Lettuce is a portion of very healthy food for humans, but everything good to humans is not exactly beneficial for other creatures. Same implies with Lettuce as well, Lettuce is not harmful to birds but same time not so healthier diet if fed regularly and in large portions. Lettuce otherwise a splendid inclusion in bird’s diet.
It has got many nutritional values and also contains vitamins A, C, K, chromium, and manganese.
- Vitamin A improves resistive nature in birds against diseases and helps in the reproduction phase
- Vitamin C helps your stressed bird in growth and digestion
- Vitamin K deficiency may cause clotting of blood, blood spots on eggs and breast failure, so this supplement prevents happening it.
- Chromium in birds helps to build antioxidant defence system.
- Manganese enhances bone growth and supports embryonic development.
The two main types of Lettuce, namely, Iceberg lettuce and Romaine lettuce, are fed. In which, Romaine lettuce has more nutritional values than iceberg lettuce. Romaine lettuce is high in fibre too.
Romaine lettuce constitutes of Vitamin A 82%, Vitamin C 19%, Calcium 2%, Iron 3%, Vitamin K 60%, Folate 16%, Potassium 3%, Manganese 4% whereas, Iceberg lettuce constitutes Vitamin A 7%, Vitamin C 3%, Calcium 1%, Iron 2%, Water 96%.
Romaine lettuce compared to iceberg lettuce may be more beneficial, but iceberg is low in cholesterol and sodium-free. If in case your pet bird is sick and not having any water or food, they may get dehydrated. So feed them Lettuce, they may like it, and water content present in Lettuce may balance the levels.
Lettuce when overfed gas as it is high in water substance and also sometimes may cause diarrhoea. So, in any case, minimal quantity is preferred. Always wash it thoroughly before you supply to it. Lettuce can be given to pets overweighing by including in their diet but should not be provided on a regular basis.
So, in a nutshell, what I am attempting to say is you should not avoid feeding Lettuce to your pet mainly, romaine lettuce is right for your bird. Keeping in mind, your bird may mostly like eating it, so never provide too much. Always consult your pet doctor before you add or change the diet. “Too much is always too worse”.