Need comprehensive food recipe for my birds.

[sk74]

Hi all,

This is my first post to this very informative forum. I live in Pakistan and have wild gouldian, zebra variety, red-face star, cordon bleu, and shaft tail finch. Problem which I have is that, over here I have no resource for imported food but have wide variety of grains and minerals which usually found in imported bird food formula. My problem is that I have no idea in what proportion to mix which ingredient for my finches. Hence therefore I am feeding my finches on simple millets, cuttlebone and soft green food.

Today I have read HoangQuan’s “eggfood” recipe and will try it tomorrow, but will really appreciate if someone share his/her experience and comprehensive food recipe for my birds, especially for gouldian, shaft tail, and star finch.

Thanks and regards

Saif Khan

[monotwine]

This is my basic summer breeding season seed mix.
I mix 4 part Basic mix : 1 part Canary mix (sound complicated, but this is what worked best for me based on the quantities I can buy seed in)
Basic mix: 20kg total quatity
4 part white millet 8kg
1 part red millet 2kg
2 part Japanese millet 4kg
3 part red manna 6kg

Canary mix: 7kg total quatity
1 part linseed 1kg
1 part black rape 1kg
5 part plain canary seed 5kg

I have a dove mix that has hemp, sorghum, wheat, hulled sunflower and crushed corn, 1 part of each, which the finches help themselves to.
I also have extra Niger & black Rape seed available. This I don't mix, but offer separately as they waste it otherwise.
The birds also get egg food, boiled eggs, fruit & veg and insects (both commercial pâté & live food)

During winter I offer only the basic seed mix in bulk and seperately the canary mix. They help themselves as they need it.

I recently did a rough nutritional break down for my mix and found it relatively balanced. Protein is about 19% in the summer mix if I remember correctly. I don't have the results with me on hand.

I am sure there are other seeds one could add, but I only mix with what I can get easily.
Hope you manage to get a mix for your finches. Trial and error will result in what they need the most.

[monotwine]

Sorry and A WARM WELCOME TO THE FINCH FORUM!

[sk74]

Monique, thanks for your time and reply. It will take some time to convert English names from your (any) recipe to my native language Urdu (for shopkeeper's convenience), but I will do it ASAP. Meanwhile I hope I will get some other feedback by other seasoned bird keepers like you.

Now-a-days I am working over proper aviary building expense estimation and planing, which includes roof, walls, false-ceiling (to reduce heat within aviary), lighting and ventilation system, and 150 iron cages where each cage comprise over 4 partitions. Some flight and stock cages will also be included in aviary premises. It is a big and expensive project (at least for me), but I will keep logging all steps in pictures and will post it here along with my current and future birds.

[lovemyfinch]

I would like to welcome you to the forum as well
I am unable to help you with your question, as other than the greenfood and eggfood, all of my seeds are store bought and mixed.

[sk74]

Janine thanks for your reply and time, after posting my question, I realized that in most of the countries majority of people buy food packs from store. When I was in Glasgow, I saw some bird food packs in departmental store but haven't seen any specific shop which deals in individual seeds.

Furthermore, thanks for your soft food recipe offer. Currently I am using Spinach, Cabbage, Carrot, Lettuce, Beetroot, Turnip, and Fenugreek. What do you think about mentioned vegetables, is they all are good or have to cut some from given list?

[monotwine]

Oh we love to see others aviary setups. I look forward to seeing what your designs and efforts bring out.
All I can say is add at least 10% onto whatever estimation you get. Somehow building aviaries always needs just that little bit more of something.

Most of all though is have fun with the building and enjoy the finches.

[sk74]

Monique I have already considered inflation rate in my mind as price of goods over here goes up and down without any warning (rarely prices comes down) and therefore instead of 10% I am going for 20% just to keep my plan safe. Anyhow by the management point of view it was a worthy advice.

[B CAMP]

Welcome to the forum,have you checked out the finch information center there is a lot of good reading there
http://www.finchinfo.com/index.php

Spinach should not be given every day, couple times a week is good as it will keep the finch from retaining calcium in there body if they eat to much

[sk74]

Bill thanks for your time and reply, yes I have visited your given link before and I found this website very useful. I didn't know about the calcium problem by spinach but somehow I give spinach to my finches on weekly basis rather than daily dosage.

Furthermore I am seriously looking forum like this (Finch Forum) specifically for budgies, if anyone of you know any forum then kindly share with me, I will really appreciate it.

[anntaylor]

sk74, welcome in this forum, but I dont have knowledge about your problem.