Cuttlebone—that humorous, white rectangular object formed like a canoe—is present in chicken cages in all places and may be bought within the chicken aisle of nearly each pet retailer. However what’s it, precisely? Is a cuttlebone one thing pet birds really need?
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What’s a cuttlebone for birds?
Cuttlebones are generally positioned in pet chicken enclosures for train, helpful vitamins, and grooming. When your chicken playfully pecks at its cuttlebone, the “bone” helps polish its beak by eradicating outer layers, and it even offers a supply of calcium when ingested.
The Shell of the Cuttlefish
Cuttlebones usually are not truly bones, however are somewhat the interior shells from cuttlefish, a member of the cephalopod household of sea creatures. The cuttlefish is definitely a mollusk, associated to the octopus, squid, and nautilus, and a cuttlebone is an inner shell with gas-filled chambers that maintain the cuttlefish buoyant and in a position to maneuver within the water.
Makes use of
There’s a lengthy historical past of makes use of for these inner shell constructions of the cuttlefish. Amongst early makes use of for the substance:
- Floor up right into a high-quality powder, pulverized cuttlebone was used as a sprucing agent by jewelers.
- Jewelers additionally used complete cuttlebone as a shaping materials for making molds for casting steel jewellery and different small ornamental steel objects. Jewelers reduce the bones in half, rubbed the halves collectively till they had been completely flush, then carved mould shapes into the bone. As a result of it might stand up to excessive temperatures, cuttlebone was the right materials to make use of for making casts for poured steel.
- As a high-quality powder, cuttlebone made a wonderful sprucing agent in toothpaste.
- Excessive in calcium, pulverized cuttlebone can be utilized as a dietary complement that additionally serves as an antacid.
Makes use of for Pets
Cuttlebone serves a number of features for pet birds, in addition to for different pets. Cuttlebone is obtainable to reptiles, hermit crabs, chinchillas, and turtles, the place they provide an excellent supply of extra dietary calcium. A cuttlebone is nice for these animals, as a result of it floats and would not foul the water as different dietary supplements can. And the additional calcium helps to extend the density of eggs for these animals that lay them. Cuttlebone has about the identical quantity of calcium as eggshell by quantity. However it’s significantly extra handy to supply cuttlebone somewhat than feeding eggshells, which should be boiled and disinfected earlier than providing them to pets.
For birds, the worth of cuttlebone has a number of points. In case your chicken ingests a few of it, they profit from the calcium present in cuttlebone. As well as, the act of taking part in and nipping at a cuttlebone serves to shine a chicken’s beak and helps take away scaly layers that construct up over time. Lastly, cuttlebones supply an object of play and train for birds. Not all birds use cuttlebone, however for those who like them, cuttlebones is usually a wholesome interactive merchandise for the cage or play health club. A cuttlebone enriches the cage with one other object and one other texture. Birds are healthiest and happiest when they’re offered with selections, and even the little selections are vital.
Providing to Your Chicken
There are numerous alternative ways you possibly can supply cuttlebone to your chicken. Cuttlebone usually comes with a set of clips that lets you connect it to the aspect of the cage. Or, you possibly can safe the cuttlebone to the bars of the cage utilizing a plastic tie. Some folks discover that their chicken is extra more likely to play with the cuttlebone in the event that they merely shove it into the cage sideways by means of the bars. Or, you possibly can simply place it on the underside of the cage, the place the exercise of pushing it round and tossing it provides nice train as your chicken polishes its beak and ingests extra calcium.
In case your chicken will not be into actively taking part in with a cuttlebone, an alternative choice is to only break off bits and supply it sprinkled on prime of its meals. Some households use a mortar and pestle to grind up the cuttlebone. No matter methodology works is appropriate if it provides the calcium your chicken wants.
