Austerity diet for Goudlians...

atarasi · Post by **atarasi** » Sun May 03, 2009 1:14 pm

So I received the Austerity diet. They eat everything, well, except for the rye grass and already they are looking very close to being in molt. i.e. not as active, a little fuffy, sleeping.

nixity · Post by **nixity** » Sun May 03, 2009 2:01 pm

This, too, is how my birds reacted, and they began molting within two weeks

L in Ontario · Post by **L in Ontario** » Sun May 03, 2009 3:30 pm

I'm a tad confused (not unusual, I know) but I thought the austerity diet is for after moulting when they are resting...? Maybe I understood it all wrong.

nixity · Post by **nixity** » Sun May 03, 2009 4:39 pm

Oh god no..

Austerity is to be used immediately after birds are split up from breeding for two weeks to induce the annual molt.
As soon as the molt starts, they go on the molting diet (higher in protein) to help them get through the molt.
When they are done molting, they go on a resting (maintenance) diet for about 4 months.

Then, he (Mike Fidler/Bill Van Patten) recommends a 1 month austere period prior to breeding to help reduce body fat, cease hormone flow, and rest the reproductive organs of the birds before the rigors of breeding. After this month of austerity, the birds go right into the breeding diet, and this is what kicks in the hormones to come into breeding condition.

L in Ontario · Post by **L in Ontario** » Sun May 03, 2009 5:03 pm

Thanks for straightening that out for me, Tiffany.

So its -
1 Breeding season - breeding diet
2 End of Breeding - austere diet for 2 weeks to induce moulting
3 Moulting period - molting diet w/higher protein like breeding diet
4 Resting period - maintenance diet
5 Breeding prep - austere diet for 4 weeks prior to breeding season
1 Breeding season - start over
2 ...

ac12 · Post by **ac12** » Sun May 03, 2009 6:10 pm

So there are 3 mixes
- breeding and molting are the same high protein diet
- maintenance/resting a mid-level amt of protein
- austere low

It sounds like, if I can get them on pellets, the pellets would be equivalent of a breeding/molting mix.

nixity · Post by **nixity** » Sun May 03, 2009 6:30 pm

I wouldn't recommend putting them on pellets; I don't personally think pellets would be the same as breeding, either - maybe resting.
I wouldn't suggest pellets during breeding as this is not particularly a food for hatchlings.

Regardless of the fortification they receive, extruded pellets are not as nutritional as a seed diet when it comes to finches.
You also have to worry about the fortification they do have to ensure (if you are following MF's guide) you do not put your birds at risk for hypervitaminosis (poisoning due to over supplementing with vitamins).

It definitely depends on what you prefer, but I would never recommend an all-pellet diet or a breeding diet consisting of pellets for finches.

ac12 · Post by **ac12** » Sun May 03, 2009 7:17 pm

Well I guess that means seeds when I get gouldians.
With the different types of seeds, it does seem simpler too just keep the gouldians on seeds.

I have all my current finches (zebra & society) on pellets, but when they lay eggs or foster, I plan to switch them to seeds, so they can feed the young. I read that they have trouble regergitating the pellets.

I switched to pellets for 2 reasons
1 - they were eating maybe 30% of the seed mix, and I think leaving a lot or all the "fortified" stuff behind. The uneaten seeds n stuff effectively made the seed mixes 2 to 3x the price.
2 - the seed hulls were going all over the place, and pellets reduced my cleaning task.

MLaRue · Post by **MLaRue** » Thu Jun 11, 2009 11:11 pm

Tiffany -

Do your Gouldians eat all that Canary seed in the mixes? None of my birds eat it. Oh - they will eat it if there is nothing else in the bowl but that but that isn't good.

I'm finding my birds won't even eat all the little tiny seeds in the mix either?

I really wanted to switch to the Birds R Us seeds but I think I would be stuck just using one blend all the time.

nixity · Post by **nixity** » Thu Jun 11, 2009 11:21 pm

MLaRue wrote:Tiffany -

Do your Gouldians eat all that Canary seed in the mixes?

It's sort of here and there. I have some birds that will eat Canary seed exclusively if it's available on its own.
Also, in the Breeding/Molting I don't think what looks like Canary is all Canary. There's another grass seed in there that looks very similar to Canary but its name escapes me right now.
Either way sometimes I find myself offering a little of both mixes because some birds will eat more Canary than others.

The Maintenance Mix does not contain nearly as much Canary as the Breeding/Molting, but like you said, it contains a LOT of smaller seeds. And again, some birds eat this more than others.
I.e., my societies do not TOUCH the smaller seeds unless they are soaked/sprouted.
But my juveniles seem to like them.
I also always have Spray Millet available to the birds on the Breeding/Molting mix so they do get millet outside of the little bit that is in the mix.

atarasi · Post by **atarasi** » Thu Jun 11, 2009 11:51 pm

The more gouldians that eat from the same dish, the less likely you are to have anything left. I've noticed when they are in their breeding cages, some pairs devour the Canary and some don't. It's just less noticeable when there are more birds picking thru it. I only replenish the dish when there isn't much left. When I do, the more picky birds are the first at the dish.

nixity · Post by **nixity** » Fri Jun 12, 2009 9:00 am

Maybe this is also why I don't notice much in terms of left over seed..
In my flights there are anywhere between 4-8 birds, and they are usually all at the dish at once..

Same with the sprouts..

The plate is usually empty by the time I get home and I suspect some birds would eat most of, or all of, the different seeds, while others only pick out their favorites... the one thing always left in the finch cages are those damn safflower seeds..

I still don't get that..
I've been try to sieve them out and I just give them to sadie (parrotlet).. but before they were just in the garbage!

MLaRue · Post by **MLaRue** » Fri Jun 12, 2009 10:25 am

So, are you only giving enough seed for a day? I feed mine so they have enough seeds for several days not just one day. I would be too worried about them not having enough and then be starving by the time I get home.

nixity · Post by **nixity** » Fri Jun 12, 2009 10:30 am

I only give them enough sproated/soaked seed for one day.
The dry seed is always topped off in the mornings so I never let it "run out" so to speak..

nixity · Post by **nixity** » Fri Jun 12, 2009 10:32 am

Well - also, I use little 4" terracotta dishes for each cage... the flights I fill them to the brim.
In the evening when I get home, I blow off any hulls.
In the AM, I top it off if it needs it.
If there's a ton of fresh seed in the dishes, I might wait to top it off until the evening.
It just depends