FINCHforum

I got a packet of this for free along with some stuff I ordered from Glamorous Gouldians.

I don't have any canaries and at today's canary prices, not likely to be getting any. I know I probably CAN feed this stuff to my little Bengalese Finches - but is there any reason to do so? Given I am not planning on breeding them, and hope like heck neither of them are male ...

It has protein and some minerals so it wouldn't hurt and could actually be beneficial to offer it a couple times a week. Not sure what else you offer your birds.

Sojourner

I feed a mixture of Canary/ Finch/ Budgie seed mixes, all mixed together to all of my birds (Canaries, Finches, Waxbills and Budgies). They all do very well on this diet.

Societies, will also appreciate vegetables and hard boiled eggs.

Elana

I feed finch mix and offer canary seed, nyjer seed, canary song mix, and budgie mix in separate cups. I'm seeing what they like to eat. After a month or so (giving them plenty of time to get used to the different seeds and the new feeders) I'll remove whatever they aren't eating much of.

I offer spinach leaves from time to time. I put millet sprays in about twice a week right now. I have a vitamin supplement I will start giving them soon, and I'm working on a mineral mix (I have a question in the stickied thread about that).

They also have a bath in the bottom of the cage, which I change the water twice a day. At least one of them does seem to be using that.

I need to crush up some sunflower seed and then I'll offer that as well. When things start going in the garden I'll offer more different greens and veggies from there as well.

I guess I'll hang on to this and once I've got the seed and mineral thing under control, I'll see about offering a little bit of that as well.

Sojourner

Regarding a mineral mix:

I buy bird gravel, to which I add crushed egg shells, grated cuttle bone, grated iodine block and grated mineral block. I also occasionally offer some charcoal on the side.

I also add a drop or two of liquid vitamin
to drinking water twice a week.

As to vegtables and fruits:
There are quite a few that your kids will appreciate other than spinach. Cucumbers, baby spring greens, kale, carrot greens, grated carrots, red swiss chard, parsley, corn on the cob, beet greens, broccoli, chick weed and dandilion greens.

Also, chopped apple, red grapes, banana, halved mandarin oranges, and mellons among others.

Sprouted seeds are another favorite, and very healthy.

As mentioned above, a bit of hard boiled egg, is a wonderful source of protein all year around, but especially when molting, breeding and feeding young.

Good luck

Elana