Zoo database

Cattle egret

Bubulcus ibis

Natural diet Cattle egret

Cattle egrets are carnivorous birds that primarily consume insects such as locusts and grasshoppers. Besides this, they also eat rodents, small reptiles, crustaceans and mollusks.

Insects
Insects
Invertebrates / crustaceans
Invertebrates / crustaceans
Vertebrates
Vertebrates

Feeding advice Cattle egret

Feed quantity per day

15-20%

Sample percentage calculation

If an animal weighs 0,35 kg and eats 15% of its body weight, it will get
 
0,35 x 0,15 = 0,05 kg feed in total per day

Feed composition

30% Meat and whole prey
40% Insects and other invertebrates
30% Concentrates

Proportions (fresh product)

0,3 x 0,05 kg = 16 g meat and whole prey
0,4 x 0,05 kg = 21 g insects and other invertebrates
0,3 x 0,05 kg = 16 g concentrates

Diet Suggestions

Recommended

Variety of insects

Whole prey (mice or chicks)

Not recommended

Bread

Common diseases

An unbalanced diet may result in one of these more commonly occurring diseases/conditions:

  • Secondary nutritional hyperparathyroidism
  • Hypervitaminosis E

Additional advice

  • Divide the “Feed quantity per day” over at least two feeding moments per day.
  • Avoid feeding bread as the high starch content may cause intestinal disturbances.
  • Stimulate foraging behaviour by using feeding puzzles and scatter feeding (read more about feed enrichment and foraging behaviour).