Cando's mineral mix

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slwatson
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Re: Cando's mineral mix

Post by slwatson » Tue May 12, 2015 4:15 pm

Do you sell this, or do you know of anyone who does?

Thank you!
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Colt
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Re: Cando's mineral mix

Post by Colt » Tue May 12, 2015 5:04 pm

Hey ladies. Candice is no longer a member of the forum. I do not think she sells the mineral mix as she blended it to fit the birds needs at the time, but you might try contacting her through her store in Florida, Cage Bird Menagerie, to see if she could make some up and sell it? I make a similar mix, just have to get all the ingredients, and I just keep mine in Tupperware containers or jars with a screw top.

Amethyst Starling
BF and RT Parrot Finch
Chestnut-breasted Mannikin
Lady Gouldian
Owl Finch
Shaft-tail Finch
Society Finch
Star Finch
Strawberry
Tri-colored Nun
Zebra Finch
Diamond Dove
Bourke & Scarlet-chested Parakeet


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Sally
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Re: Cando's mineral mix

Post by Sally » Tue May 12, 2015 6:51 pm

As Colt says, Candace is no longer a member of this forum, but this is a great mineral mix which anyone can either copy or change up to suit their own use. All of the ingredients are easy to obtain, and once you have mixed this up, you can store it indefinitely in any airtight container such as mason jars, Tupperware containers, etc. My birds love it. Also, don't worry if you don't have all the ingredients, it doesn't have to be precise, but I would start with the oystershell grit and the Abba mineral mix (I love this Abba mineral mix, and it could be used by itself, I just like to tinker with things, I think Candace likes to do this too).
3 Purple Grenadiers, 1 Goldbreast + 1 cat.

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Re: Cando's mineral mix

Post by Sojourner » Fri Jul 10, 2015 2:34 pm

OK so I have
  • 1 lb of HATCHED! Eggshell crumbles
  • 2 lb of ABBA Mineral
  • 1 lb of crushed fine charcoal from Hermann Bros.
  • 1 lb of cuttlefish bone pieces - which are actually, each and every one, larger than the "whole" cuttlefish bone I paid $1.29 for at Petco!
Do I need to grind up some cuttlefish bone to add to the rest of this?

How much of each ingredient should I mix up?

I also have regular oyster shell intended for chickens, if needed.

This is my grinder:

Image

It has a metal cup and a thick metal blade.
Molly Brown 11/22/15
Pyewacket 6/15/17
Trudy 2/24/18

Turn towards home, and go there. Many overs, over woods and fields, streams and hills, many overs. Just turn towards home. How else would one go there? Perhaps it was a dream, and you have awakened from it. May the earth rise up beneath you, with home in your heart, and your person waiting.

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Colt
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Re: Cando's mineral mix

Post by Colt » Sun Jul 12, 2015 4:44 pm

Honestly I've never put cuttlebone into a blender/chopper. I'd think it would be pulverized completely into a fine powder.

@MiaCarter and Sally have you ladies every done that?

If it does powder, you could always dust their egg food or other soft foods with it.

Amethyst Starling
BF and RT Parrot Finch
Chestnut-breasted Mannikin
Lady Gouldian
Owl Finch
Shaft-tail Finch
Society Finch
Star Finch
Strawberry
Tri-colored Nun
Zebra Finch
Diamond Dove
Bourke & Scarlet-chested Parakeet


https://www.facebook.com/pages/Brushy-C ... 0659711916

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Sojourner
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Re: Cando's mineral mix

Post by Sojourner » Thu Jul 16, 2015 9:55 am

The cuttlebone-grinding idea comes from the original post.

Before picture:

Image

After picture:

Image

So far they seem to be ignoring cuttlefish bone hung in their cage, ditto the mineral block - which is strange, our birds of eons past pretty much ate those down to the nubbins.

The thing is I have NO IDEA of what proportions to use for the ingredients I have.

1 lb of HATCHED! Eggshell crumbles
2 lb of ABBA Mineral
1 lb of crushed fine charcoal from Hermann Bros.
1 lb of cuttlefish bone pieces - which are actually, each and every one, larger than the "whole" cuttlefish bone I paid $1.29 for at Petco!
and 50 lbs of oyster shell - it was $10 for 50 lb or $4 for 5 lbs, LOL! And 5 lbs wasn't going to last my wild birds for long.

Apparently she was grinding the ABBA mineral as well.

I know she is no longer reading these forums - but I'd like to hear what other people are doing for their mineral mixes now, and I would be very glad of any advice for what proportions to use here.
Molly Brown 11/22/15
Pyewacket 6/15/17
Trudy 2/24/18

Turn towards home, and go there. Many overs, over woods and fields, streams and hills, many overs. Just turn towards home. How else would one go there? Perhaps it was a dream, and you have awakened from it. May the earth rise up beneath you, with home in your heart, and your person waiting.

