FINCHforum

I am looking for some new ideas fir my birds. Here is wyat I offer, but woukd kike you to share as well!!

Daily:

Seed (forti diet, mixed with white prosso and parakeet mix)
Carrots (fineky chopped)
Eggfood
Cuttlebone
Eggshell

Weekly:

Celery or cucomber (I heard it is watery so try staying away)

Rarely:

I have tried birdie bread several times since I have heard of it maybe a year ago, they love it.




Nkw, has anybody had a problem with carrots?? My breeding pairs all get egfood and veggies, and I can count on two if ky zebra pairs and societies tj have all of their freshfood gone, including carrots

Always on offer: good variety of seed - usually millets, canary seed, dehusked sunflower (lower oil seeds in summer and then these are upped during winter)

I give them commerial eggfood mixed with their veggies, sprouted seed and wholewheat cous cous in a ratio of about 1:8:16:1
Veggies: corn, peas, parsley, broccohli, cauliflower, carrots, cabbage and some rosemary leaves
There is more carrot and cabbage as a base with smaller portions of the other stuff.
I did once add beet to the mix, but the birds did not like all the food going purple!

Plus they get meal worms (freeze dried and living) daily in breeding season for the insectivorous birds.

I also give them a quarter corn on the cob and/or cucumber every other day.

All soft food and fresh veg are only given in portions that the birds eat within a few hours.

Pellet food (LaFeber for the gouldians, Zupreem for the societies and zebras)

Egg + veggies (lettuce, chard, carrots) w sprinkle of egg shells, 2 or 3x a week.
I will sometimes sprinkle seeds onto the egg+veggie mix.

Molting birds difference:
- egg+veggies, daily.

Breeding birds difference:
- egg+veggies, daily and 3+ times a day.

I feed my finches the following during breeding season:
LaFeber pellets and Zupreem Pellets
Econutrition Organic Seed Mix
Kaytee Eggcited Seed Mix
Fresh seeds, as available
Millet Spray
Romaine lettuce, torn up
Carrots, shredded or chopped small
Broccoli florets, broken up small and the base is chopped into the eggfood mixture.
Homemade eggfood and I sprinkle some seeds or veggies over the top or live food for insectivore species.

Periodically, they are offered sliced red grapes, cucumber, apples, or other seasonal fruits, but they usually ignore the fruits. My waxbills like the grapes and some times eat a piece of melon or tomatoe slice, but the rest do not like the fruits, just the lettuce and carrots.

During non-breeding season, they do not get the eggfood, but always have cuttle bone, fresh veggies, in season and seed/pellet mixtures, but I reduce the millet spray and use only as a treat.

Wow, you guys feed a big variety!!! I want to add pellets, but do not know if I should convert them completely

Donna - what type of finch is in this picture far right at the feeding station??

http://www.finchforum.com/download/file ... &mode=view

Is the bird far right in the window sill one of the forbes or is that a blue face parrot? I didn't know you had that species

If you do - how have they been breeding for you??

ac12 wrote:Pellet food (LaFeber for the gouldians, Zupreem for the societies and zebras)

Egg + veggies (lettuce, chard, carrots) w sprinkle of egg shells, 2 or 3x a week.
I will sometimes sprinkle seeds onto the egg+veggie mix.

Molting birds difference:
- egg+veggies, daily.

Breeding birds difference:
- egg+veggies, daily and 3+ times a day.

I use Lafeber pellets for my goldies, too. I mix a little in with their soft food though as they won't touch it try. Have you tried various types of cereal (the kind we eat) for the birds? There are lots of various nutrients in there (of course, you won't be feeding them frosties or that awful coloured stuff or something with too much fibre). They love weatbix, and plain old oatmeal (not the flavoured kind of course).

haha! i feed:

Seeds obviously mixed variety
eggfood(once every two weeks or when they have chicks, no time to make it and take it out every day!)
kale
sprouts as many times as egg food but opposite weeks for enrichment(mostly because i forget to take them out right when they chit)

chitted seeds(just before sprouting)
cuttle bone

i plan on starting to feed meal worms soon! blood worms ect!

ac12 wrote:Pellet food (LaFeber for the gouldians, Zupreem for the societies and zebras)

Egg + veggies (lettuce, chard, carrots) w sprinkle of egg shells, 2 or 3x a week.
I will sometimes sprinkle seeds onto the egg+veggie mix.

Molting birds difference:
- egg+veggies, daily.

Breeding birds difference:
- egg+veggies, daily and 3+ times a day.

For the greens, I know brocolli is rich in calcium and iron. Raddish leaves are extremely healthy, grated carrots and beets (if they eat them) for carotenoids. A little spinach and kale in the mix for iron, parsely forvitamins A, C, K, and folic. Dandelion boosts immune system, etc. lol. I try to grow this stuff in spring, summer. but at the store you can get it too all season (except dandies). With all this variety, thats why i dont believe in adding supplements.

DanteD716 wrote:I am looking for some new ideas fir my birds. Here is wyat I offer, but woukd kike you to share as well!!

