Daily Diet Questions

[HeyItsRaymond]

I currently have 6 Zebra's. 3 Males and 3 Females. Totally new to owning birds.

1) What is a good, quick and cheap recipe for a daily veggie diet? Something I can make quickly in the morning before I leave for work. Or in the evening when I return. I've mostly been giving them finely chopped carrots and green leaf lettuce along with broccoli crowns.

2) Should I feed them boiled eggs/egg food everyday or once a week? I boiled a dozen eggs and froze the portions. Then I just defrost them the night before I plan on serving it.

3) Same with fruits. Once a week to daily? I've been using chopped up frozen fruit (Mango, Strawberries, Pineapple, Grapes, Peaches). I just defrost them the night before I plan on serving it.

4) Are vitamins and calcium supplements in their seed/diet vital? If so, what can you recommend?

And advice a is greatly appreciated.

[cindy]

Broccoli and spinach are two green veggies that should be used in moderation... once or twice a week.

Other dark leafy greens such as romaine, kale, collard greens can be offered daily.

Peas and corn chopped can be offered in moderation as well.

Careful with fruits such as grapes, they are mostly water and high in sugar...those should be fed in moderation as well.

Powdered vitamins offered in the seed is unreliable since most the powder falls to the bottom of the dish and on the seeds are on the hulls which are not eaten. Best to mix your vitamins in your soft food right before serving.

some references from the Finch Info Center

http://www.finchinfo.com/diet/nutrition ... ements.php
http://www.finchinfo.com/diet/safe_toxi ... _foods.php

Egg offered everyday is one of those debatable issues, some use it daily, others offer it once a week, others only offer it when breeding/raising young.

One diet, The Green Day Diet offers it daily
here is the link http://www.gulfcoastfinches.com/the_green_day_diet

The Green Day Diet explains the nutritional value of veggies/foods used in chops and eggfood and how it is offered.

[HeyItsRaymond]

The hard boiled eggs I made and then defrosted ended up soggy. And I don't have time to make them unless I do it all in one day and have portions for the week. So I've decided to go with a commercial egg food.

I found this one on Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Quiko-21190-Exoti ... 0081XG8EK/

What do you think of it? Should it be a daily thing? Twice weekly? Once a week?

Also, can I feed them just vegetables or do I need fruits also? Any advice on good fruits to feed would be great. They don't like the frozen fruits I've been defrosting. Too wet and soft afterwards. I was thinking maybe Apples once a week as a treat (chopped to beak size). Any other suggestions?

Thanks for the advice. Based on what I've read so far I think I'm going with this for the other foods:

(Seeds & Millet Daily with all other foods chopped to beak size)

Non-Breeeding/Molting Season

---

Sunday - Broccoli Crowns, Collard/Mustard Greens, Spinach Mixture & Egg Food (1oz-2oz moist crumble)
Monday - Romaine/Kale/Cabbage/Carrot Mixture
Tuesday - Romaine/Kale/Cabbage/Carrot Mixture
Wednesday - Romaine/Kale/Cabbage/Carrot Mixture
Thursday - Collard/Mustard/Turnip Greens Mixture
Friday - Romaine/Kale/Cabbage/Carrot Mixture
Saturday - Romaine/Kale/Cabbage/Carrot Mixture

Breeeding/Molting Season (Extra day of egg food. Adjusted based on need)

---

Sunday - Broccoli Crowns, Collard/Mustard Greens, Spinach Mixture & Egg Food (1oz-2oz moist crumble)
Monday - Romaine/Kale/Cabbage/Carrot Mixture
Tuesday - Romaine/Kale/Cabbage/Carrot Mixture
Wednesday - Romaine/Kale/Cabbage/Carrot Mixture & Egg Food (1oz-2oz moist crumble)
Thursday - Collard/Mustard/Turnip Greens Mixture
Friday - Romaine/Kale/Cabbage/Carrot Mixture
Saturday - Romaine/Kale/Cabbage/Carrot Mixture

[HeyItsRaymond]

Here is what I decided to go with for a daily diet. Minus the scrambled eggs and broccoli. Those will be less frequent.

[lovezebs]

HeyItsRaymond

Welcome to the Forum.

If you are looking for a quick solution, you can offer packaged baby spring greens. Just a quick wash under cold water, and away you go. You can give a quick chop, or serve as is. All my many feathered kids love this mix.

