Voluntary intake by Hyacinth Macaws (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus)

Citation

Olocco Diz MJ. 2005. Voluntary intake by Hyacinth Macaws (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus). In Graffam W, Hellinga D, Maslanka M, Ward A, Eds. Proceedings of the Sixth Conference on Zoo and Wildlife Nutrition, AZA Nutrition Advisory Group, Omaha, NE.

Abstract

In August 2004 two juvenile Hyacinth Macaws (Anodorhynchus hyacinthus) arrived at Temaikèn Wild Animal Park. Their feathers were in very bad condition and they weighed 1,230 g on average. At the very beginning, a diet with a great variety of ingredients was given. Two months later, during a first 5-day period leftovers were measured. At that moment the animals weighed 1,305 g on average. Once it was identified which ingredients were preferred, during a second 14-day period the animals were offered a new high calorie diet in order to improve their weight. After that, a maintenance diet was given twice a day and leftovers were measured again. The diet consumed during this third 5-day period, was 50% water; 16.86% crude protein on Dry Matter Basis (DMB) and 15.39% crude fat (DMB). At this time animals averaged 1333.55 g. At the end of the trial these birds had increased their feed intake from 9% to 13% of their body weight on an as-fed basis. Their feather colour also progressively improved.

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