Feeding times??
-
- Nestling
- Posts: 85
- Joined: Fri Oct 13, 2006 10:11 pm
Feeding times??
I received some pellet food and vitamin supplements I ordered from Lefabers (is that the right name) and the pamphlet suggested that I feed the birds a small amount of food in the morning and then completely remove all food from the cage and then do the same for about 40 minutes in the evening. This seems a little harsh. Does anyone do this type of feeding time routine? I don't even having a routine for my dog. . . I keep his bowl full and he eats when he's hungry.
- tammieb
- Brooding
- Posts: 1241
- Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2006 7:00 pm
- Location: USA/Nebraska
- Contact:
The feeding routine you mentioned is intended to wean the birds off seed and get them used to eating the pellets. If the only thing offered to them is the pellets during those 40 minutes then by theory they will have to eventually try it. Once they are eating the pellets then you can make the switch full time and just give seed as a treat.
I don't feed pellets as I feel the birds like a variety in their diet just as I do. I have observed no health problems from allowing my birds to eat what they like. Their diet is the same special mix from Herman Bros. which the previous keeper had them on and I have very little waste.
I don't feed pellets as I feel the birds like a variety in their diet just as I do. I have observed no health problems from allowing my birds to eat what they like. Their diet is the same special mix from Herman Bros. which the previous keeper had them on and I have very little waste.
TammieB.
Use the talents you possess - for the woods would be a very silent place if no birds sang except for the best. ~Henry Van Dyke~
Use the talents you possess - for the woods would be a very silent place if no birds sang except for the best. ~Henry Van Dyke~
-
- Nestling
- Posts: 85
- Joined: Fri Oct 13, 2006 10:11 pm
- Crystal
- Brooding
- Posts: 1331
- Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2006 2:27 pm
- Location: Richmond, VA
- Contact:
Finches have really high metabolisms and need to eat all day long to keep up with their energy requirements, so food should always be available to them throughout the day (not just for 40 minutes in the morning and 40 minutes at night). They will rapidly deteriorate if not given sufficient food throughout the day. I recommend offering the pellets in a separate container from their regular diet all day every day; persistence usually pays off.
To encourage weaning onto the pelleted diet, you can use one of two methods:
1. After about a week or two with pellets always available to them, you can try removing the seed (while leaving the pellets available) for 40 minutes in the morning and 40 minutes at night, but do not leave them all day without seed until you have seen them all eat sufficient amounts of the pelleted diet.
2. Alternatively, you can mix increasing proportions of the pelleted diet into the seed diet (while decreasing the amount of seed offered each time you refill the seed dish) so that the finches are left with only pellets after about 2 weeks.
Either way you will need to keep a close eye on them to make sure they are actually eating the pellets before completely removing their access to seed.
I applaud your purchase of a pelleted diet, as it will be far more nutrient-rich and balanced than a seed-based diet. I encourage you to offer fresh foods (especially egg and green, leafy vegetables) in addition to the pellets. I offer my birds seed only as a treat and slightly more often to breeding birds (which get more of everything) when they have hungry mouths to feed.
To encourage weaning onto the pelleted diet, you can use one of two methods:
1. After about a week or two with pellets always available to them, you can try removing the seed (while leaving the pellets available) for 40 minutes in the morning and 40 minutes at night, but do not leave them all day without seed until you have seen them all eat sufficient amounts of the pelleted diet.
2. Alternatively, you can mix increasing proportions of the pelleted diet into the seed diet (while decreasing the amount of seed offered each time you refill the seed dish) so that the finches are left with only pellets after about 2 weeks.
Either way you will need to keep a close eye on them to make sure they are actually eating the pellets before completely removing their access to seed.
I applaud your purchase of a pelleted diet, as it will be far more nutrient-rich and balanced than a seed-based diet. I encourage you to offer fresh foods (especially egg and green, leafy vegetables) in addition to the pellets. I offer my birds seed only as a treat and slightly more often to breeding birds (which get more of everything) when they have hungry mouths to feed.
Webmaster
http://www.finchinfo.com/
http://www.finchinfo.com/
- tammieb
- Brooding
- Posts: 1241
- Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2006 7:00 pm
- Location: USA/Nebraska
- Contact:
That is what I meant... offer them only the pellets for a 40 minute period in the morning and again in the evening. You should of course have their usual seed available to them the rest of the time. I wouldn't personally go this route, but this is what I've heard is the fastest way to get them to eating the pellets.
TammieB.
Use the talents you possess - for the woods would be a very silent place if no birds sang except for the best. ~Henry Van Dyke~
Use the talents you possess - for the woods would be a very silent place if no birds sang except for the best. ~Henry Van Dyke~
-
- Nestling
- Posts: 85
- Joined: Fri Oct 13, 2006 10:11 pm
Thanks guys. What I did was add about 25% of the pellets to the seed and I sprinkled the new vitamin powder on top of one food dish. In the other. . . I offered all pellets to see if they might just take them right away. I couldn't stand the thought of removing food from their cage all day. . .I don't care how much of an expert someone thinks they are. . . it just seemed mean.
Thank you so much!!!!
Thank you so much!!!!
-
- Pip
- Posts: 17
- Joined: Fri Nov 10, 2006 12:22 am
- Location: missouri
- Contact:
-
- Nestling
- Posts: 85
- Joined: Fri Oct 13, 2006 10:11 pm
- kenny
- Weaning
- Posts: 1778
- Joined: Sat Jul 15, 2006 3:45 pm
- Location: East Yorkshire,England
did you breed these finches your self or did you buy them as adults,they will have to get used to the grenfood if they are not bred by you as they only eat what they are used to so unless they have been fed greens by the former owner they will take a while to catch on i usually start mine of with cress as they usually take that regardless or chickweed i have never seen a bird refuse this stuff or dandelion leaves
ken
ken
you can always tell a yorkshireman,but you cant tell him much
-
- Nestling
- Posts: 85
- Joined: Fri Oct 13, 2006 10:11 pm
- kenny
- Weaning
- Posts: 1778
- Joined: Sat Jul 15, 2006 3:45 pm
- Location: East Yorkshire,England