There is an increased excretion of protein, potassium and phosphorus and a decreased storage of calcium. Vitamin C and other important nutrients are also excreted at a faster rate. During stressful times, nutrients are depleted from the body rapidly, and the immune system becomes depressed. In essence, when our birds are under stress, the whole body is affected. Stress may also manifest itself inward to one of the organ systems, such as the nervous system, circulatory or digestive system.
Chronic stress can harm the nervous system, thereby causing digestive and intestinal upsets.
Diet alone is usually not enough when a bird is experiencing full-blown stress. Nutritional supplements are often needed in addition to a healthy diet because nutrients are eliminated from the body faster during stressful times and need to be replenished daily. It must be emphasized that serving your bird a nutritious diet along with adding supplements is vital. However, one should never feel that the supplements are an excuse to continue to feed a poor diet. By implementing the above items along with a clean, comfortable environment, we greatly improve our birds' constitutions, help relieve stress and build better functions of their immune systems.