Has anyone used the product 'Hearty Bird'

[GouldieFledge]

JerseyGuy, LadyGouldianGirl

I haven't used Hearty Bird yet, but I do like the company's products. I'm currently adding some Feather Fast for my straggling moulters.

My gouldians were/are also very finicky about different foods. Have you tried making your own egg food? This is only way I got them to take vegetables. It's quite literally just hard boiled eggs, smashed up with the shell included, and some type of drying agent to suck up the extra moisture. It took them a few days to get the nerve, but once they had a taste, they couldn't get enough. Once I knew they were comfortable w/the eggs, I half-mixed the vegetables into one side of the eggfood/plate and they finally started going for it. They seem to enjoy broccoli and cauliflower. I also give them carrots, spinach, kale, cucumber...haven't seen them really dig into these ones, but I can't be certain. To this day they still refuse fruits, so I can't help you there.

Speaking of Morning Bird products, have you tried their commercial dry eggfood? It's called Miracle Meal. This is what I bought when I was still waaay new to finches and panicked about "why they were losing all their feathers"...I didn't know what moulting was yet. Anyway they took to that immediately, there was no transition process. But this is what I use as my "drying agent" when I make home-made eggfood. So I'll combine my hardboiled eggs/shells and some Miracle Meal to dry it out and make it kinda crumby-ish. Then I'll put the vegetables on one half of the plate and slightly mix it in toward the egg side, this is what I've found to be most successful.

You'll know they're enjoying it when you see egg shell pieces and broccoli shrapnel thrown about the cage. I recommend lining the bottom with newpaper, paper towels, newsprint....something to catch the pieces that fly around so they don't stink up your cage when it's time to remove.

Hope this helps!

[LadyGouldianGirl]

GouldieFledge

Thanks for the advice. I haven't tried egg food yet but I've been toying with the idea. I only have 2 male finches so no plans to breed. I've read varying thoughts about how much protein is necessary when birds aren't breeding. I offer Goldenfeast Australian Blend as an additional treat to the seeds. It has quite a lot of additives (fruits, herbs, veggies, vitamins, probiotics). The protein content is 17%. I'm a bit concerned about over supplementing considering they are not breeder birds.

I'm curious how people here feel about the amount of protein necessary when not breeding. All opinions welcome

[JerseyGuy]

Here's an Update:: This morning I prepared the 'Hearty Bird' vitamins in the finches water as directed. Ever since I put the
water bowls/cups in the cage, my 2 Gouldians have not stopped
drinking. I'm delighted! This is the most drinking I've seen them
do since I got them. So Two Thumbs-Up for 'Hearty Bird'.

[Stuart whiting]

JerseyGuy, LadyGouldianGirl

I haven't used Hearty Bird yet, but I do like the company's products. I'm currently adding some Feather Fast for my straggling moulters.

My gouldians were/are also very finicky about different foods. Have you tried making your own egg food? This is only way I got them to take vegetables. It's quite literally just hard boiled eggs, smashed up with the shell included, and some type of drying agent to suck up the extra moisture. It took them a few days to get the nerve, but once they had a taste, they couldn't get enough. Once I knew they were comfortable w/the eggs, I half-mixed the vegetables into one side of the eggfood/plate and they finally started going for it. They seem to enjoy broccoli and cauliflower. I also give them carrots, spinach, kale, cucumber...haven't seen them really dig into these ones, but I can't be certain. To this day they still refuse fruits, so I can't help you there.

Speaking of Morning Bird products, have you tried their commercial dry eggfood? It's called Miracle Meal. This is what I bought when I was still waaay new to finches and panicked about "why they were losing all their feathers"...I didn't know what moulting was yet. Anyway they took to that immediately, there was no transition process. But this is what I use as my "drying agent" when I make home-made eggfood. So I'll combine my hardboiled eggs/shells and some Miracle Meal to dry it out and make it kinda crumby-ish. Then I'll put the vegetables on one half of the plate and slightly mix it in toward the egg side, this is what I've found to be most successful.

You'll know they're enjoying it when you see egg shell pieces and broccoli shrapnel thrown about the cage. I recommend lining the bottom with newpaper, paper towels, newsprint....something to catch the pieces that fly around so they don't stink up your cage when it's time to remove.

Hope this helps!

I know you mean well with this regards to Patrick and egg food but we've already recently discussed all about this on another thread and it went onto at least 4 pages, I wrote down several times about the recipes that I've used over the years with propiorty egg food and I think Patrick has tried this and also with hard boiled egg and he states that his birds just simply don't touch it,

I don't know if ladygouldiangirl has tried any of this yet, hope her birds take to it

After this lengthy discussion I then resorted to explaining about the use of sprouted seeds,

Hopefully Patrick is now trying this

[JerseyGuy]

No Stuart. I am not using sprouted seeds yet.

It will be a long time before I ever post anything else on this forum.

[Stuart whiting]

GouldieFledge

Thanks for the advice. I haven't tried egg food yet but I've been toying with the idea. I only have 2 male finches so no plans to breed. I've read varying thoughts about how much protein is necessary when birds aren't breeding. I offer Goldenfeast Australian Blend as an additional treat to the seeds. It has quite a lot of additives (fruits, herbs, veggies, vitamins, probiotics). The protein content is 17%. I'm a bit concerned about over supplementing considering they are not breeder birds.

