canary seed vs. finch seed

[finchandlovebird]

Seems to me that food labeled "canary seed mix" contains a lot more canary seed than food labeled "finch mix". Isn't canary seed their primary favorite? Sometimes it seems finch mix contains a lot of seeds they don't even eat (like those small, round black ones)

[managermania]

I have wondered the same.

[6finchfriends]

None of my birds will eat the black round seeds. Not even the Societies and they eat everything. I can't figure out why they put them in there.

[managermania]

They must be cheap.
Mine leave so much behind.

[ac12]

The only bird I have that eats those round black seeds is my wifes canary.
My finches as a general rule do NOT like dark seeds, preferring the lighter color seeds.

[managermania]

Will they eat canary blend seed mix?

[lou]

that black round seed is rape seed, all of my finches and canaries love it
the only finches don't eat it are the societies, I just mix other oily seeds into their mix. I also add grass seeds to the canary and finch mix.
lou

[nixity]

My birds will generally only eat sprouted rape seed, not dry.

Canary blend (also what people ask me for when they ask for "song bird" seed) is usually a seed blend that consists of canary seed and oil seeds.

I started carrying a custom Canary blend because so many people would ask me if I sold it. I've gotten a lot of positive feedback on it and continue to modify the formula with each order based on the feedback I've received.

[managermania]

Do you think it a good idea to mix a canary seed mix with a finch seed mix?

[nixity]

I guess it depends on the birds you're feeding.
I wouldn't mix Canary with Finch for a Gouldian unless they were breeding or molting.

[lou]

Chase,
I do put in just a tiny( I mean a tiny bit) bit of finch mix
in their mix. I do not have any goulds
lou

[finchandlovebird]

Tiffany: why not mix canary mix w/finch mix for Goulds? Is canary mix too high in fat, or what????? What species can canary mix be fed to (other than canaries)????

[nixity]

It really depends on what your birds are doing. I feed my birds based on dietary cycles, so they get a low fat/low protein seed blend when they are not breeding or molting.

So all of those high oil/high fat seeds for a "maintenance" type diet just doesn't make sense to me for a Gouldian.
I would also think this would be a poor choice for parrot finches unless you have a large free flight space because they would get fat on this seed very quickly.

[DanteD716]

I also wonder about this. My uncle mixes finch seed with his bulk canary seed and feeds to all the finches and canaries. Some of his birds eat the little black seeds, depends on the bird. I have found thee are alot of "fillers" makes it look like alot but they don't eat some of it

[ac12]

@Dante
I don't think it is "filler"
It is just that different birds eat different things.
My wife's cannary goes after the black seeds first, then the white canary seeds and white millet.
My gouldians go after the white seeds first.
My fire finches go after the red millet first.

Also different times of the year they may change their seed preference, just as they do their food preference. Example, I have a gouldian laying eggs, she scarfs up the egg both fresh and dry. When the chicks have fledged she shifts to seeds and hardly eats any egg.