FAQ:

Avia Labs:

Why we chose calcium lactate over calcium carbonate :

Although calcium carbonate contains more elemental calcium than calcium lactate the question really comes down to bio-availability which is another way of saying will the bird's body absorb and utilise the nutrient or simply excrete it out.  

Our testing showed  :

  • when dusted on insects calcium lactate (known to be neutral in taste) proved to be highly palatable to birds compared to calcium carbonate.
    •  Side note : insects dusted with calcium carbonate were effectively ignored during our trial.
  • calcium lactate is water soluble calcium carbonate is not. Calcium lactate is more versatile as it can be applied in small quantities to various high moisture content ingredients. This is why it is included as a key ingredient in many human foods to increase calcium content whereas calcium carbonate is ignored .
    • Side Note: We also trialed various uses of calcium lactate in our birds diet adding it to cucumbers, home made soft foods and dried insects with a slight moisture added, we encourage you to do the same. 
  • calcium lactate can be ground into a higher mesh rate more efficiently in manufacture than calcium carbonate increasing the adhesion period the formula stays on the insects surface ensuring higher rates of calcium absorption.

Why we added Vitamin D3 to the formula :

The active form of Vitamin D3 or Calcitrol in unison with the Parathyroid hormone (PTH) is responsible for calcium and potassium regulation within the body.

Vitamin D3 (inactive form) can only be absorbed by your bird by two means:

  • Endogenous synthesis through
    • exposure to direct sunlight in the ultraviolet wave (preferably 285-315 nm) directly to the skin of the bird and;
    • ingestion of an animal source or by supplementation (Vitamin D3) or plants and some invertebrates (Vitamin D2) the later generally speaking is less bioavailable.
  • Why your bird lamps and indirect forms of sunlight are a poor source of ultra-violet light:
    • commercial bird lamps vary in quality and functionality however as a general rule the further in distance and direct exposure to the birds skin the light source is the less ultraviolet light your bird is exposed to.
    • You can test your own bird room efficacy by using a Digital Ultra-Violet Radiometer or Solar meter to test the efficacy of your bird-room.
    • In many cases a bird that is a few inches from the light source  results in UVB exposure effectively zero.
    • Ultra-violet light is blocked by glass windows and therefore cannot be relied upon as a source of light within the desired wavelength.
  • What are the consequences of inadequate UVB or Vitamin D3 supplementation:
    • Parathyroid hormone (which is one half of the calcium potassium regulation system) minus Calcitrol or the active form of Vitamin D results in increased levels of Calcium in the blood serum as well as excretion of Potassium, this calcium (in part) is taken from the bone in a process called osteoclast where the bone breaks down and will eventual become brittle. The consequences developing chicks is even more detrimental

 

  • Why are Essential Amino Acids Critical in your Birds diet?
    • amino acids are the building blocks of protein development in the body. 
    • proteins in their various forms are crucial in the formation and maintenance of a bird's body. 
    • there are 20 amino acids in total these can be classified as either essential, semi essential or non-essential.
    • broadly an essential amino acid is an amino acid that cannot be synthesised by the body due to the body lacking specific enzymes.
    • The essential amino acids are arginine, isoleucine, leaucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan and valine.
    • A non-essential amino acid is one that can be synthesised in sufficient amounts during the life cycle of the bird.
    • Semi essential amino acids are those that might meet the bodies requirement during part of its life cycle or if precursor amino acids are in sufficient quantities.
    • as a general rule, amino acid requirements various during a birds life cycle with the highest at chicks hatching and rapid grow gradually declining as the bird approaches adult size only to increase during reproduction especially in egg laying females and again during the bird's molt.
  • Why crude protein is a meaningless metric when designing your birds diet. 
    • Because crude protein in itself does not allow you to determine the level or even presence of the essential amino acids or any specific amino acids it is largely a question of how much you are willing to risk this form of protein during what is usual a critical time of your birds development.