Daily:

Seed (forti diet, mixed with white prosso and parakeet mix)
Carrots (fineky chopped)
Eggfood
Cuttlebone
Eggshell

Weekly:

Celery or cucomber (I heard it is watery so try staying away)

Rarely:

I have tried birdie bread several times since I have heard of it maybe a year ago, they love it.




Nkw, has anybody had a problem with carrots?? My breeding pairs all get egfood and veggies, and I can count on two if ky zebra pairs and societies tj have all of their freshfood gone, including carrots

All my finches love carrots; my GBs, not so much. I have yet to go out and buy live mealies for them lol. As for cukes, feed the Lebanese cucumbers rather than those awful huge watery ones. I give them a little in the summer as a cool source of water. Otherwise, not much nutrition in cukes.

monotwine wrote:Always on offer: good variety of seed - usually millets, canary seed, dehusked sunflower (lower oil seeds in summer and then these are upped during winter)

I give them commerial eggfood mixed with their veggies, sprouted seed and wholewheat cous cous in a ratio of about 1:8:16:1
Veggies: corn, peas, parsley, broccohli, cauliflower, carrots, cabbage and some rosemary leaves
There is more carrot and cabbage as a base with smaller portions of the other stuff.
I did once add beet to the mix, but the birds did not like all the food going purple!

Plus they get meal worms (freeze dried and living) daily in breeding season for the insectivorous birds.

I also give them a quarter corn on the cob and/or cucumber every other day.

All soft food and fresh veg are only given in portions that the birds eat within a few hours.

For oily seeds, i crush the following: almonds, walnuts, sesame, borgol (cracked wheat), flax, 12 grains, pumpkin, and sunflower. Crushing releases the oily substance and makes it easier for birds to eat. I sprinkle a tiny bit over their veggies, increasing or decreasing amount according to season. This way, they are not only getting oils but also essential vitamins, folic acid, iron, minerals, omega, calcium, and fibre.

Rour wrote:

DanteD716 wrote:I am looking for some new ideas fir my birds. Here is wyat I offer, but woukd kike you to share as well!!

Daily:

Seed (forti diet, mixed with white prosso and parakeet mix)
Carrots (fineky chopped)
Eggfood
Cuttlebone
Eggshell

Weekly:

Celery or cucomber (I heard it is watery so try staying away)

Rarely:

I have tried birdie bread several times since I have heard of it maybe a year ago, they love it.




Nkw, has anybody had a problem with carrots?? My breeding pairs all get egfood and veggies, and I can count on two if ky zebra pairs and societies tj have all of their freshfood gone, including carrots

All my finches love carrots; my GBs, not so much. I have yet to go out and buy live mealies for them lol. As for cukes, feed the Lebanese cucumbers rather than those awful huge watery ones. I give them a little in the summer as a cool source of water. Otherwise, not much nutrition in cukes.

I also finely mince a small amount of sweet kiwi or apple (no seeds) with their greens, it gives a great vitamin C boost.

I clearly posted on the wrong thread above - it won't let me edit the post though

I guess I could at least respond to the thread since I goofed!

My birds are getting the following:

Breeding Birds
* Birds R Us Breeding/Molting Mix - (for the PFs and Owls I blend this 50/50 with the Maintenance/Resting Mix)
* Chitted Seed by STGF Complete Softfood - (Daily for Owls and Gouldians, 3x per week for the PFs to prevent them from getting tubby)

If my brother runs out of chitted seed he will offer them egg food plus Miracle Meal in lieu of the chitted seed.

They also get a grit mixture offered free choice which consists of TBA Hatched Crushed egg shell, TBA Herb Salad, Morning Bird Trace Minerals Powder and Powdered Kelp, and a pinch of charcoal.

The Non-Breeding birds get BRU Maintenance/Resting Blend and chitted seed or egg food twice weekly.

The new maintenance diet actually suggests a mixture of sunflower oil plus the STGF Complete Soft Food in lieu of the chitted seed but I have kept forgetting to get organic Sunflower oil so for now the chitted seed plus Soft Food works.
They get the same grit mixture as the breeding birds.

Here is what I do:

Fresh seed and water everyday (I use ABBA Seed)

Calcium plus mixed in the water once a week for the extra vitamin D since my birds don't ever get to go outside as its to cold where I live

Chopped up coleslaw which is mainly cabbage and carrot

I give fresh hard boiled egg as follows: for every 5 eggs I use 1/2 cup of cornmeal and 1 tsp green powder.
Green powder: 1 cup kelp powder, 1 cup alfalfa powder, 1/2 cup crushed egg shell (This is from Lainey Alexanders diet and you can buy the powders from http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/ )

Fresh dark greens daily. I give something different everyday (bok choy, broccoli, dandelion, kale, collard etc...)

Sprouted Seed is given everyday during breeding and twice a week when breeding season is done.

I mix crushed egg shell, miracle meal, ABBA mineral grit, cuttlebone, charcoal, oyster shell and mineral powder (morning bird) and serve it to my birds in a seperate dish free choice. (Candace's recipe viewtopic.php?f=3&t=11830 ) + I add some commercial egg food to this.

Herb Salad (twin beaks) in a seperate dish free choice.

Millet spray as needed during breeding and once a week outside of breeding.