daily routine as well as cooking and cutting up veggies for them.
I had been recently diagnosed having extremely low Vitamin D and I now have full blown osteoporosis. I am relatively young to have such a severe case. The bone density level dropped dramatically within a year span since my last test. I'm not really sure of why but it could be medication (?) I take that could suck calcium from my body, hormonal changes, lack of sunlight from the winter and I now think, overhead fluorescent lights.
With this being said, I think my birds as well  are all suffering from low calcium and low levels of vitamin D.
"Lucille' laid an egg that was paper thin. The colouring on Button's beak was anemic looking. So lately, as well as bringing them outside for sun and air, I've been also feeding them with nice big delicious dandelion greens. These leaves are loaded with vitamin and minerals. I told my husband not to mow down the dandelions in the back. People think dandelions are just pesky weeds but they are actually a golden food source (the dandelion leaves)
On a decent day, I'll bring two birds at a time to sit with me outside. Their food is healthier and my egg layers get a sprinkle of calcium on their food.
I've just started taking calcium tablets and vitamin D3. I do eat calcium enriched foods such as broccoli, collards, spinach and almonds but apparently not enough, and no, I don't eat yogert, cheese or drink milk.
Yuck. Dairy makes me gag.It feels slimy in my mouth.
My doctor prescribed fossamax but it is sitting on my counter unopened. I've heard only bad side effects from taking this stuff-like jaw bone resorption. I haven't heard from a single person so far touting the benefits of this pill.
So there it sits.
Remarkably my beak less pigeon who has/had a bone eating disease appears to be healthy and strong. She sits by the screen to take in the sun. She is kind of fat and flies on occasion but mostly likes to walk. Her main diet is harrison's enriched pellets and pigeon peas. She also loves Indian food in which she will mob me to get a share of my left-overs. She hasn't laid an egg but lately is very "nesty". She took a bottle cap, pushed it under her chest as if it was a egg and guarded it.She has taken over my slippers and charges me if I take them away so I've left those slippers there and I just wear a different pair for now.
I just went food shopping and my thoughts were "what will be healthy and yummy for the birds..oh yeah, what will be healthy for me too.."
My priorities seem to be always about my birds,

2 comments:

  1. This sounds exactly like you, V. Sun for everyone!!!

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  2. Cute picture. It's not like you to wear flats though!

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