TOVO Universal Feed (low iron)

Tovo Universal Feed is a basic feed for fruit and insect-eating birds. It is made from selected raw materials that effectively keep the iron content below 65 ppm. The feed is also highly enriched with amino acids in keeping with the birds’ needs. Tovo Universal Feed is also an important supplementary feed for tropical and parrot-like birds. It adds essential amino acids, vitamins and minerals.

A low-iron universal feed is very important, especially for fruit-eating birds like toucans, leaf birds, touracos, barbets, hornbills etc. This has been proven by national and international research carried out by recognised bird vets. Our company collaborated on a study of this kind back in 1992.  

Despite good general care, thousands of birds die each year from a build-up of iron in the liver (haemochromatosis) and from conditions caused by the weakening that results from the disease. The main cause of the disease is feed that contains too much iron – 100 ppm or more, and sometimes even as high as 400 to 500 ppm.

Pelleted and expanded feeds usually contain an excess of iron. The mixing and pressing processes add too much iron, so it is very difficult to manufacture feeds with an iron content of less than 100 ppm.

Advice: Have your feed checked for iron content. Your valuable bird collection is more than worth it! For a fee, the animal health service in Deventer, the Netherlands, will test samples for you.

If a feed with too much iron is used, it is virtually impossible to reduce the iron content by adding lots of fruit, even though fruit is generally low in iron. This is because fruit has a low dry-matter content (10-15%) and therefore has a limited effect on the overall ration.

Universal feed has an average dry-matter content of 87.5%.  

And when too much fruit is added, the birds do not eat enough universal feed, which means they don’t get enough essential building blocks and nutrients.

There are universal feeds on the market with an iron content of 75-85 ppm and a protein content of 15-16%. The disadvantage of these is that birds eat too much of them, which make the feed unnecessarily expensive, and more iron is taken in than one realises (about 25%).
 

Analysis of TOVO Universal Feed:

Crude protein 21.5%
Crude fat 10.0%
Crude cellulose 2.5%
Crude ash 5.8%
Moisture 11.0%
Calcium 1.1%
Phosphorus 0.5%

Added vitamins per kg:

Vit. A 20,000 IU
Vit. B1 2 mg
Vit. B2 10 mg
Vit .B3 15 mg
Vit. B6 2 mg
Vit. B12 0.02 mg
Vit. C 1000 mg
Vit. D 3 2000 I.E.
Vit. E 20 mg
Vit. K3 3 mg

Producer of TOVO Universal Feed: SiberHegner LenersanPoortman B.V. Dordrecht

Seller/Promoter:

Borgstein Birds & Zoofood Trading V.O.F.

Van Heemstraweg 107
6659 KE Wamel (NL)
Tel.: +31 (0)487 501 024
Fax: + 31 (0)487 501 238

E-mail: m.borgstein@planet.nl

Dealers:

Netherlands:
Avian Birdfood Products, Oosterend, +31 (0)222 327 135
Dierenspeciaalzaak van Someren, Heemskerk, +31 (0)251 232 268
Geldof & Zn, Waalwijk, +31 (0)416 344 641
Geon Schrijver Vogelhandel, Rijnsburg, +31 (0)70 514 3471

Belgium:
Meul Filip Vogelparadijs, Wachtebeke, +32 (0)9 342 9950

England:     
Graham Aswordt, Lancashire, +44 (0)12 8260 1776
Mobile+44 (0)79 2072 9019