Egg Food

avi983 · Post by **avi983** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 10:11 am

Hi,
My gouldians not touching egg food.Yes it is smashed into small pieces.Have been offering to them since 3 days now.And plus i just got them 3 days back.Could it be cos of the new enviorment?Plus they are not taking baths too.
They are juveniles about 5 motnhs olde i guess.Just starting to show slight coloration on the belly.
Any ideas ? Plus i have a bird feeder dangling from the top they seem to be looking at it often but dont feed from it. I have offered them food in a dish on the bottom of the cage since they are new, wanted them to get used to the cage first.So should i take the feeder out and then put it back in after a few weeks or so?

beccafigs · Post by **beccafigs** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 10:48 am

Just give them a little time. It took my societies a few weeks to get really comfortable and to bathe. My zebras were a little faster, it took about a week. Are you feeding them the food they'd been eating when you got them? It doesn't hurt to offer something else, but I would keep their food they are used to available. They just need a little time. Think about it, if you just moved, would you be totally used to your new home after just 3 days??

Post by **Sally** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 12:14 pm

I agree with beccafigs, just give them some time. If they aren't used to eggfood, they may not touch it for a while. Unless you know how the birds were kept before, be sure to offer several options, as you are doing now with the seed--feeder plus open dish on the floor. Also, make sure they are drinking water. A dealer told me he sold birds one time to a lady who used the water bottles, and his birds were used to open water dishes, and so they died. I always offer open water dishes to new birds, plus I use the tube-style waterers, but I make sure they know to use the tube-style waterers before I take away the open water dishes.

Same with food, a good finch mix will always be accepted, but they may be afraid of the feeder for now. I'd leave it in the cage so they can get used to it. Spray millet is usually relished by most finches. You will just have to try out different things--you can offer them a dish of chopped up veggies, like broccoli, carrots, spinach. Sprinkle a few seeds on top of whatever you are offering to get them to try it.

As far as baths, some of my Gouldians aren't big bathers, others love it. Just keep offering them a bath, and eventually they will try it.

Your birds were shipped to you, weren't they? That puts them under even more stress, plus a different cage, plus if they aren't even colored up yet, they are very young. Keep a close eye on them, and try to see that each one is eating something and drinking water.

avi983 · Post by **avi983** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 2:50 pm

Yes i have been feeding them what they have been having.Infact the breeder gave me a care sheet on what all to do and stuff.
Ok so i'll just give them more time then and leave the feeder and the bath in the cage.

You will just have to try out different things--you can offer them a dish of chopped up veggies, like broccoli, carrots, spinach. Sprinkle a few seeds on top of whatever you are offering to get them to try it.

I'll keep offereing the egg food and will try new foods as well

Your birds were shipped to you, weren't they? That puts them under even more stress, plus a different cage, plus if they aren't even colored up yet, they are very young. Keep a close eye on them, and try to see that each one is eating something and drinking water.

Yes Sally,they were shipped to me and i do keep an eye on each of them whether they eat and drink.Have offered them both tube and water at the floor'they alternate btw them.

Thank you for clearing my doubts

avi983 · Post by **avi983** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 4:03 am

Just to give you'll an update.They have started picking on the egg food as i put some millet seed in the eggfood.they dun seem to liek the egg food much i guess gradually they will.I shifted the feeder close to the perch to see if there is any difference.Its a hanging type feeder and it keeps swaying when they sit on it So put it ina more stable position.
They love flying around it so cool to watch them.

Fancie Flight · Post by **Fancie Flight** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 4:40 am

of all my birds ONLY 1 will eat the egg food, lol

avi983 · Post by **avi983** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 10:08 am

Is there any other way to supplment protien?Other than egg food.

beccafigs · Post by **beccafigs** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 10:45 am

I've never tried it, but have you heard of Spirulina? I have heard it's VERY high in protein, and it's just a natural algae.

