If live food isnt really an option . . .

[KoacNation]

In my aviary I will have a pair each of
female zebras
gouldians
cordon bleu
fire finches

Live food that can grow into real live beetles is just not an option for me. Just cant take that chance.

1) How badly might these types of finches need those mealworms?

2) What is the next best thing?

3) Please o Please dont say, "buy live ones and freeze em"

thanks for the advice as always!

[ac12]

Zebras and gouldians do not need live worms, don't know anything about the CB and FF.

If either eats worms, see if they will eat a hardboiled egg mix (first choice) and freeze dried worms (2nd choice).

[L in Ontario]

Freeze-dried bloodworms are good - most insect eating birds will eat these instead - check the fish section of the pet stores. Also there are insect patees (for birds) available which contain dried insects. Live food is not an absolute, these are just a couple of other options. Let us know what you find.

[Sally]

If you want to breed your CBs or Fires, they may toss without live food. I've gotten some pairs of CBs to raise with eggfood and freeze-dried bloodworms, but others are still tossing without live food. I recently had two pairs of Fires toss their clutches without live food, so I'm going to break down and give them some live mini mealworms. I can always work on no live food later, but need to get those babies first.

[franny]

You can also try canned mealworms from the Reptile section of the pet store. My society finch loves the freeze dried bloodworms, too.