Insect protein

[kyle]

Hi all.
Trying to provide live food to my waxbills is a little bit of an issue. I didn't really like the idea of culturing insects. So I purchased live fruit flies and tiny mealworms all to no avail my finches wouldn't eat them. Then I discovered freeze dried insects made for reptiles and fish. The finches seem to love them. In particular blood worms and fruit flies. As I only have a few waxbills I only need a small amount daily. It's very convenient and easy to keep on hand. I was just wondering if any of you use the freeze dried insects?

[lovezebs]

kyle

I offer both.
My little guys enjoy live mealworms, but also the freeze dried ones, which I crush and add to their egg food.

You can also buy food which is made specifically for insect eating birds. I'll warn you though, it is expensive, and it smells funky .

[Barbara]

kyle I have also use freeze dried bugs,the dried ones even creep me out I had hubby break up some different ones I keep in a jar actually all my finches will eat them including my canary.I don't breed the waxbills so not sure how feeding them will work if you are please let me know,I have a pair of goldbreast too

[kyle]

lovezebs
Hi Elana. I was at PetSmart today looking for insects for the birds and I didn't find any that were made for birds. I asked the sales girl and she said they don't carry them any longer. Who makes it and carried it in your area ?
I've been meaning to ask you how Kenzie's getting along?

@Barbara
Hi Barbara. The freeze dried blood worms were the first insects that my gold breasts would eat. Now they will eat most of whatever freeze dried insects I try. If they are too big I grind them up. I think it's the reason why my gold breasts had a successful clutch for the first time.

[lovezebs]

kyle

Hi Kyle,

You can get freeze dried mealworms at Walmart, from a company called Kaytee. You can find them in the wild bird section, and they cost a fraction of the price of the ones that you get at the Pet Shop.

As for the freeze dried bloodworms. I buy them for my fish, but don't really use them for the birds.

Regarding the Insectavore food, I bought it at Petland. It's called : Quiko Sun Seed (14 oz)
GOLDY Egfood for Insectavores
For Softbills & Finches

The fresh mealworms and flightless fruitflies, I get at my Pet Shop.

[Barbara]

kyle good to know that you were successful with breeding your waxbills while feeding this type of food,I feed mine a combination of bloodworms,mealworms, plankton,krill,daphnia,hikari,found a article that someone wrote and feed her waxbills this combination and was successful with breeding and them raising there clutches.I bought all of it thru amazon all for fish never saw them around for birds,have never put a nest in for them they are in a large flight cage with a pair of red cheeked and a canary.Always thought they would only breed in a cage alone and all my spare cages are 1/2 in bar spacing thinking would be too big especially for babies so haven't tried.thank-you for the information

[Sally]

kyle@Barbara

I've used the freeze-dried bloodworms for my waxbills, I like the Hikari brand, and most of my waxbills love them. They are very high in protein, so I only would feed them to breeding birds. They also are very lightweight, so I have to mix them into my eggfood to keep them from being blown all over the cage bottom.

Interesting about the other fish food, I'll have to try some of that. Probably cheaper than buying bird insectivore food, which tends to be a bit pricey.

[kyle]

After getting home from work today I saw one of my gold breast babies stuck halfway between the cage bars! I was able to squeeze the bar is open a little bit and catch him as he flew out. This cage has 3/8 bar spacing and I thought would be narrow enough to prevent any escapees. You are right Barbara not to let them breed in a cage with half inch bar spacing. I wonder is there any manufacturers that make a cage with narrower spacing?

[Barbara]

kyle that was always my fear.They are in a F030 cage that also is 3/8,my female is sooooo small I wonder when I do a head count if she will squeeze thru or get stuck I can't imagine how tiny there babies are.I never saw any cages with smaller bars,most of the cages say 1/2 and some of the bars are more like 3/4 on the same cage,that is why I really like the F030.I know when I had them in a smaller cage for quartine when I first got them they were so flighty I took my chances and put them in the cage they are still in with a canary and a pair of red cheeked that is two of the F030 cages put toghether.they have calmed down even when I clean cage now plenty of room for them.I am glad you were able to catch the baby before he got hurt

[Sally]

The adults usually won't try to escape, but those babies will try to go through the bars. I kept my breeding pairs in cages that had wire mesh with 1/2x1" spacing. The wire is quite stiff, so the birds can't push their way out, but those babies would try!

[ac12]

I hydrate the freeze dried blood worms that I give my fire finches, so it would kinda be like a live worm, rather than a dried out one.
I feed them that along with chopped egg + green veggies.
So far no eggs and chicks

I have my fire finches in a cage with 1/2 x 1/2 inch wire mesh.
I was at a bird show and saw a wax bill squeeze out between the bars of a cage. I did not think they were that thin, but I guess they are, underneath the feathers. Scary.

[Stuart whiting]

Well to be onest I've never tried the freeze dried insects as my birds definitely prefer " LIVE "

All I use is blow fly maggots,

Many are put off by these because they don't fully understand the life cycle of the maggot and are often worried about the botulism issue that maggots can sometimes get,

I basicly buy mine in bulk as I use a lot for me match fishing aswell but before giving to me birds I'll clean them through in a maize meal powder or bran for a couple of days or so until the black food spot has gone,

If you don't clean the maggots first the black food spot is the food that the maggots have been feeding on and is this that can transmit botulism, it all sounds very dangerous but as I say if you clean the maggots first for a few days there is absolutely no problem with feeding to yer birds, I've been doing this now for well over 30 years with no problems,

Incidentally you can actually freeze maggots and also make a good addition to various birds diets,

If one does decide to freeze em they need to remember to sieve all of the maize meal, bran or sawdust etc as if this is mixed with the maggots before freezing the maggots will turn to a mush when defrosted,

I would always add the maize meal or bran after defrosting