I especially found this comment from nixity helpful in explaining the whole concept (from the post Austerity diet for Goudlians...)
(Just including it for all the new people.)nixity wrote: The general calendar goes something like this:
1. Maintenance/Resting Season Diet (3 months)
2. Austere Diet (1 month to reduce body fat, cease hormone flow, and rest the reproductive organs of adult birds)
3. Breeding Season Diet (6 months)
4. Austere Diet (2 weeks to help induce the molt of adult birds...DO NOT USE ON UNMOLTED JUVENILE BIRDS)
5. Molting Season Diet (6 weeks)
6. Repeat Maintenance/Resting Season Diet in Step 1 to restart the annual cycle
So - after the molt is complete you transition them to the Maintenance/Resting diet for 3 months![]()
Back when I was originally researching everything, I bought the Mike Fidler black and white sprouting mixes along with the soft food (from nixity). And I had such fun watching the video and making it and freezing it and feeding it for the first time, feeling like finally I will be meeting my finches' nutrition needs. But then, I realized I had no idea how I was supposed to be feeding this mix. Every day? Was this a treat or all the seeds they need? It says to only give a small amount per day and make them eat it all, but of course my finches won't eat the safflower or the black seeds, so I just gave them a big 'ol scoop and leave it for a week, hoping they will eventually try a black seed in their life lol (but really half of it ends up outside for the mourning doves, who are surely getting fat off Mike Fidler lol!!) and they still have constant access to their other seed blend. I don't know if this is too rich for the "maintenance" diet, to have daily access. So I finally decided to ask about it lol
My questions about the whole concept of increasing and decreasing the protein throughout the year:
1. Is this mostly a Gouldian thing? (not the Mike Fidler's mix, but the whole concept of protein cycling throughout the year) (all the posts and comments seemed geared towards them in my searches, which is why I'm asking)
2. If I never breed my birds, would I just always keep them on a maintenance diet? What would this consist of? Would they be lacking in protein eventually? Do they need the rotating cycles to keep healthy even with no breeding?
3. In theory, if I were to increase protein in my NONBREEDING birds, would this frustrate them as they have no mate? Maybe even start them fighting between themselves?
4. I have only had these birds for 7 months, so I have never seen a complete year cycle. I have never seen a "moult." Do all finches moult once a year? Do I have to induce this moult with a low protein diet? sorry if that seems like a dumb question, but I have searched the forum and all I could find was in regards to gouldians.
Like I said, a few years ago, members were talking about it, at least 3 finchforum members were selling Mike Fidler's mixes at their stores, and now apparently our only US supplier is not providing it anymore. What's going on? I really don't mean that to offend anyone! I'm just trying to figure this thing out. And I do realize you can still provide differing amounts of protein, even without the Birds r Us/Mike Fidler blends. I just think that for people like me, just starting out, having a ready made mix would have been the easiest way to go (since I am not an expert who can mix my own blends).
I hope this starts a good discussion to help out everyone who wasn't around back when this idea was starting, because I really don't understand the basics behind it, or if it's necessary, or only for breeding birds, or gouldians, or what? Thanks so much to anyone who takes the time to help me out on this concept.

OH also, I am just talking about SEEDS, yes I feed hard boiled egg and sprouts and broccoli and calcium sources, etc. This is just in regard to the seed blend.