PCI Cal-Max Powder

*BENEFITS:

Role of calcium in birds:-

Calcium dietary supplement is administrated for good egg shell formation, for good skeletal development in young birds, during the breeding season to prevent egg-binding and in cases of calcium deficiency or calcium tetany.

Calcium is an essential element in the bird’s body. Amongst others it is essential for the correct functioning of the nervous system. Calcium deficiencies in birds regularly result in serious health problems.

If the bird is not given enough calcium, it causes decalcification of the skeleton and bone deformation.

In the hen a calcium deficiency during the breeding period results in poor egg shell formation and even to egg-binding. Giving extra calcium to birds during the breeding and growth season is therefore strongly recommended. Sufficient calcium ensures good egg shell formation and the development of a healthy skeleton.

ACTIVE CONSTITUENTS:

Each 250 gm contains
Calcium lactate 11.5%
Calcium gluconate 11.5%
Calcium carbonate

DIRECTIONS FOR USE

Preventively:
1 level measure (= .5 gm) twice a week per 100 gm eggfood.

Before and during the breeding season:
2 level measures (= 1 gm) daily per 100 gm eggfood.

In case of a calcium deficiency:
3 level measures (= 1.5 gm) daily per 100 gm egg food.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Calcium is vital to breeding birds

Without sufficient calcium, eggshells can be defective causing clutch desertion as the hatchlings never hatch. Calcium is needed in large quantities for egg shell production and for the healthy growth of the new born chicks. Without it young birds can be unhealthy, deformed or even die.

Calcium in their diet

In order to produce calcium quickly for egg laying and then to provide calcium for a couple of weeks or so whilst their young birds grow a strong skeleton, would require huge numbers of insects or seeds from which that extra calcium would be required, that simply are not be available in sufficient numbers to provide the much needed boost in calcium the birds would need. Indeed research has found that insects and seeds alone may only provide 10% of the calcium needed for egg laying. birds need to eat calcium to form their egg shells containing the young bird.Specific calcium foraging RIGHT before they lay.

In wild before eggshell formation begins, the egg content has to be almost completed. That makes sense! Female great tits were found to deposit 60% of the calcium in the shell in less than 8 hours, prior to laying. Whereby, the fat and protein deposited in the egg is extended over a 4 day period. A general feature of many wild birds is to lay down the calcium needed to lay the night before laying.

Hypocalcaemia in bird:-

Hypocalcaemia occurring in an adult breeding hen may first produce Infertility;- in that the hen is unable to develop eggs.
If she does produce eggs, they may be soft-shelled, which makes them difficult to lay and unlikely to survive.
The next stage would be egg-binding, when an egg becomes stuck in the oviduct.
This is a common problem, and may also be caused by immaturity of the bird, debility after laying eggs, or a change to cold and damp weather conditions after fine weather.

However, as mentioned previously, Calcium is essential for proper muscle contraction and a mild deficiency will mean that the oviduct cannot contract properly to expel the egg.

EGG BINDING

Egg binding is a common reproductive problem that causes the bird to retain the egg in the reproductive tract, unable to expel it naturally. Female budgerigars, cockatiels, lovebirds, large parrots, and overweight birds commonly suffer from egg binding.

SYMPTOMS AND TYPES

A bird suffering from egg binding will have a swollen abdomen and wag its tail frequently. The bird will also have difficulty balancing on the perch. And its leg may be paralyzed, if the egg presses on a nerve

CAUSES

Egg binding is caused by the inability to expel an egg naturally, and is generally due to a deficiency of calcium in the bird’s diet.

TREATMENT

Do not attempt to remove the egg yourself, as you can cause the bird harm – paralysis or death. Instead, take the bird to a veterinarian. X-rays will be taken to locate the egg and check for any abnormality in egg size. Afterwards, the veterinarian may try natural expulsion of the egg: giving the bird calcium, humid environment, lots of fluids, warmth and lubrication of the passage. They may also inject female hormones like oxytocin and prostaglandin to help the bird expel the egg. If all the previous methods fail, the veterinarian will extract the egg by hand or surgically.

In an acute case of seizures or egg-binding, the only satisfactory treatment is the administration of Calcium by injection from a veterinarian, in which case the results obtained are usually rapid and dramatic.Calcium by injection will not improve eggshell instantly,it is to prevent paralysis.

An egg-laying hen has a tremendous demand for Calcium, and if this is not supplied in the diet, then reserves laid down in her bones will be withdrawn to go to egg production.
This will result in brittleness of the bones showing as stiffness or weakness, and the possibility of bone fractures.

Provided enough Calcium has been available successfully to produce an egg which subsequently hatches, then the next stage for Hypocalcaemia to strike is in the developing chick.
The early nourishment of the chick depends on nutrients contained in the yolk sac, and subsequently that provided by the parents, and if the hen has inadequate Calcium reserves then the chick also will not receive enough.
Its growth will be slow and stunted, and the usual effect is that the growing bones are soft and poorly mineralised.
As the chick gets heavier, the long bones of the legs and wings bend under the strain – so-called “Rickets”, better described as Metabolic Bone Disease.

Such a condition will also occur in a hand reared chick, even if the rearing food contains sufficient Calcium.
This is because it takes a while for the chick to assimilate the mineral from its food, and meanwhile the rapid growth rate coupled with the poor supply from the yolk will still produce bone deformities.
Treatment involves proper supplementation thereafter, but once curvature has occurred the bone will not straighten again by itself.
Theoretically, it is possible surgically to break and reset the bent limb, but rarely is this very successful.

Owners and breeders need to be more aware of the prevalence of this condition, and its prevention by the provision of an adequate diet or of Calcium-rich supplements.

Calcium is usually offered in the form of cuttlefish bone, mineral blocks, or oystershell grit, but these products have some disadvantages.Many birds will not touch them, or if they do, tend just to destroy the substance without ingesting it.Even if they do eat cuttlefish bone, the form of Calcium available is poorly digested – perhaps only 2% of that taken in is absorbed into the bloodstream.

Always remember that Calcium given orally will block the absorption of Tetracycline antibiotics, so the two drugs should not be used together.

Soluble Calcium supplements administered in the drinking water are perhaps more immediately beneficial.

Conclusion

No matter which bird comes into your home, read and ask your veterinarian questions regarding your bird’s specific nutritional needs. Feeding a balanced, varied diet will play a major role in helping your pet bird live a long and healthy life.