Has anyone used the product 'Hearty Bird'

[JerseyGuy]

I am curious to know if any member has used the product 'Hearty Bird' which is a vitamin/mineral
supplement for birds, or does anyone use a vitamin/mineral supplement at all for their birds?

[Sally]

I have used Hearty Bird in the past, I happen to like Morning Bird Products. I have also used Hagen's Prime vitamin supplement. At present, I am using Vionate vitamins, which I add to my egg food (I somewhat follow Roy Beckham's egg food recipe, which is why I started using the Vionate).

With a varied diet, you don't always need a vitamin supplement, but when you have picky eaters (like yours!), I think a vitamin/mineral supplement can be a good thing.

[JerseyGuy]

I have tried on numerous occasions to offer fruits and vegetables to my 2 Male Gouldians. They just refuse. They are 2 stubborn guys.
This morning I offered apples, cucumber and broccoli and they still
will not eat it. In all honesty, I don't know what else I can do to get
these finches to eat this food. I'm going to have to place another
call to the Bird Store I purchased them from and talk to the owner.

[Stuart whiting]

I have used Hearty Bird in the past, I happen to like Morning Bird Products. I have also used Hagen's Prime vitamin supplement. At present, I am using Vionate vitamins, which I add to my egg food (I somewhat follow Roy Beckham's egg food recipe, which is why I started using the Vionate).

With a varied diet, you don't always need a vitamin supplement, but when you have picky eaters (like yours!), I think a vitamin/mineral supplement can be a good thing.

I'd go along with that, well said

Sally, goggle Paul de nil egg food from Belgium, this is what I've started to use and is rated very highly

The recipe can be found on blue-capped-waxbill.com or lavender-waxbill.com

[JerseyGuy]

I haven't received my Order of 'Hearty Bird' yet in the mail,
but does it color the water at all ?

I understand you have to mix it in a Quart of Water. I would assume you refrigerate
the unused portion. How long does it last in the refrigerator?

[LadyGouldianGirl]

Hi friend. The directions on the Hearty Bird is 1/4 teaspoon to 40 fluid oz (5 cups). From all I've read, it's best to make it fresh. 5 cups is a lot of waste for just 2 birds so I cut it in half. I use 1/8 teaspoon in 2.5 cups water. It's a white powder so doesn't turn the water any colors. There is a slight smell but not strong and the birds don't seem to mind the smell or taste.

[Stuart whiting]

Hi friend. The directions on the Hearty Bird is 1/4 teaspoon to 40 fluid oz (5 cups). From all I've read, it's best to make it fresh. 5 cups is a lot of waste for just 2 birds so I cut it in half. I use 1/8 teaspoon in 2.5 cups water. It's a white powder so doesn't turn the water any colors. There is a slight smell but not strong and the birds don't seem to mind the smell or taste.

Agree, well said

[LadyGouldianGirl]

Stuart whiting

Thanks Stuart. I think Patrick and I are both getting frustrated with our little guys. We seem to be in the same boat owning only 2 finches. I've read that Gouldians can be pretty stubborn and I think that with just 2 of them in a cage it makes it even harder to get them to try new things. I've equated them to stubborn 5 year olds I've finally gotten mine to eat dried greens but it took 4 weeks of trying. I'm not holding out much hope for getting them to eat anything fresh. I'll keep trying awhile longer but at some point I'll probably give up. At least they are getting their vitamins supplemented with the Hearty Bird. That may be the best I can do for my hard-headed kids.

[Stuart whiting]

Stuart whiting

Thanks Stuart. I think Patrick and I are both getting frustrated with our little guys. We seem to be in the same boat owning only 2 finches. I've read that Gouldians can be pretty stubborn and I think that with just 2 of them in a cage it makes it even harder to get them to try new things. I've equated them to stubborn 5 year olds I've finally gotten mine to eat dried greens but it took 4 weeks of trying. I'm not holding out much hope for getting them to eat anything fresh. I'll keep trying awhile longer but at some point I'll probably give up. At least they are getting their vitamins supplemented with the Hearty Bird. That may be the best I can do for my hard-headed kids.

Hi there,

That's certainly good that you've percivere over 4 weeks of trying,

I'd try all sorts of fresh green stuff and also try preparing in different ways IE chopped, diced, grated and also liquidised I've found to be useful as if liquidised you can actually try mixing some in with their seed and quite a generous helping at that

I'm sure that the added vitamins in the birds water will also help although be very careful not to over do with the vitamins and only give the correct dosage which I'm sure you are

Hope you succeed with your efforts

[JerseyGuy]

Stuart whiting

Thanks Stuart. I think Patrick and I are both getting frustrated with our little guys. We seem to be in the same boat owning only 2 finches. I've read that Gouldians can be pretty stubborn and I think that with just 2 of them in a cage it makes it even harder to get them to try new things. I've equated them to stubborn 5 year olds I've finally gotten mine to eat dried greens but it took 4 weeks of trying. I'm not holding out much hope for getting them to eat anything fresh. I'll keep trying awhile longer but at some point I'll probably give up. At least they are getting their vitamins supplemented with the Hearty Bird. That may be the best I can do for my hard-headed kids.

Well, yes, to follow-up, My 2 Male Gouldians are very stubborn and difficult. Day after day I offer fresh foods, and every day I end up throwing it out. It takes a lot of time (and money) to buy and prepare these fresh foods for them only to have to discard it all. It's become a full-time job. I now only buy Seed in bulk, and no longer buy the
'Seed Mixes' or 'Seed Blends'. I buy the healthiest seeds for them to eat and break up the Seed trough into 1/3's. I always offer "Grains & Greens" blend, and always Red Siberian Millet Seed, and usually Canary Grass Seed, plus the plate of Fresh Greens, veggies. I have not yet offered them any fruits.