I'm curious how people here feel about the amount of protein necessary when not breeding. All opinions welcome

Hi there,

Birds generally need a fair bit of protein when breeding but non breeding birds will only need a certain amount, this can be gained by just simply giving some egg food or similar protein content say 2 days a week seems ok ,

As long as they get a little bit of protein that is all that is needed to keep em in condition

[Stuart whiting]

Here's an Update:: This morning I prepared the 'Hearty Bird' vitamins in the finches water as directed. Ever since I put the
water bowls/cups in the cage, my 2 Gouldians have not stopped
drinking. I'm delighted! This is the most drinking I've seen them
do since I got them. So Two Thumbs-Up for 'Hearty Bird'.

That's good Patrick at least you know that there drinking ok and now obviously consuming the Hearty bird

[Stuart whiting]

No Stuart. I am not using sprouted seeds yet.

It will be a long time before I ever post anything else on this forum.

Why's that mate, are you ok, I seriously hope that you've not been affended in any way

[LadyGouldianGirl]

JerseyGuy

Patrick are you okay? We're in the same situation with our boys. I need a buddy to chat and work out issues together.

[GouldieFledge]

Stuart whiting

I already saw the other thread before posting. If we counted the number of posts, pages and threads on eggfood and its recipes for this forum, we'd be here forever. It's always a good thing to get multiple angles when it comes to advice, especially with finches since a lot of their care is personal preference!

I think you need to be a little more careful about how you phrase things, Stuart; I want to believe you mean well, but your posts come across as rather gruff and elitist, whether you realize or not. I've seen this for multiple posts of yours now. Just a heads up.

[GouldieFledge]

LadyGouldianGirl

Yeah, I've read every day for extra protein when it comes to breeding and molting times, and then 2 days/week during off seasons. Also read 1 month of "resting" (just plain seed and water, nothing else) right before breeding season, if your birds have accumulated extra fat over the protein-high periods. 2 of my guys are finishing their molt, so I've been giving miracle meal every day because of this. I believe the thing you're trying to avoid is getting your birds too fat by feeding them lots of rich, protein-heavy food when then don't need it, like resting periods, because it makes the breeding season less successful.

I was also worried about over-supplementing. A couple of months ago, one of my males was looking TERRIBLE (literally lost his head feathers overnight). I was really worried something was going on more than the molt, so I contacted a trusted expert about it. We discussed supplements, because I had bought Feather Fast but was also giving the Miracle Meal--on the MM bag it says "do not mix with any other supplements", so I asked the woman about this. She said it was fine to use both Feather Fast and Miracle Meal simultaneously, and my bird did explode with pin feathers eventually. He looks great now!

[GouldieFledge]

JerseyGuy

Great news! Glad your guys have taken to it.

[Stuart whiting]

Stuart whiting

I already saw the other thread before posting. If we counted the number of posts, pages and threads on eggfood and its recipes for this forum, we'd be here forever. It's always a good thing to get multiple angles when it comes to advice, especially with finches since a lot of their care is personal preference!

I think you need to be a little more careful about how you phrase things, Stuart; I want to believe you mean well, but your posts come across as rather gruff and elitist, whether you realize or not. I've seen this for multiple posts of yours now. Just a heads up.

Hi there Gouldiefledge,

Realy if I have I'm truly sorry if it's seen that way, yes there was only really one person who upset me for a while but we have communicated since and I think everything is soughted now ...I hope .

On the thread that you mentioned I explained myself over and over again, I onestly couldn't of explained stuff any simpler, and sometimes feel like im banging me head against the wall

I always like to try and help whenever I can, not saying I'm perfect but do have a vast amount of experience regarding the breeding and exhibiting of British / European and foreign finches aswell as various canaries,

I'm what you'd call a bit old school in me bird keeping ways and don't necessarily believe in the multitude of modern drugs, foods and formulas that is being used of today,

It's just me mate, I can be quite straight at times as I don't beet around the bush,

If I feel quite strongly about something I won't hide away in the corner, I'll be on the forefront and say what I think and feel but trying to explain in the best possible way,

There's a lot of rubbish being said out there and people need to know what is right or at least along the right lines,

If I've ever actually mentioned anything regarding advice and it appears to be wrong I'll be the first to hold me hands up as I mentioned earlier that I'm not perfect.

Hope this sought of makes sence

[Sally]

What everyone needs to keep in mind is that there are multiple ways of doing almost everything in the way of taking care of our finches. It is fine to offer advice, but in the end, each person has to make up their own program. We all have different setups, different foods available to us, even different species available to us. It would be impossible for any one program to work for all.

For the beginner, it must be horribly confusing at times to be given conflicting advice, even if it is all correct. All we can do is say what we each do for our finches. Then it is up to the beginners to decide which advice they choose to follow. This can be influenced by what or how many birds they have, how much time they have, how much money they have, the list could go on and on. There is no way in the world that all of us would or even should follow the same program.

For the experts, it can be hard to sit back and see people make mistakes sometimes, but we learn from our mistakes too. It is fine to offer guidance, but that is all it should be.

[Stuart whiting]

Yes I wholeheartedly agree with you Sally, very true and wise words indeed