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CAROTENOIDS
Carotenoids: I use about 1/8 - 1/2 tsp
of powdered carotenoids in my standard egg mix. I use the least amount of spirulina, as it will
turn egg food outrageously green if you use very much. I tend to use a different powder with each day's egg food mix.
That way I know my birds are receiving a variety of carotenoids in their diet.
HUH? What are Carotenoids?
Carotenoids are essential to the health, vitality and plumage of our
finches. They are accessory pigments for plants and some photosynthetic bacteria. Auxilliary pigments
- which we call Carotenoids - protect light reactions centers (where the energy of light is harvested) from
reactive oxygen species and radicals such as super oxide and peroxides. The same properties that make carotenoids
vital to the health of plants also prevent cellular oxidative damage in finches and humans - making carotenoids
important for both finches and YOU! It's a bit of a conundrum, we must have oxygen to live and at the same time, in
highly charged forms, oxygen is damaging or even lethal to our cells. Anti-oxidants, of which carotenoids are just
one class, mitigate the toxic reactive oxygen by-products of respiration (in other words - being alive!)
| Carotenoid Rich Powders |
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| Clockwise from top: Turmeric, Wheat Grass, Spirulina and Paprika. |
REACTIVE OXYGEN SPECIES (ROS): These are nasty highly
charged particles which buzz around inside of cells looking for other things to react with in order to equalize
their negative charge. Think of ROS as bullies with really bad attitudes who are always picking fights with someone
else who was just minding their own business, and then you'll pretty much have the picture for what a
Reactive Oxygen Species is. As a result of their bad cellular attitude, they wreak havoc with cellular biochemistry by
reacting with cellular components which are best left unoxidized - such as cell membranes.
| Colorful Carrot is a Rich Source of Carotenoids |
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| Carrots contain Alpha & Beta Carotene, Lutein, Zeaxanthin, Cryptoxanthin & Lycopene. |
ANTIOXIDANTS: Cells have come up with a clever strategy
to deal with Reactive Oxygen Species. Cells contain many antioxidants and enzymes to help neutralize deleterious
radical species. Most of the cellular antioxidant chemical compounds are aromatic (from a chemical perspective
- not according to your nose), having double bounds which can 'absorb' excess negative charges. THIS IS A GOOD
THING!
Antioxidants are typically found in colorful foods. Vitamins A, C and
E are also antioxidants, as is CQ10.
| Ground Turmeric Root |
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| Turmeric contains Curcumin which is antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer & anti-oxidant. |
VIBRANT PLUMAGE: Carotenoids are critical compounds for
making colorful plumage and vibrant integumentary tissues such as beaks and legs.
The highly coveted blue mutation in Gouldian Finches is actually a defect in either
the uptake, conversion or deposition of carotenoids. Green back feathers, created by mixing yellow carotenoid based
pigments with structural blue elements, become blue in the Blue Gould. The yellow belly, cleared of all it's carotenoid-based
pigment, becomes off white. If the gould has a red or yellow face mask, it will be very washed out in color. Some
people erroneous call these colors as Salmon or Straw when in fact, they are still Red and Yellow.
My red headed blue males tend to have quite dark head color because they are given carotenoids regularly, and particularly
during the molt.
| Chestnut Flanked White Black Cheek Zebra Male |
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| The red of beaks and feet on Zebras is made by converting a yellow carotenoid to a red one. |
The quantity and type of carotenoids given to normal red headed Goulds also affects
the depth of mask color. I have a RH male which I fed carotenoids during his first molt, and his mask was deep red.
Upon his next molt, I only fed him egg food (which does contain some carotenoids but primarily only lutein and carotenes),
and the color of his mask become more reddish-orange. I am now waiting for his next molt so I can complete the cycle
by giving him better quality carotenoids and seeing his dark red head come back in.
Some peole argue there are many genes controlling the head color in gouldians. Personally,
I think it's more a function of diet. Those red headed goulds which have a rich diet with many colorful pigments will
have intense red heads. Those birds which are on seed only diets or egg food without additional carotenoids will have
reddish-orange or brick red heads. I don't find these washed out red headed gouldians nearly as attractive.
| Red Headed Purple Breasted Blue Backed Gould |
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| Carotenoids barely color this male's head. Blue goulds are defective in the use of carotenoids. |
DID YOU KNOW?: It's quite probable that blue Gouldians may
more easily suffer from Vitamin A deficiency due to their carotenoid mutation which affects the uptake, conversion
or utilization of carotenoids. Blue Goulds may not be able to convert Beta Carotene to Vitamin A as efficiently as a
normal Gould or have some other metabolic defect placing them at risk for Vitamin A Deficiency.
Solution: Be sure to give your birds foods with Vitamin A (aka Retinol) in it.
