Roudybush Breeder Bird Pellets 44 oz

Producing an egg takes a great deal of calcium out of a hen in a very short time, and a hen that does not have it to spare takes it out of her own bones. Roudybush Breeder carries the extra calcium and vitamin D3 that egg production demands, and it is formulated to meet the nutritional needs of the growing chick as well as the parents feeding it.

It is aimed at breeding birds that are already carrying enough weight. For a bird that is thin or working hard feeding chicks, High-Energy Breeder is the higher-protein version.

When to start and when to stop

• Start at least six weeks before breeding. The hen needs reserves before she needs them, not while she is laying.
• Feed it as the sole diet through egg production and chick-rearing.
• Move back to Daily Maintenance once the chicks are weaned.

Roudybush also publish a mix for chronic egg-layers and birds prone to low calcium — African greys especially: one part Breeder to two parts Low-Fat Maintenance. Chronic egg laying is a medical problem as much as a dietary one; do this with your avian vet.

Guaranteed analysis

Ingredients

Ground corn, soybean meal, wheat, calcium carbonate, dicalcium phosphate, soybean oil, sodium bentonite, salt, choline chloride, vitamins A, D3, E and K (menadione sodium bisulfite complex), riboflavin, niacin, calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12, manganese sulfate, zinc oxide, ferrous sulfate, copper sulfate, calcium iodate, sodium selenite, preserved with mixed tocopherols.

Note where calcium carbonate and dicalcium phosphate sit in that list — fourth and fifth. That is the difference from the maintenance formula in one glance.

Choosing the grind

Same formula in every grind. Pick by beak size.

Questions we get asked

Breeder or High-Energy Breeder?
Breeder for birds in good condition through egg production and rearing. High-Energy Breeder when the parents are actively feeding chicks and burning through reserves, and for weaning chicks recovering the weight they lose across the transition.

Do I still need cuttlebone?
Roudybush say no — the calcium is in the diet and supplements on top can unbalance it. Discuss it with your vet if you are breeding a species with unusual calcium demands.

My hen lays eggs without a mate.
That is chronic egg laying and it is a health risk, not a diet question. Ring your avian vet. Feeding a breeder diet to a hen who should not be laying can make it worse.

Can a non-breeding bird eat it?
Not as a permanent diet. The extra calcium and D3 are there for a purpose and are not appropriate long term for a bird that is not laying.

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