# Calcium Drops



## Ichigo (Sep 7, 2011)

Hey all,

I have a cockatiel which have egg laying cycles where she gets really weak to the point I need to take her to the vet and they give her Calcium shots for her to be able to lay the eggs without any problem.

The same issue arised already 2 times and most likely it's because of calcium deficient so I want to be more prepared to the next cycles..

So I was wondering about the Calcium drops.. how much is recommended to put in water (in drops and ml?) on her laying egg cycle time?

She already has cuttlebone and that other vitamin block, and she does eat from it, but I have read somewhere that it's just a myth and hardly any calcium really gets absorbed unlike the Calcium drops.


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

Do you have calcium drops made for birds or a product made for humans? If you can tell us the brand name we can look up the ingredients.

Cuttlebone can be a good source of calcium, but the bird needs to get vitamin D from a different source before she can absorb the calcium. Calcium drops for birds have vitamin D in them, and also have instructions on the label about how often to give it to the bird.


There's more information on vitamin D at http://talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=27549 You can provide vitamin D by taking her outdoors for half an hour of natural sunshine several times a week. A nutritionally complete pellet is a good source of vitamin D. There aren't a lot of other dietary sources of vitamin D, but cooked egg will provide some. Birds who aren't breeding can have cooked egg once or twice a week, and birds who are breeding can have it every day - about 1/4 teaspoon per adult bird. A good full-spectrum light bulb will provide UVB rays that have the same effect as natural sunshine.


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## Ichigo (Sep 7, 2011)

Thanks for the information, I am sure it will come in good use!

I forgot to mention I didn't yet buy calcium drops so I wouldn't exactly know which one is recommended, and which is the most easiest to find at pet stores..

I also got a male tiel in the same cage so I am still unsure how to avoid the male from drinking the calcium if I give her any..


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

There are several different brands of calcium drops for birds but they all seem to have the same formula. Not all pet stores carry it, so it's best to call your local pet stores asking if they have liquid calcium for birds. The brand doesn't matter. If you find a store that has it you can go buy it, and if you can't find it locally you can order it from the internet.

If you're just giving the calcium as a maintenance procedure to non-breeding birds, it's OK to let the male share it. But it's possible to overdose on calcium so it's best to not let the male have too much of the liquid calcium if you're actually correcting a deficiency in the hen. The easiest way to deliver the calcium is to mix it with a small amount of moist food that you're sure she will eat, and to keep the male away from it if necessary.


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