The
Rosco Diet
This
diet was developed for a chronically malnourished and ill, 45 year old Congo
African Gray Parrot, named Rosco, who came to Whitewings Farm on September 10,
2001. He was accompanied by his
almost mate, Key Largo, the 21 year old friend and companion of Michael.
I wish to state, unequivocally, that Michael, with whom Rosco lived for
three years prior to coming here, had done everything for Rosco he was
financially capable of doing, and all he knew how to do.
Because of his devoted care, Rosco survived to come to Whitewings; the
journeys end. Michael…Ben and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
You have given into our care, two incredible lives, Rosco, and your
friend, KeyLargo. We shall value
them and you …always.
After some
extensive tests, it was concurred that neither bird had any viral or bacterial
problems. Rosco’s problems were,
however, severe, having been long in developing, and would take some special
knowledge and care and implementation in the curing; if they could be cured.
Following his original person’s death, Rosco was relegated to 8 years in a
garage, in primarily either darkness or dusky light, and a diet of nothing but
wild bird seed, As a result, Rosco had suffered from chronic malnutrition and
had permanent physical damage. A twist to his torso from atrophied muscles,
totally blind in one eye, and a large cataract with a small tail ending in
another dot in the other. Due to a SEVERE calcium deficiency, resulting in
weakened muscle strength, he was unable to climb much, and spent a LOT of time
on the floor of his house. He was also in suspected Chronic Kidney Failure. Our
Avian Vet, Dr. Pam let us know, that the ONLY recourse was good diet, and
constant care. There were no guarantees; the damage was extensive.
The ROSCO DIET is
the work of my dear good friend,
Shauna Roberts,
with Dr. Pam consulting, and myself. Without
Shauna’s invaluable help, in both knowledge, and research, I doubt Rosco would
be with us today, and I tell you true…that would have been an inestimable loss
to us all.
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THE
ROSCO DIET
The Whole Grains;
Kamut, Spelt, Hulled Millet, Oat Groats, Quinoa, Rye Berries, Buckwheat, Rice,
Barley,
Kasha (toasted
Buckwheat) and Flax.
To begin:
choose any two or three, soak for at least 24 hours before cooking. Then, rinse well, and cook with equal water per cup of soaked
grains. You want it to be the
consistency of malt o meal or crème of wheat. NOT GUMMY.
NEVER
soak or cook the Kasha or Flax. Simply turn in the amount of either desired when
everything else is completed.
LEGUMES:
always add peas, beans, or lentils
in some form to the mix. These in
combination with the grains form complete chains of protein which our birds
need. Using all veggies/grain/legume combinations rather than animal proteins is
much easier on an elderly or sick bird’s digestive system.
Make a FRESH
veggie Salad using any of the following:
ALWAYS INCLUDE AN
ORANGE VEGGIE.
Carrots. Squash.
Kale. Chard, Mustard, Cress, Dandelion, All the lettices excepting Iceberg,
Green String Beans. Broccoli. Cabbage. Jalapeno Peppers. Fresh Peas.
Chayote Squash. Celery. Green Peppers. Cucumbers. Tomatoes. ETC.
Nutrients in
Broccoli, Carrots or Squash are better absorbed by the system if partially,
lightly, steamed.
ABSOLUTELY NO
CHARD OR SPINACH, (or Sweet Potato if plucking or feather problems are involved
in anyway.)
Put
through the food processor, or dice: You want it fine so they cannot pick and
choose.
A note: NO ANIMAL PROTEINS. The point here is to make the
foods as highly nourishing (presoaking, hence raising the nutritional levels
through partial germination) and as easily digestible ( by cooking the grains)
as possible.
Add: RAW
UNPASTURIZED Apple Cider Vinegar ( not much; For 3 quarts of prepared
salad/grain/noodles I add 1/4 cup ACV) and
(1 cup ) HOT salsa. This keeps it fresh, and they love the taste.
Add: raw
rotini noodles if desired, or any noodle. Also
seed. A good clean seed mix…approx. 1 tablespoon seed per 1/3 cup of salad.
Combine well and
stir in cooked Grains. Serve 1/3
heaping cup per Gray, Large Amazon, or Cockatoo.
On top place a
piece of apple, slice of banana, chunk of orange, or corn or the cob.
Two fruits and a claw-hold raw veggie is a nice touch; it makes them
happy.
1 teaspoon gray
striped sunflower seed for EVERYONE. It’s an easily digested and assimilated
source of proteins, amino acids, etc.
