In research. Not for sale.

Bird N3rdz

Powders

Two measured powders for moist food. BN-03 is the parrot powder companion to the mineral blocks. BN-04 is the D3 + phytase chop powder: phytase that cleaves phytate at gut pH, with vitamin D3 kept out of the mineral matrix and on moist food.

See both powders The phytase interlock
BN-03 Phytase BN-04 Vitamin D3 phytase enzyme vitamin D3 cholecalciferol measured scoop on moist food
Concept diagram. Both powders ship with a measured scoop. Neither is a free choice article. The keeper doses, not the bird.

Two powders for moist food

One enzyme. One vitamin. Neither in the block.

The mineral blocks hold a seed fed bird's diet in the accepted calcium to phosphorus range across a wide span of unmetered intake. The powders handle the two things the block cannot: phytase, because it denatures in a cement set; and Vitamin D3, because minerals degrade it and free choice is the wrong vehicle for a fat soluble vitamin with a known upper limit.

In research. Neither powder is offered for sale, on a waitlist, or scheduled without an open register check. Dose ranges, particle size specifications, and shelf life targets are active open items. See the verification register below.

BN-03

Parrot Powder

Seed stores phosphorus as phytate, a form neither the bird nor most of its gut microbes can break down. Phytate also chelates calcium and zinc, pulling them out of solution before the bird can absorb them. BN-03 adds phytase to the moist food portion of the diet, where the enzyme contacts the phytate at gut pH and cleaves it, freeing the calcium and zinc for absorption.

Phytase cannot be in the mineral block. It is a protein, and it denatures on exposure to the alkaline set of a brushite cement matrix. The powder keeps it active until the bird eats it.

Enzyme Moist food Measured scoop Pairs with BN-01 BN-02 BN-07
BN-04

D3 + Phytase Chop Powder

Vitamin D3 governs how much dietary calcium is absorbed at all. It belongs in the diet, not the mineral block. Transition metals in a mineral matrix catalyze the oxidation of fat soluble vitamins. A D3 figure on a mineral block label is largely gone before the bird chews it. Stability is the first reason D3 is separate.

The second reason is the delivery format. Free choice is the wrong vehicle for a vitamin where excess is a known risk in sensitive species including macaws. A scoop on moist food gives the keeper a fixed dose rather than leaving intake unmetered. Where UVB light reaches the bird, it is the preferred route because the reaction in skin is self-limiting. BN-04 is for birds that cannot access outdoor or adequate artificial UVB.

Vitamin D3 Cholecalciferol Moist food Measured scoop

The phytase interlock

The block delivers calcium. The powder lets the bird keep it.

Seed stores phosphorus as phytate. Phytate also binds calcium and zinc so the bird cannot absorb them efficiently. The mineral blocks lift the calcium level of the diet. BN-03 lifts the retention of that calcium by cleaving the phytate that would otherwise sequester it.

+25.1pp
published figure / calcium retention with phytase / in presence of phytate

In trials where phytate was present, adding phytase increased calcium retention by 25.1 percentage points. The block supplies the calcium. The powder supplies the enzyme that determines how much of it the bird actually keeps. Neither product alone closes this gap.

Why phytase cannot be in the block

Phytase is a protein with a tertiary structure that determines its catalytic activity. The brushite cement matrix sets under alkaline conditions, and that environment denatures phytase. Heat, pH, and time all work against enzyme activity in a solid matrix. The powder keeps the enzyme separate and shelf stable, dosed on moist food where it reaches the phytate in seed at gut pH before absorption.

The block works alone. The powder works alone. Together the block raises dietary calcium and the powder raises the fraction the bird retains from it.

See the Bird N3rdz Mineral Blocks page for the block side of this system

Vitamin D3

Why D3 is never in the mineral.

Vitamin D3 is not missing from the mineral block by accident or oversight. It is absent by design, for two independent reasons.

Reason 01 / Stability

Minerals degrade fat soluble vitamins

Transition metals in a mineral matrix catalyze the oxidation of fat soluble vitamins. Published stability data on conventional vitamin and mineral premixes shows retention well below fifty percent after several months of storage. A D3 figure on a mineral block label is largely gone before the bird chews it. Moving D3 to a separate powder, stored away from minerals, preserves the activity that reaches the bird.

Reason 02 / Delivery format

Free choice is the wrong vehicle for D3

D3 governs calcium absorption. Excess is a known concern in sensitive species. Free choice delivery means the keeper does not control how much the bird takes, and the amount taken is not correlated with need. A measured scoop on moist food gives the keeper a fixed dose that can be adjusted by species size. UVB is still the preferred route for any bird that can access outdoor or adequate artificial light, because the reaction in skin is self-limiting. BN-04 is the fallback where light cannot reach the bird.