When you have more time, there are many choices to offer.
Cucumber * a great favourite with all birds
Grated carrots
Carrot greens
Romaine lettuce
Kale *very healthy
Chopped sweet peppers
Broccoli
Spinach
Parsley
Swiss chard
Beet greens
Corn on the cob

For fruits:
Chopped apple
Half an orange
Melons
Grapes
Banana
Berries

My guys love their fruits and veggies

For calcium and other vitamins and minerals:

Good quality fortified bird grit, oyster shell.
Cuttle bone
Mineral blocks
Crushed egg shells from your hard boiled eggs
And I add a drop of two of liquid vitamins into their water
If they don't get natural unfiltered sunlight, than a drop or two if liquid vit D ever second day in the water

Eggs:

Hard boiled eggs are very important for protein, as you already know. I use mine fresh, or fridge them for a day or so. They can be grated, chopped up, mashed, or put through a garlic press (makes them look like worms:-))

I can give you my recipe for egg food if you like at a later time, ir you can follow other recipes here.

Goodluck and best wishes.

~Elana~

[cindy]

This is Roy Beckham's egg food mix.... efinch.com

http://www.efinch.com/eggfood.htm

[Jen]

One diet, The Green Day Diet offers it daily
here is the link http://www.gulfcoastfinches.com/the_green_day_diet

@cindy
This was very interesting reading....and Doug is from Beaumont, TX!! I read many of his articles and googled gulfcoastfinches. Is he still breeding finches? Do you know anything about him?

Thanks for sharing!

[tobyrosie]

Would this be for gouldians too? Thanks.

HeyItsRaymond

Welcome to the Forum.

If you are looking for a quick solution, you can offer packaged baby spring greens. Just a quick wash under cold water, and away you go. You can give a quick chop, or serve as is. All my many feathered kids love this mix.

When you have more time, there are many choices to offer.
Cucumber * a great favourite with all birds
Grated carrots
Carrot greens
Romaine lettuce
Kale *very healthy
Chopped sweet peppers
Broccoli
Spinach
Parsley
Swiss chard
Beet greens
Corn on the cob

For fruits:
Chopped apple
Half an orange
Melons
Grapes
Banana
Berries

My guys love their fruits and veggies

For calcium and other vitamins and minerals:

Good quality fortified bird grit, oyster shell.
Cuttle bone
Mineral blocks
Crushed egg shells from your hard boiled eggs
And I add a drop of two of liquid vitamins into their water
If they don't get natural unfiltered sunlight, than a drop or two if liquid vit D ever second day in the water

Eggs:

Hard boiled eggs are very important for protein, as you already know. I use mine fresh, or fridge them for a day or so. They can be grated, chopped up, mashed, or put through a garlic press (makes them look like worms:-))

I can give you my recipe for egg food if you like at a later time, ir you can follow other recipes here.

Goodluck and best wishes.

~Elana~

[Sally]

One diet, The Green Day Diet offers it daily
here is the link http://www.gulfcoastfinches.com/the_green_day_diet

@cindy
This was very interesting reading....and Doug is from Beaumont, TX!! I read many of his articles and googled gulfcoastfinches. Is he still breeding finches? Do you know anything about him?

Thanks for sharing!

No one has heard anything about Doug Taylor in quite a long time now. You may note that his website hasn't been updated in over three years. If anyone has any information on him, we would love to learn how he is doing.

[Jen]

Sally
Yes I noticed the dates on his posts. Would love to know if he is still around the Beaumont area and how he is doing. He had some very interesting articles. Hope someone will see this post and let us know.

[lovezebs]

tobyrosie
Oh yes.

Gouldians (2 juvies colouring up, five weaned fledges, 4 babes in the nest)
Societies
Zebras
Canary
Cut Throat Finch
Long Tail Shaft Tails
Green Singers
Star Finches
Parrot Finches
Orange Cheek Waxbills
Red Eared Waxbills
Red Billed Fire Finches
Budgies

All doing very well

~Elana~

[oomiedog]

Does anyone know the best commercial egg food for Gouldians and zebras? I don't have time to make it everyday.
And what about Vitamins--I bought some "Avain Plus" and sometimes sprinkle a bit on their millet (which is their favorite thing).
Maybe there are already enough vitamins in the birdseed and pellets?

[Sally]

oomiedog I happen to like Volkman's Featherglow Gourmet Eggfood, I think it is one of the best, if you can get it where you are. You can often find it at bird marts.

[cindy]

There are vitamins and minerals in pellets.

Sprinkling vitamins on dry seed is not a reliable method, the powder is on the outside of the hull, it can fall through seed to the bottom of the dish, also the hull is removed so the vitamins are lost.

Seed alone is insufficient as a diet...but combine it with pellets and veggies or a powdered vitamin/minerals in the soft foods will help

Dried egg food like the one Sally mentioned is great...I use Higgins ProTeen 25 Snack Attack Egg food. Boiled grated egg is full of good vitamins and minerals as well