The cup of crushed Egg shell is always present, but it does not appear that either bird
is eating it.

For this reason, I am adding 'Hearty Bird' vitamins to their daily diet.

[Stuart whiting]

Stuart whiting

Thanks Stuart. I think Patrick and I are both getting frustrated with our little guys. We seem to be in the same boat owning only 2 finches. I've read that Gouldians can be pretty stubborn and I think that with just 2 of them in a cage it makes it even harder to get them to try new things. I've equated them to stubborn 5 year olds I've finally gotten mine to eat dried greens but it took 4 weeks of trying. I'm not holding out much hope for getting them to eat anything fresh. I'll keep trying awhile longer but at some point I'll probably give up. At least they are getting their vitamins supplemented with the Hearty Bird. That may be the best I can do for my hard-headed kids.

Well, yes, to follow-up, My 2 Male Gouldians are very stubborn and difficult. Day after day I offer fresh foods, and every day I end up throwing it out. It takes a lot of time (and money) to buy and prepare these fresh foods for them only to have to discard it all. It's become a full-time job. I now only buy Seed in bulk, and no longer buy the
'Seed Mixes' or 'Seed Blends'. I buy the healthiest seeds for them to eat and break up the Seed trough into 1/3's. I always offer "Grains & Greens" blend, and always Red Siberian Millet Seed, and usually Canary Grass Seed, plus the plate of Fresh Greens, veggies. I have not yet offered them any fruits.

The cup of crushed Egg shell is always present, but it does not appear that either bird
is eating it.

For this reason, I am adding 'Hearty Bird' vitamins to their daily diet.

Mmm....ok Patrick you could aslo try this, if their simply not touching the egg food as I suppose there's times when some birds will just completely refuse the stuff one option that you could try is completely do away with the egg food and give em sprouted seed,

This is basically the same as soaked seed as I've mentioned earlier but instead of just soaking for 24 hrs and then draining and giving straight to the birds I'd be inclined to do this as follows:

As before soak the seed for 24 hrs in the fridge and then drain off all of the water and rinse under the tap thourghly,

Place the seed on a tray and then leave somewhere like the window sill or even better inside a green house wear the sun can be in contact with the tray for a while during the day, rinse and drain 2-3 times during the day and repeat this the following day aswell and continue leaving the rinsed and drained seed on the tray,

By about the 3rd day you'll start to see loads of green shoots emerging from the seed, you can leave till about the 4th day when there should be more green shoots emerging.

Rinse this and give straight to the birds when you think there's enough shoots from the seed,

You could have a few trays on the go at different days so you can always have some sprouted seed on most days

Incidentally this is a fantastic food source for rearing young finches aswell especially in conjunction with some live food when some species of foreign finch won't take the egg food

[JerseyGuy]

Hi friend. The directions on the Hearty Bird is 1/4 teaspoon to 40 fluid oz (5 cups). From all I've read, it's best to make it fresh. 5 cups is a lot of waste for just 2 birds so I cut it in half. I use 1/8 teaspoon in 2.5 cups water. It's a white powder so doesn't turn the water any colors. There is a slight smell but not strong and the birds don't seem to mind the smell or taste.

Thank you so much for your reply. The Hearty Bird arrived in the mail yesterday.
Now that I sit and observe my birds, I have noticed that they appear to only drink
once in the Morning upon awakening, and I never see them drink again that day.
I find it very odd that birds only drink water once per day. If that is the case with
my 2 finches, what benefit would 'Hearty Bird' provide them at all ?

[Stuart whiting]

Hi friend. The directions on the Hearty Bird is 1/4 teaspoon to 40 fluid oz (5 cups). From all I've read, it's best to make it fresh. 5 cups is a lot of waste for just 2 birds so I cut it in half. I use 1/8 teaspoon in 2.5 cups water. It's a white powder so doesn't turn the water any colors. There is a slight smell but not strong and the birds don't seem to mind the smell or taste.

Thank you so much for your reply. The Hearty Bird arrived in the mail yesterday.
Now that I sit and observe my birds, I have noticed that they appear to only drink
once in the Morning upon awakening, and I never see them drink again that day.
I find it very odd that birds only drink water once per day. If that is the case with
my 2 finches, what benefit would 'Hearty Bird' provide them at all ?

Hi Patrick,

I very much doubt that your birds only drink once a day , when a finch drinks you have think of the size of the birds in question,
it's literally just a few sips at a time and the drinker sometimes looks as if it's hardly been touched all day.

The only birds that don't normally drink so much are birds like budgies and other parrot like birds and also birds of prey

[LadyGouldianGirl]

JerseyGuy

I see my birds drink all day long so I don't have that problem. I know that you can add the vitamins to soft food too...but since they don't eat soft food that's not much help. My only other thought is perhaps soaking the seeds like Stuart suggests and then sprinkle them with the Hearty Bird.

[Stuart whiting]

JerseyGuy

I see my birds drink all day long so I don't have that problem. I know that you can add the vitamins to soft food too...but since they don't eat soft food that's not much help. My only other thought is perhaps soaking the seeds like Stuart suggests and then sprinkle them with the Hearty Bird.

Absolutely, I totally agree there,

in the uk we have an animal multiple vitamin powder called SA37 which is actually meant for cats and dogs but does also state on the side of the tub that is ok for birds aswell

We normally use it for sprinkling over the live food IE mini mealworms and have also used this sprinkled over the top of soaked and sprouted seed with good affects,

The reason why we sprinkle it over mealworms is because all mealworms actually absorb calcium and this obviously isn't good news when we're trying to give the birds extra calcium before and during the breeding season