Over the years you have been inundated with information about nutrition. Everything from Vitamins to Garlic Oil has been promoted as the salvation of your birds. Claims made about these products range form understated and correct to ridiculous and wrong. The message to remember is that nutrition is complex and there is not a simple answer to all your problems.

This does not mean you should not be thinking about nutrition in your birds - of course you must as it is the key to everything you are trying to do. Nutritional information is increasing and changing day by day, it can be very difficult for busy people to keep up with the latest data and how it applies to your situation.

One aspect of nutrition that does not get much attention is Trace Mineral supply.

There is actually quite a lot known about trace minerals and how they work in your birds. The problem has been trying to determine if supplementation is necessary.

All other animal industries supplement with trace minerals, in the form of  mineral powders, feed additives, lick blocks or the like. Our bird industry lags behind. We concentrate on calcium ( obviously important ) but pay little attention to other minerals which if deficient may cause a host of problems.

TRACEMIN, from Vetafarm has combined all the advantages of a trace mineral supplement in a chemical combination of minerals and proteins. By combining minerals and protein the bird gets the minerals into its body along with proteins that are often in short supply.

The liquid formula of TRACEMIN is ideal for the bird breeder. You do not have to worry about decomposition of your vitamins, the TRACEMIN can be added to any food and to the water and the proven formula takes the guessing out of what minerals your birds needs.

The minerals of most importance are Copper, Cobalt, Zinc, Manganese and Iron. These are the most important Trace Minerals and deficiencies are well recognised. Professor Baines in Poultry Health ^{( 1 )} states that “ minerals are found in plants in varying amounts. The levels vary from region to region, dependent on the reserves or depletion status of the soil, source of water and climatic conditions “. He goes on to say “ The bioavailability of minerals from natural sources varies depending on their solubility or chemical composition.” As soil reserves are depleted in a region or on a farm, then the plants grown there will have a trace mineral deficiency. Those of us who feed seed diets need to take note!

A brief look at the function of minerals in the birds body will reinforce why we need to consider mineral nutrition.

 Manganese deficiency will cause poor growth, reduced egg laying and soft bones. Thin shelled eggs, low hatchability and late dead in shell are also seen.

Zinc deficiency has caused retarded growth, poor feathering and abnormal bone growth. Interestingly if excess calcium is given to the birds then the signs of zinc deficiency are worse! Zinc is critical for normal longevity because of its involvement in tissue repair and wound healing.

Iron is necessary for almost every tissue in the body. Blood components

( haemoglobin ) cannot function without Iron. Iron is a classic case of “ oils ain’t oils”.

Iron from animal sources (Chelated Iron ) is absorbed some 5 times greater than iron from vegetable sources ⁽²⁾. Professor Baines hinted at this when he commented on

 “ chemical composition “ .

Copper is a component of several proteins, enzymes and natural pigments. It is needed for blood, bone, tissue and skin production.

Cobalt, although needed in very small amounts is used as a building block for Vitamin B 12 and in the function of several enzyme systems within the body.

The poultry industry has woken up to the necessity of these minerals in poultry but we in the caged bird industry have been a little slow on the uptake.

So how do we protect our birds form a deficiency of these trace minerals. We can get mineral analyses done on our bird seeds and check the levels. Unfortunately the levels will vary from batch to batch because the seed comes from different places  at different times. You could use a vitamin mineral powder which you add to food or water but there is a problem. Whenever you mix vitamins and minerals in a formulation, the minerals will start to break down the vitamins. Over time you will find a large reduction in the vitamin component of the mixture.

The other factor to consider is the chemical composition of the mineral. Some types of minerals are poorly absorbed, they are cheap to buy but are a waste of money. The best minerals are those that are bound to a protein. Why? Well the protein protects the mineral from being wasted in the gut and it also vastly increases the absorption

 ( bioavailability ) of the mineral from the gut into the blood - where it gets delivered to the tissue that needs it.

Minerals can be bound to a number of proteins but the most useful are those proteins which the body needs anyway. The two most important proteins are methionine and lysine. If you can bind the trace minerals to these essential proteins then you have a double advantage.

The message is always “don’t neglect nutrition“ but at the same time don’t become completely bamboozled by the vast array of things that are available. Use the KISS system.