How much protien is to much?

[Tman007]

That's my question, I do feed pellets but I am talking about other things to look out for. I have a bag of oat spray I bought and it says it has 15% protein in it. I am just wondering Trying to make sure I don't make my guys fat, unhealthy. Thanks

[Wolf]

I wouldn't quote me on this, but it is my understanding that while too much protein may be responsible for some problems in birds and other living creatures, being fat is not one of them. I believe that fat and/ or too much carbohydrates are the culprits to being fat.

[Pajarita]

Too much protein will make you fat because a calorie is a calorie and protein has calories so, if you eat more calories than you burn, you will gain weight. As to how much is too much, it depends on the species. For example, greys, toos and senegals need more protein than conures and amazons. You basically have to go to their natural diet and see. A GCC needs very little protein because it eats a lot of fruit in the wild while a cockatiel (which is a partial ground forager) can stand more (grass seeds been part of their natural diet).

But, if you are feeding pellets, you don't know how much protein your bird is eating because not a single brand has an exact value or even a range, all of them are "Not less than" or "Minimum" so a "No less than 15%" pellet could have 25%, for all you know (this is one of the reasons why I don't like them).

BTW, oats are very healthy for them, they are rich in tryptophan which is necessary for the production, storage and release of serotonin (the happy hormone -reduces anxiety, improves mood, induces sleep, etc) plus, the complex carbohydrates it contains intensify the tryptophan effect because they make the body release insulin into the bloodstream which 'clears away' other amino acids and allows tryptophan to go straight to the brain.