Spirulina

Apologies to Tammie or of Fairest Finches if you folks do sell it, I just pulled this with I googled it. [/list]

FeatherHarp · Post by **FeatherHarp** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 12:10 pm

Beccafigs....I copied this answer from Fairest Finches in a previous post where I had also asked about Spirulina. Hope this helps answer some of your questions!

Fairest Finches Replied:

I have heard that those who do offer spirulina to their birds do so because it is an easy way to provide a significant amount of protein to their birds. I agree. It is .... *IF* your birds will eat what you put the spirulina on. That's the key.

Many finches do not consume fish as part of their natural diet -- even in the wild. And spirulina has a very fishy smell to it, which can keep some birds from eating it. As such, the phrase "a little dab will do ya" is definitely something that relates to using spirulina. Just a wee pinch added to eggfood or veggies is enough. More than that and the food turns bright green and smells like fish. Take it from experience! Almost ruined a whole batch of eggfood. LOL! It's the same with the Powdered Kelp. It smells fishy and too much of it sprinkled on eggfood or veggies makes the food smell fishy.

Also, if you read the directions on how much spirulina should be offered to birds on a daily basis, it says it should be no more than 1% of a bird's total dietary intake. I don't know about anyone else, but I don't go to the extreme of weighing or measuring all the food we put in cages or the flights. And, since we offer everything to our birds as "free choice," I would have no idea if a bird consumed more spirulina than is recommended.

As for human consumption, all Morning Bird supplements -- and even some of the medications -- are human grade, including the spirulina ... meaning a person could safely consume them without being poisoned. Now, that doesn't mean you should take a bag of Miracle Meal to work with you to snack on during the day, regardless of how tasty it looks. Laughing But, if you wished to add spirulina to your diet, Morning Bird's spirulina would be safe for you to consume.

beccafigs · Post by **beccafigs** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 12:46 pm

Featherharp- I do remember reading that, good thinking posting the quoted text.

avi983 · Post by **avi983** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 2:00 pm

I feed my fish Spirulina,but birds how do i get them to eat it.they dun seem to like the egg food unless i put millet seed into it.Is sprouting seeds a good form of protien?

Post by **Sally** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 3:39 pm

I don't know about the protein, but sprouted seeds are excellent for your finches. With the eggfood, Gouldians can be very picky about it being dry enough. Mine don't seem to like wet food. I put the eggs thru the food chopper, then I mix in dry commercial eggfood plus enough yellow cornmeal to make it crumbly. I have also mixed in nestling food.

I don't know what would be available to you in your country. In the US, some people take unmedicated gamebird starter, similar to a poultry crumble, and offer that to their birds, as it is very high in protein (they usually have to crush it up). I have heard of people using monkey biscuits. Try to see what you can find in your country--check the contents of any food, and if it is safe for animals, with a high protein count, you could try grinding or crushing some up and offering it, mixed with eggs.

With finches, it is all trial and error. One pair will gobble up my offerings, and another pair won't even touch the same food.

avi983 · Post by **avi983** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 10:57 pm

Ok will try doing that.We dun get dry egg food here. but i think i shoudl try something with bread crumbs and sprouted seeds.The bread crumbs shoudl make the egg food dry enough i guess.will give it a shot.i saw one of teh males nibbling on the cuttle bone it made me so happy.

Geordie · Post by **Geordie** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 3:37 am

In one of my dishes I have an orange flavoured mixed seed which my Javas love, in another dish they have a different kind of mixed seed and mix egg seed and paddy rice in with it. I have hanging lettuce and some broccoli for them and at the back of the cage some hanging string seed (they usually play Tarzan games with that) Open dish for the water (they won't touch anything else) and an open dish for silver sand (grit).

I never chop the veggies for them, I just leave it whole. At first I tried chopping veggies but they wouldn't touch any, but they love tearing into whole veggies, it also gives them a bit more exercise.

FeatherHarp · Post by **FeatherHarp** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 7:09 am

Geordie.....my Zebras love to "play Tarzan" with the parsley I put in the cage....they have so much fun what that stuff tossing it around and flying around with it. Can't tell if they eat any though!