Complete Psittacine by Eb Cravens
April and I just finished reading another positive article about the benefits of apple cider vinegar for humans and psittacines. The following day, we placed three of our birds on a treatment of dilute apple cider vinegar in their water every day for two weeks. One of them is a chronic feather picker, another is a seasonal feather shaver, and the third is an underweight rescue cockatiel with all round poor condition and neglected health.
This is hardly the first time we have used our pet and breeder psittacines’ drinking water bowls to administer avicultural aids. Regularly every few months or so our flock receives holistic worming solution, anti-viral medicine, digestive tonic or simply healthy liquid additives like soluble calcium-magnesium/trace mineral supplement in their daily fresh water supply.
At certain times and for special needs birds, we have added green wheat grass juice, herbal teas, fresh carrot or beet juice, apple, coconut, pomegranate, or citrus juice to water dishes. All our additives have certain specific benefits and are well accepted by our hookbills. Some pet parrots actually prefer a small portion of juice in their water during or after a meal. It can encourage ‘lazy drinker” psittacines like our pet Noble Macaw, Forrest, to drink more liquids in their daily diet. This is especially true if your city piped in water supply is antiquated or not the best tasting.