Cod Liver Oil is an excellent source of Vitamin A that is ready to use. Animal liver also has tons of Vitamin A.
Neither have to be converted from inactive Beta Carotene. Other foods which contain Vitamin A (Retinol) include:
our favorite, the egg and cheese. Whole foods with high Beta Carotene include Carrots, Greens and Brocolli -
but again - these must be converted from an inactive Beta Carotene dimer (basically two Vitamin A molecules back-to-back)
to the active Vitamin A (Retinol).
Vitamin A uptake and utilization is affected by fat levels, bile salts, digestive disorders
and liver disease (the liver is where Vitamin A is stored). Vitamin A deficiency can result in the lack of mucosal
production on epithelial linings such as those of the lungs, bladder, reproductive and digestive tracts.
Mucous protects these organs from infection. Therefore, sinus, digestive and respiratory infections are a
common problem with Vitamin A deficiency. So is egg binding. Other problems include infertility, growth
retardation in chicks, night blindness or corneal ulcers and even a lowered red blood cell count. Symptoms of secondary
infections caused by hypovitamintosis A include: sneezing, wheezing, nasal discharge, plugged nostrils, tail bobbing,
poor feather, diarrhea, depression, lethargy, poor appetite, gagging and overall unthriftiness. Remember, too much
Vitamin A is toxic and can lead to vomiting or worse case scenario, death. Stop giving Vitamin A and it will correct
itself.
Laying chickens need 4000 IU of Vitamin A/day to be healthy. Most chickens weigh about
2000 grams. If you correct this for a 20 gram finch, assuming their nutritional needs are similar (which nobody knows),
then finches would need about 40 IU/day.
Be sure your Blues get Vitamin A so that they are healthy and vibrant. This is the single
largest vitamin deficiency with captive bred and kept birds, and it may be even more crucial for Blues.
DISEASE DUE TO VITAMIN A DEFICIENCY IS 100% PREVENTABLE!
Don't Allow Hypovitaminosis A to Happen to Your Birds!!!!!
| Shafttail or Long-Tailed Finches |
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| The bright red feet and beaks of Shafties require a steady supply of carotenoid pigments. |
Back to Color
If you show birds or if you just like looking at prettier, more vividly colored ones,
carotenoids may be the ticket for enhancing their plumage and making them more vibrant. Again, carotenoids
also have many other beneficial health properties. I believe the inability of Blue Goulds to use carotenoids properly
is a major contributing factor to their less than hardy constitution when compared to normals, and it was this reason that
I first started delving into carotenoids in the first place.
Gouldian red, yellow and green feathers all use carotenoids for their color.
So do similarly colored feathers on many other finches.
| Molting Black Headed Goulds |
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| Molting Gouldians need carotenoids to color their feathers. All molting birds need lots of protein. |
Zebra, Blue Cap Cordon Bleu and Shafttail finch beaks and legs are colored
using carotenoids.
Birds which are sick and cannot assimilate carotenoids or are fed diets poor in carotenoids
will have pale integumentary parts (beaks and feet) and/or washed out plumage.
In the case of the integument (beaks and feet), carotenoids are required continually
to maintain color. For plumage, carotenoids are only required during the molt.
The underlying health condition and/or the diet must be corrected in order to once again see
vibrant plumage and red legs and beaks.
| Imported Euro Black Brown Bengalese Finch |
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| Even birds such as Societies and Black Browns benefit from a diet rich in carotenoids. |
Even birds such as Societies or other Lonchura which do not use carotenoids for either plumage
or integumentary coloring STILL need carotenoids for all the other beneficial health reasons described here. Don't short
shrift your Bengies just because they don't have electric red feathers or beaks. Feed them carotenoids too.
IMMUNE FUNCTION: Carotenoids help your bird's immune
system. Nobody wants a sick bird. Therefore, common sense tells us that we should feed our birds a balanced
diet which contains carotenoids to help prevent disease. There are some medical studies to show that carotenoid
rich diets even prevent cancer.
| Paprika |
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| Packed with the carotenoids Capsorubrin and Capsanthin, Paprika is an 'olde tymers' color additive. |
CAROTENOID REVIEW: Since carotenoids color our birds'
beaks, feet and feathers and are important anti-oxidants as well as boost their immune system, it is vital that our birds receive
a regular supply of richly colored carotenoids all the time, not just when they are molting.
SOURCES OF CAROTENOIDS: Egg food, fruits, veggies and dark leafed greens are EXCELLENT sources of carotenoids (antioxidants). Most
birds eat egg food which has some of your basic carotenoids covered. However, I've found that egg food alone is
NOT sufficient to have colorful birds. Other sources are critical.
If your birds eat veggies and greens (most finches are not keen on most
fruits), that is an excellent start.
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