UVB first

If your bird can access unfiltered outdoor light for part of the day, or is kept under a properly calibrated UVB lamp at the correct distance, that is the preferred Vitamin D3 source. The photochemical reaction in skin cannot overdose the bird because the precursor is consumed and the pathway shuts off. BN-04 is not a replacement for light access; it is the measured substitute where genuine light access is unavailable.

If you are not sure whether your bird's light access is adequate, consult a qualified avian veterinarian before adding any D3 supplement, including this one.

Verification register

We publish the open questions too.

This is a research program, not a finished shelf product. The register below is the live list of open items. Nothing moves to development or sale while a safety item is still open. No items are shown as closed because none have been closed yet.

Register last reviewed . All items open. No items closed.

OpenBN-03: phytase source confirmation. Feed grade supply unquoted.
OpenBN-03: enzyme activity units after manufacturing. Untested at any scale.
OpenBN-03: dose calibration by species body weight. Small species vs. large psittacine ranges not established.
OpenBN-03: shelf life after opening. Enzyme stability at room temperature in open container untested.
OpenBN-03: palatability on moist food across species. Untested.
OpenBN-03: enzyme to substrate ratio across different seed mixes. Phytate load variation not characterized.
OpenBN-04: D3 source and particle size specification. Not finalized.
OpenBN-04: dose calibration by species body weight. Ranges from small species through large psittacines not established.
OpenBN-04: D3 stability in powder form without mineral contact. Accelerated shelf life study not run.
OpenBN-04: species variation in D3 requirements. Published psittacine specific data reviewed; variation is wide and ranges are not confirmed.
OpenHeavy metal screening for lead, cadmium, arsenic and mercury on all ingredient lots. Hard quality gate for both powders.
OpenPackaging format and humidity barrier. Florida summer humidity performance untested for either powder.

Questions

Straight answers, including the unfinished ones.

Why is the phytase in a powder rather than in the block?

Phytase is a protein. It denatures on exposure to the alkaline set of a cement matrix and cannot survive the setting process. The powder keeps the enzyme separate and active, dosed on moist food where it contacts phytate at gut pH.

Why is Vitamin D3 never in the mineral block?

Two reasons. Transition metals in a mineral matrix catalyze the oxidation of fat soluble vitamins. Published stability data on conventional premixes shows retention well below fifty percent after several months. A D3 figure on a mineral block label is largely gone before the bird chews it.

The second reason is the delivery format. Free choice is the wrong vehicle for a vitamin where excess is a known concern in sensitive species. A scoop on moist food gives the keeper a fixed dose rather than leaving intake unmetered.

Can I use the powders without the blocks?

Yes. BN-03 works on any moist food offered alongside a seed based diet regardless of whether the bird also has a mineral block. BN-04 is independent of the block system entirely. They are companion products, not required pairs.

Do I need both powders?

It depends on the bird. BN-03 is most relevant alongside a seed based diet and the mineral block. BN-04 is for birds without adequate UVB access. Some birds need one, some need both, and some need neither. Ask your avian vet if you are not sure which describes your bird.

Should I use BN-04 if my bird gets outdoor light?

If your bird can access unfiltered outdoor light for part of the day, UVB is the preferred D3 source. The photochemical reaction in skin is self-limiting and cannot overdose the bird. BN-04 is the fallback for birds where that access is genuinely unavailable, not a replacement for it.

When will these be available?

Both powders are in research. There is no development timeline and no sale date. The verification register above lists every open item that must close before development moves forward. Nothing goes on sale while a safety item is open. Register interest below and we will write when the status changes.

Research in progress

Register interest while it is still in the lab.

Leave your email and we will write when BN-03 or BN-04 moves out of research into development, and again when the verification register closes. No sale is open yet.

Bird N3rdz beta program

We are also recruiting beta testers for the broader Bird N3rdz line. Selected testers trial products free and help set the numbers we will not guess at. The powders are part of the testing program once verification items close.

Registering sends one email covering the testing rules, the format we need feedback in, and a few questions about your birds. We treat the whole operation as one long experiment, and an observation from your cage carries the same weight as one from ours.

Your details are used for beta testing and research interest only. We do not sell them and we do not share them.

Avian science, in the field

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Hatch footage, cross species comparisons, and the honest version of what happens when a research flock meets a research product. The birds you see on the feed are the birds this line is validated on.

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