Your favourite within-aviary live food generators?

[Stephanie]

Hi

I'm wondering what methods you have found easiest for auto-supplying live food within the aviary itself?

For example, a vinegar fly trap is easy. It sits in the aviary attracting and breeding little flies, and only requires attention every few days. Perfect. But I want more...

What other simple, inexpensive, electricity-free in-aviary methods are there for breeding and supplying fresh live food?

Ta

[lovezebs]

Stephanie

Personally, I haven't found a perfect solution.
I spend all sorts of $ on buying mealworms and flightless fruit fly cultures for my kids (but that's for Indoor flights). My birds do enjoy them, but it gets expensive very quickly, and I do get some of these flightless flies crawling all over the place occasionally.

I have attempted to raise my own mealworms, without success (ending up with an endless supply of beatles, but not many mealworms).

If your birds are outdoors, can you place some pieces of semi rotting natural wood directly on the soil and get some bugs growing underneath?

Good Luck

[Sally]

Stephanie If you have access to facebook, there is a site called Strawberry finches 4.0. This is Nancy Ingram's site, and she is expert at breeding in an aviary setting in her sun porch. She has many ways to supply live food, not all are very attractive but they work. For example, she has a small children's swimming pool filled with compost, which attracts all kinds of bugs, or you could have mealworms, etc. in there. It gives the birds a place to forage, which triggers their natural instincts. She also uses hanging bowls with fruit to attract fruit flies. Check out her site, it is very interesting.

[finchboy]

Wow, thanks Sally, for pointing out that Strawberry 4.0 FB site. It's wonderful to see someone specializing in Strawberries.

I particularly like that kiddie pool compost thingy. It's such a brilliant idea. My take is that if the BSFs manage to start to thrive there, the baby BSF grubs will surely delight the finches no end.

Thanks again. You rockses!

[finchboy]

Hi

I'm wondering what methods you have found easiest for auto-supplying live food within the aviary itself?

For example, a vinegar fly trap is easy. It sits in the aviary attracting and breeding little flies, and only requires attention every few days. Perfect. But I want more...

What other simple, inexpensive, electricity-free in-aviary methods are there for breeding and supplying fresh live food?

Ta

Hi Steph,
You may wish to check out BSF grubs. The adult flies are harmless creatures whose existence appears to be soley for the purpose of providing food for others and nothing else, besides mating of course. Some flair and experience is required though, as it is not easy to get them to mate. However, if you live in an area in which they are thriving, you can rely on them visiting your place from the wild to lay their eggs. You will need to provide the attractant for them though. Do check out the info available on the Web.

Personally, I think juvenile BSF grubs are the best live food for finches, though bigger birds will definitely relish the bigger ones.

[Stephanie]

I'm loving the BSF idea! I've been watching videos like crazy but am yet to work out a small scale in-aviary, auto-dispensing design. I'll work it out...