Supplements:
Pioneer Brand
Herbs and Enzymes for immune system help.
Organic
Cold Pressed Flax Seed Oil: 5 drops a
day, EVERY SINGLE DAY WITHOUT FAIL. Or, grind in a coffee mill organic raw Flax
Seed and add ¼ tsp daily. This is
important. Keep it refrigerated, and make sure you put it on whatever the bird
will eat first. We make sure it
drops on the corn on the cob, or the Sun Flower seed.
Then we KNOW he’s getting it. Grays especially NEED the EFA’s
provided by the Flax. All birds benefit…Sick birds REALLY benefit.
Calcium:
Cal-Mag Citrate with Vit D ( Soleray…1 capsule daily…if the gray has low
calcium ( under 7.) Otherwise ½ capsule twice a week)
Rosco because of his age will probably be on this dosage; (approx 170
mgs. Calcium) daily for the rest of his life.
www.affordablesolaray.com
Powdered
Alfalfa leaf/Barley Grass/Wheat Grass:
daily in rotation. 1/8 tsp.
www.mountainroseherbs.com
Powdered
Dandelion: a
pinch daily for Rosco when we started to help his kidneys which seemed to be
failing. Now…three times a week. All the Elders get it three times a week.
Everyone else, once or twice a week.
Ester
C: For the Elders, a tiny amount, combined
with a sprinkle of
MSM
or Glucosomine Sulfate. The others, once a week….just a tad.
Prozyme:
a digestive supplement. It helps their bodies absorb the nutrients out of the
foods. When he first came Rosco got
a pinch every day. Now, he gets it three times a week as does everyone else.
www.lambriarvet.com
or www.carealotpets.com
Garlic.
We grind up 1 whole rose of garlic every Monday morning and add
it to the salad. We are also dosing 45 birds. Rosco when he first came got 1
clove, minced on his food, daily now he, like the others, is getting it heavy on
Monday, in the leftovers combined with fresh food on Tuesday, and in the
leftovers from that in birdy bread.
Raw
Organic Apple Cider Vinegar: At the beginning of every quarter our
birds get it in their water for two full weeks.
I mix it at a ratio of 1 Tablespoon of vinegar per quart of water.
They love it. We don’t have yeast infections. When it’s going into their water it’s NOT going into
their salad.
Lemons
and Limes: we use fresh squeezed lemon
juice, and sometimes combined with lime juice on the salad when we’re not
using the ACV. After squeezing the juice onto the salad, I add the peels and
pulp sliced into very thin strips to the salad.
Organic
Bee Pollen: 1/2 tsp 3
times a week.
Organic
Wheat Germ: ½ tsp every other day, or three times a week.
Keep refrigerated.
WARNING:
DO NOT USE THE PROZYME and other digestive aides (such as Megacidophillus,
or Bifida) in conjunction with one another.
Use one or the other, NOT BOTH at once on the same day without specific
instructions from a holistic Avian vet or practitioner. I AM NOT EITHER OF THOSE
THINGS. There is also a concern on some holistic fronts that using ACV in
conjunction with these products also is NOT a good idea, as they are all
enzymes. What it boils down to is
you want to help your bird by assisting his system to dissolve the food, NOT TO
DISSOLVE YOUR BIRD. So, keep a VERY
light touch. Being an ALL natural
approach doesn’t mean it’s not capable of doing damage.
It just means it’s ALL NATURAL. And
that’s all it means.
This diet is
primarily for birds that are very ill, or very old, or a combination of both.
It has worked for Rosco. I
spoke with my Avian vet A LOT when I began, in order that I not overdose, under
dose, or make any other serious errors that could further compromise Rosco’s
already heavily compromised system. I
have gone on line and read even more. I
AM NOT saying that this diet is the solution for everyone who has a sick bird.
I am saying it was the solution for MY sick bird.
It has proved,
over the months, to be a solution for all the birds at Whitewings, as we have
developed ‘variations on a theme’.
Rosco’s Diet is
the single base from which we now feed everyone here.
While he and several others receive it still in its purest form, all the
others have benefited immensely from the knowledge acquired while this diet was
developed for one old, sick and exceedingly beautiful African Gray Parrot: Rosco
of Whitewings Farm.
Thank you, and I
hope it has been of some help to you and yours.
Gloria at
Whitewings Farm
See:
Feeding the Feathers at Recipes for the aforementioned ‘variations on a
theme’.
