My First Homemade Eggfood

[30 Seconds to Bob]

I used the recipe from Javafinch.com. Simply two hardboiled eggs (shells dried in microwave), about a half a cup of breadcrumbs, 3/4 teaspoon cod liver oil and about a third of a cup of finch seed. The recipe also calls for 3/4 teaspoon of safflower oil which I did not have. I substituted vitamin E oil instead as vitamin E has long been known to increase fertility in canaries. My intent is to get my Javas to breed. The food came out great and the birds were gobbling it down several minutes after I first offered it. Bob

[debbie276]

Half a cup of bread crumbs seems like a lot for just 2 eggs. I use about a teaspoon of hand feeding formula (your case bread crumbs) per egg and it makes it nice and crumbly without diluting the protein level.
Good luck with your java's breeding

[30 Seconds to Bob]

These were extra large eggs and it seemed too "wet" with the lesser amount I began with. It was probably more like a third than a half, anyway. The exact recipe is on the javafinch.com website. Thanks for the tip and the luck. Bob

[debbie276]

Maybe it is the oil that they have you add to the mix that makes it a bit wetter, didn't think of that the first time I read it.

[dfcauley]

I have tried adding the handfeeding formula and my birds won't touch it when I do.
I add a few tsp. of corn meal or bread crumbs instead.

[dan78]

Its good that your javas are eating it bob, best part is you can play around with the recipe to make it more nutritious by adding veg and fruit till you find the best combination if you like. Try and add a bit of boiled rice and see if the javas eat it also.

[finchandlovebird]

Interesting recipe. I'm wondering about the Vitamin E. For 2 eggs, do you add one capsule? the strength I use for my own daily intake is 1000 I.U. What strength do you use?

[30 Seconds to Bob]

Interesting recipe. I'm wondering about the Vitamin E. For 2 eggs, do you add one capsule?

I opend about 3 or 4 400 IU capsules - enough to make the 3/4 teaspoon the recipe called for. I only plan on using the Vitamin E for a couple of weeks then replace it with the recommended safflower oil. Vitamin E is great to help bring birds into breeding condition but should be discontinued when the hen lays her first egg. High doses of Vitamin E can cause males to become overly aggressive and hens to abandon nests and chicks. In the past I have used multigrain bread dipped in the Vitamin E oil as a fertility boost.

Dan, I usually serve the fruits and veggies in separate containers. My birds aren't that fussy and try just about everything I give them. They do like boiled rice. The thing I like most about this simple mixture is that it can be frozen and thaws almost like it was freshly made. Bob

[Sally]

That's similar to my recipe, except I use different things for my dry ingredients, instead of breadcrumbs--nestling food, commercial eggfood, handfeeding formula, etc. But the amounts are similar. I add 2 cups dry to 12 eggs, which works out to about 1/3 cup to 2 eggs. I also add wheat germ oil, which is high in vitamin E--1 Tbs. to 12 eggs. I used to also add cod liver oil, but I worry about it becoming rancid in the summer. Now that things are cooling off, I will probably start adding it again--1 Tbs. to 12 eggs. With the oil added, the eggs are quite wet, and my birds don't like that. Also, with the eggs a bit drier, I don't worry about the eggfood spoiling during the day. I leave it in the cages all day without problem.

I did not know that about the vitamin E--aggression in males, hens abandoning. I can't think of when it has been a problem, but maybe it is because I have mostly waxbills, which are such active birds, maybe they work off any aggression.