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Sally
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Re: Cando's mineral mix

Post by Sally » Thu Jul 16, 2015 12:42 pm

I will be making up a new batch of mineral mix later this week, so I'll measure as I go and post it here. With mineral mixes, you don't have to be exact, but some guidelines will help.
3 Purple Grenadiers, 1 Goldbreast + 1 cat.

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Sojourner
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Re: Cando's mineral mix

Post by Sojourner » Fri Jul 17, 2015 11:51 am

Thank you! Any guidelines would be most appreciated!
Molly Brown 11/22/15
Pyewacket 6/15/17
Trudy 2/24/18

Turn towards home, and go there. Many overs, over woods and fields, streams and hills, many overs. Just turn towards home. How else would one go there? Perhaps it was a dream, and you have awakened from it. May the earth rise up beneath you, with home in your heart, and your person waiting.

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Re: Cando's mineral mix

Post by Colt » Sat Jul 18, 2015 9:14 am

I always use the Steel Magnolia method...

Clairee: What's that one you were telling me about... a Cuppa, Cuppa, Cuppa?
Truvy: Oh that's easy, you don't need to write that down. It's a cup of flour, a cup of sugar, a cup of fruit cocktail with the juice, and you mix and bake at 360 till gold-n-bubbly.
Clairee: Sounds awful rich!
Truvy: I know, that's why I serve it over ice cream to cut the sweetness.

So basically whatever I've got that I'm mixing it's all equally put in at a cup except the crushed egg shells. Those are two or three cups to the one of everything else.

Amethyst Starling
BF and RT Parrot Finch
Chestnut-breasted Mannikin
Lady Gouldian
Owl Finch
Shaft-tail Finch
Society Finch
Star Finch
Strawberry
Tri-colored Nun
Zebra Finch
Diamond Dove
Bourke & Scarlet-chested Parakeet


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Sojourner
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Re: Cando's mineral mix

Post by Sojourner » Sat Jul 18, 2015 10:53 am

Oh my, the crushed eggshell is the most expensive of all the ingredients, LOL!

But aren't both the eggshell and the cuttlefish bone sources of calcium? Won't the cuttlefish bone serve mostly the same purpose as the eggshell?
Molly Brown 11/22/15
Pyewacket 6/15/17
Trudy 2/24/18

Turn towards home, and go there. Many overs, over woods and fields, streams and hills, many overs. Just turn towards home. How else would one go there? Perhaps it was a dream, and you have awakened from it. May the earth rise up beneath you, with home in your heart, and your person waiting.

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Colt
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Re: Cando's mineral mix

Post by Colt » Sun Jul 19, 2015 2:51 am

Yes. But I save all the eggshells from when I boil eggs for egg food. I peel them and then pulse the dried shells and save them. The last couple of times though I've left the shell on the eggs and just put them into the egg food.

Amethyst Starling
BF and RT Parrot Finch
Chestnut-breasted Mannikin
Lady Gouldian
Owl Finch
Shaft-tail Finch
Society Finch
Star Finch
Strawberry
Tri-colored Nun
Zebra Finch
Diamond Dove
Bourke & Scarlet-chested Parakeet


https://www.facebook.com/pages/Brushy-C ... 0659711916

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Sally
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Re: Cando's mineral mix

Post by Sally » Sun Jul 19, 2015 9:22 am

Yes, the Hatched eggshells are a bit pricey. I leave the shell on the eggs that I make up for egg food, but I eat a lot of eggs myself. I save the shells from my meals, rinse them out and then microwave on high for 3 minutes. When I get enough, I pulse them in my Ninja express. Not as pretty as Hatched, but basically free, since I'm going to eat eggs anyway.
3 Purple Grenadiers, 1 Goldbreast + 1 cat.

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Re: Cando's mineral mix

Post by Sojourner » Tue Jul 21, 2015 8:47 am

We rarely eat eggs here. If cuttlefish bone also provide calcium, I'll probably just stick with that in the future, plus the oyster shell - unless there is something else they are getting from the actual egg shells.
Molly Brown 11/22/15
Pyewacket 6/15/17
Trudy 2/24/18

Turn towards home, and go there. Many overs, over woods and fields, streams and hills, many overs. Just turn towards home. How else would one go there? Perhaps it was a dream, and you have awakened from it. May the earth rise up beneath you, with home in your heart, and your person waiting.

Lucille
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Re: Cando's mineral mix

Post by Lucille » Mon Aug 17, 2015 12:47 pm

How does one store the extra mix? Just a covered plastic container?

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Sally
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Re: Cando's mineral mix

Post by Sally » Mon Aug 17, 2015 3:17 pm

Lucille wrote: How does one store the extra mix? Just a covered plastic container?
Yes, I found inexpensive clear canisters at Wal-Mart for about $1.50 or $2 each, like clear plastic jugs, and they are perfect. Just keep it in a dry cabinet and this mix will keep for ages.
3 Purple Grenadiers, 1 Goldbreast + 1 cat.

National Finch & Softbill Society - http://www.nfss.org

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