Seed preference and nutrition

[camorrow]

My Zebras seem to primarily pick one or two types of seed out of their mix. Obviously I can't say that they're NOT eating any of the other types, but I know when I go to clear some of the emptied hulls or change over the dish, it's primarily one type of hull that I'm finding, and the proportion of the little black seeds, big seeds, and pellets is increasingly concentrated.

I'm currently doing a 50/50 blend of Zupreem Fruitblend pellets and Great Choice parakeet (also labeled for finches). I'm aware that the Great Choice isn't the highest quality - I think it's a Petsmart brand - but it was what they were being fed when I got them, and I didn't want to try and change everything up on them all at once. The ingredient list for that is in a picture below. I'm also aware of the debatable value of pellets. I've tried to read through the recent applicable posts.

So my concern is if this is normal for most finches and if there's a risk of them developing a nutritional deficiency. I'm offering the occasional egg food, which they pick at a little at this point, and they almost always have millet spray hanging. Oddly enough, they originally went right to eating some veggies, lettuce, spinach, cucumber, but now they seem to barely touch it.. Tomato was successful only once. They haven't obviously touched any of the fruit offered - blueberries, plum, grapes. Parsley was briefly successful. Green beans was a total miss. They had a bit of interest in sunflower kernels and pumpkin kernels, but I'm not sure if they just couldn't figure out how to really eat it (I did break them up) or if they lost interest.

Perhaps I'm just not being patient enough, and/or I'm overthinking it. If they hadn't eaten the early veggies and now stopped I'd be less concerned. I don't know that it's an issue of uncertainty, because they all go to the veggie/fruit/egg bowl almost as soon as I put it in there, and usually peck at it for at least a few seconds. It just seems that relying on one or mostly one type of seed as the bulk of their diet isn't nutritionally sound.

I've also included a couple of pictures of their food mix.

[Celeris]

I find I have to constantly mix up the variety of greens and veggies I provide to my boys. They love celery greens, spinach, and cucumbers most of all... unless they get it often. Which works for me 'cos I tend to share whatever I get for them, so it keeps it interesting! Have you tried sprouting some seed to tempt them with that?

In regards to seed, I had someone (can't remember which member) point out that finches tend to have seasonal diets, in which they prefer one thing more than the other. I know that my guys sure seem to prefer two or three types of seed at a time, all the while leaving the others untouched. I use seed from Kaylor of Colorado, which includes several seed types, as well as dried spinach and carrot. Goes over well and gives them lots of seeds to choose from. There's definitely an awful lot of pellet to that Great Choice stuff!

[camorrow]

You're probably talking about the colorful bits - that's the Zupreem Fruitblend, which I don't know if they ever eat any of. I just already mixed it all together with the seed, so we'll plug along until it's gone. The Great Choice also has those weird large cylindrical pellets, more like something you'd see for small mammals (to me at least). I've never seen the finches touch those at all.

But if I'm understanding you correctly, basically don't worry about it and just keep going as we are. I keep getting excited about what new Veggie or fruit I'm offering, and they go "meh, whatever, no thanks".

[cindy]

for finches try a seed mix made for finches...mine love the Higgins Vita seed for finches. I also add brown top millet to the seed. I also use pellets, if not using pellets you need a good multi vitamin, mineral amino acid .... AviVita Gold by AviTech is pretty complete.

Seed and if using pellets are the main staple...all the other stuff like soft foods are extras and should not be more than 10 % of the diet..some birds will not except veggies or fresh egg but will take dried egg food.

There are a few places you can order seed from like Glamgouldians.com and Herman Bros Pet Supply both place sell fresh seed mixes. ABBA Seed is another.....

Frankly the the seed you are serving looks more for bigger birds... it contains oat groats...zebras do not eat that. Rape seed most will not touch it and red millet tends to be too hard for finches.

[Sally]

camorrow Where are you located? It makes it easier to suggest seeds to buy if we know what is closer to you.

[camorrow]

I'm in middle-of-nowhere Southern Utah. The closest city with any pet stores is St. George, which is about an hour and forty-five minutes away. Most of my shopping is online - Amazon if possible.

[Sally]

Being rural, you probably have plenty of feed stores, but not the kind that carry pet supplies. You could check, just in case. In my area, there is a chain of feed stores that carry pet supplies, including finch seed.

[camorrow]

We have A feed store and A pet store. The feed store doesn't really carry any supplies for domestic birds, and the pet store has a single little shelf. They will order food special for you, depending on availability, but prices are insanely high. I'm most likely best off finding something that I can order and ship in.

