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Cuttlebone is available at pet stores and
from suppliers of bird
products. Besides being a rich source of calcium, it
provides your bird with a plaything, as they enjoy nibbling at
it. This also helps keep their beak in shape to some
extent.
Hang it in the cage with the soft side facing in. You can
purchase special clips to hold the cuttlebone, or you can use
any utility clip. Florist's wire can also be wrapped
around it and then secured to the cage.
If your bird won't eat
cuttlebone, occasionally crush some and sprinkle it on their
food.
Cuttlebone comes from a cuttlefish.
The cuttlefish is not a fish, but is related to both the squid
and the octopus. It has an internal shell,
called the cuttlebone. The cuttlebone is made from calcium carbonate and helps control the
buoyancy of the cuttlefish.

This is a photo of a cuttlefish. They are an interesting
creature, having a phenomenal ability to quickly modify their
color pattern to match
their background and to communicate. They are sometimes called the
"chameleons of the sea".
Cuttlefish only live about two years, and die after spawning.
Beachcombers will often find the cuttlebone washed up on shore,
but because of the danger of pollution, it's not advisable to
use those ones for your bird.
Without the cuttlefish, many great works of art and literature
would not exist. The
dark brown ink of the cuttlefish, called sepia, was once used extensively for
writing and drawing.
Cuttlefish are caught by
commercial fisherman, and are used for food (check out some
recipes on the internet), as well as for the
cuttlebone.
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