How often should I change the food and is this setup ok

Geordie · Post by **Geordie** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 10:31 pm

Hello all,

In my cage I have 2 food trays for my young Javas, both contain mixed seed and in one I will also add some Paddy Rice to the mix along with some egg food stuff, in the other I mix the feed with a tiny bit of hot water and vitamin supplements recommended by the vet to make the feed a bit softer. I am changing this for them every 2 days, but I mix it up for them with a spoon a couple of times a day. The food trays never contain any poop because they have the poop guards over them.

Higher up in the cage I have some of that hanging seed, they love that because they like to play Tarzan on it. Mid level is the cuttlefish and on the bottom of the tray is a grit dish and their water tray/bath which I change about 4-5 times a day. I usual hang a small piece of broccoli out for them to nibble on and put a fresh chinese water cabbage leaf in the cage for them every morning which they love tearing into.

I was wondering about apples, oranges & bananas a couple of times a week?

Am I doing the right thing?

Cheers
Geordie

Post by **Sally** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 12:44 pm

I don't have Javas, so not familiar with their diet, though I have read that they love paddy rice. The one thing I would question is wetting down some of the seed mix with hot water to soften, but then leaving it for two days. I leave all kinds of dry things in treat cups indefinitely, but anything that is considered soft, or wet, food doesn't stay more than a day, just in case it would go 'off' or develop mold. In the summer, when it gets so hot here, something like moist eggfood comes out in 4-6 hours.

Geordie · Post by **Geordie** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 7:26 pm

Thanks Sally, the vet recommended adding a tiny bit of hot water to soften it up but he didn't say how often it should be changed

fairestfinches · Post by **fairestfinches** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 11:40 pm

Geordie,

Try fresh frozen sweet peas or frozen sweet corn thawed to room temperature. We offer it as an occasional treat and it's real hoot watching our Gouldians, and Societies because they've figured out if they stomp on them they can get to the good parts faster.

I agree with Sally that I wouldn't leave the soft food out for more than a day. Bacteria and yeast can grow like wild fire and cause some of the worst problems with illness.

Sean

Geordie · Post by **Geordie** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 1:43 am

Great advice, cheers. Riff & Raff have their cage cleaned thoroughly every 2 days along with changing the food, so I am pretty sure it is free from any build-up of bacteria, but I am going to stop adding hot water to one of their feed trays just in case.

Geordie

spector · Post by **spector** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 11:23 am

fairestfinches wrote:Geordie,

Try fresh frozen sweet peas or frozen sweet corn thawed to room temperature. We offer it as an occasional treat and it's real hoot watching our Gouldians, and Societies because they've figured out if they stomp on them they can get to the good parts faster.

Sean

This sounds like it would be so much fun to watch! I occasionally feed my guys corn, but I've never seem them go to town on it like that!