[camorrow]

Are there any pellet suggestions that might be more palatable than the Zupreem FruitBlend?

Somewhere I saw Harrison's food mentioned, but I haven't found a real description. Is it meant to be in the place of pellets, seed, both?

[JerseyGuy]

For my 2 Males, I buy Seed in bulk. They eat Canary Grass Seed, Red Siberian Millet Seed, and Grains & Greens from Ecotrition. I do have a "Finch Seed" that I switch up - but primary I fill their seed trough with the 3 Seeds indicated above. I also use Hearty Bird vitamin/mineral supplement in their drinking water.

[ac12]

I use
- Lafeber finch food, an XS pellet
- Roudybush maintenance, crumbles

I don't like the Zupreem fruit pellets, cuz it makes the poop colored. This colored poop stains the perches and makes it difficult to do much evaluation of the poop, because of the coloring.

I have most of my finches converted/raised on pellets.
Converting a bird to pellet food is a different subject. I think it may be in the FIC.

However I remember early on, my zebra would eat a few of the seeds and leave all the pellets and all the dark seeds alone. The added nutrition in the seed mix is in the pellets, so they did not get any of the added nutrition that I was paying for. After throwing out more than half the seeds I bought, the ones the zebras would not eat, I got frustrated and converted them to pellet food. The seeds were effectively 2x the cost that I paid, because the zebras did not eat half the seeds.

[Stuart whiting]

I've had this out before......

Finches are all predominantly seed eaters, why on erf does anyone want to feed pellets to finches.....it's not natural

Finches will thrive a lot better on a quality seed diet than what they ever will by eating pellets,

Take a look at some of the British, European and Aussie finch breeders , the majority of breeders don't even use egg food let alone pellets,

all finches are reared on soak seed and live food,

If one finds that their birds are not eating seeds it probably means that the wrong seeds are being fed,

When the birds are fed on the right seed diet it will be far more superior than anything else

The only exception will be a little green food added to the diet

[Sally]

Once again, what works for one may not work for another, each person develops his/her program to suit themselves. The old saying, 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' certainly applies to this hobby! If someone enjoys cooking for their birds, providing a veritable smorgasbord of goodies, that is what makes them happy. If someone else chooses a more basic diet, that is what makes them happy. There is not just one way to feed our birds.

[GouldieFledge]

I find myself in the same situation, where my gouldians will not eat the faux-looking, colored pellets. I feel like I'm wasting a lot of my money. I currently feed mine a mix of Kaytee premium finch seed seen here: http://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore ... lsrc=aw.ds

This is mixed with some of the Lafeber's pellet diet that ac12 mentioned. I honestly can't tell for sure if they eat it or not; I used to provide it individually, but they didn't seem to be eating it that way.

Speaking of glamgouldians.com, I ordered some seed hoppers from Terri's site and got a free sample of her "glam goulidan" seed mix. Let me tell you, my birds DEVOURED that stuff. Nothing was wasted, the entire dish was hulls. So thank you Terri glamgouldians, your seed was very much appreciated by my birds!!!

[Stuart whiting]

Sally

I quite agree Sally, yes there are lots of different ways in how we feed our birds, this I can fully understand but what seriously worries and puzzles me and also many others who have mentioned this to me is that why do some tend to feed a diet to seed eating finches that simply isn't natural

It's like giving canaries and finches chicken scraps off of a plate, yes some canaries and finches will actually eat this as I've literally seen this with one elderly person who used to do this ,

Now although the birds will pick through and eat small pieces of chicken it's not what you'd regard as being natural, yes there is gonna be a certain amount of nutrition for the birds but is this normal, far from it.

Softbill birds are a little different because other than eating live food we need to encourage them to eat other types of soft foods, IE softbills food, egg food, chick crumb etc and yes the large softbills will eat pellets,

In reality how many softbills do we see actually eat seed.....very few maybe with the pekin robin and a few British softbills that I know of but generally softbills don't eat seed,

So with this why is it that many think its normal to feed pellets to seed eating finches, yes again the finches will no doubt pick through it but here's my question :

With seed so cheaply available and can virtually obtain most seeds throughout the world why would anyone want to change a seedeaters diet,

As I mentioned earlier that when it comes to rearing young finches the majority of parents would rear on soak seed and live food,

Surely this must tell everyone something

I seriously can't see many birds being reared with the use of pellets


Sometimes it's very hard to please many people with so many different views and opinions but this post is absolutely no way meant to dig towards anybody but just more of a worthy mention