# vitamin c



## chris purvis (Feb 23, 2004)

i was wondering if i could give my birds orange juice for vitamin C...if i cant what is something else that i can give them that doesnt cost a lot and i can get easily. thanks chris


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

Hi Chris, 

Is there a reason why you are just asking about vitamin C? Pigeons should be given a good multivitamin that contains vitamin C. Giving them orange juice is not a good idea, please don't do this. Go to your local pet store and look for some avian vitamins, *Prime* are good ones. There are lots of different brands to choose from and you can also buy them from the various pigeon places like Foy's, Global's etc. The don't really cost that much and a little goes a long way if you don't have too many birds


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Chris, 


Orange Juice really has too little Vitamine C for any bragging rites, compared to regular Potatoes and endless other things, so...it has been just a big advertiseing hype, kinda like the 'Calcium' that is supposed to be in Milk, when, many other common things have much more available Calcium than 'Milk' does...

Good Seeds are pretty near as complete as one might hope for, for their needs, and a little else which the Wild ones tend usually to know about, if we can approximate such with things we can supply.

Far as I know, good Seeds and something for Greens if they will eat them, would do just fine for them. 

Moistening their Seeds very lightly with Cod Liver Oil or Olive Oil allso allows one to get powdered suppliments of different kinds to stick to the Seeds, and usually the Birds like them that way, too, so, that is a good way to get powdered Greens or other things into them for their enhganced or supplimentary nutrition.

A general multi Vitamine in their Water now and then would be good too, and easy to do.

If they are getting good Seeds, and good excercise, and fresh air and Sunlight, they should be doing very well indeed just on those things.

Mine used to love those large Kale one can get at the Grocery Store produce sections, but since then I can not get any of mine to eat it...they think it is going to bite them or something...Lol...


Phil
Las Vegas


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Hi Chris,

Phil and Brad have about summed it up. 

Do not give them anything which we would consume for its vitamin c value. Don't forget that, for us, it is possible to get overdoses of some vitamins and overdoing vitamin supplements can even be harmful - the basic one-a-day multivit is sufficient for most of us, under normal circumstances.

The following information I got from "Pigeons" by Matthew M Vriends:

Pigeons make their own vitamin C in the liver, to combat harmful bacteria. It works in conjunction with vitamin A, such that insufficient vitamin A will result in too little vitamin C being produced in the body.

Vitamin A is found naturally in green peas and yellow corn (maize) - as usually included in a good all-round pigeon mix - and in cod liver oil [see Phil's post], carrots and green vegetables. Some finely chopped carrot or curly kale given the birds will help enhance their vitmin A intake. 

So, a good all round diet will give them small but entirely sufficient quantities of the necessary.

John


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

chris purvis said:


> i was wondering if i could give my birds orange juice for vitamin C...if i cant what is something else that i can give them that doesnt cost a lot and i can get easily. thanks chris



In addition to what has already been said, I recommend the multi vitamins from the pigeon supply houses for your active birds. They work better on my birds then the Prime as they were designed specifically for pigeons.Prime is good for indoor birds. The Herba brand and Herbots is good too! Herba makes an excellent multi vitamin, mineral, and amino acid formula. they also make one with probiotics. 

Treesa


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## chris purvis (Feb 23, 2004)

thanks for all of the quick responses. the reason i was asking about vitamin c only is cause i have heard a lot of people say it was important and i was just going to give them something that would have extra vitamin c. i give them minerals in the water 2 times a week, but i just thought it would be helpful if i gave them some more vitamin c than what they are getting. thanks chris


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