Which seed mix for both gouldians and canaries?

[artgecko]

Hello all!
I am considering setting up my first small bird cage with a pair of gouldians and a canary. I am also looking into acquiring some parakeets (separate cage). I was wondering what you thought of the following seed mixes for all three species. I am especially looking for a quality mix that will work for both the gouldians and canaries since I am planning on housing them together. I will also be supplementing the dry seeds with sprouted seed (planning on ordering that from ladygouldian), fresh veggies, and softfood. If the parakeet mix below, or any of them, would work for all three species that would be ideal as I could buy in larger quantities. The ingredients look very similar to me, so I welcome your opinions. The parakeet seed is the most affordable of the three on Amazon, but I am not sure if it would work for all of the species.

Volkman's finch seed
Contents: White Proso Millet, Golden German Millet, Canary Grass Seed, Red Proso Millet, Flax Seed, Canola Rape Seed, Nyjer Seed, Fine Sunflower Chips, Vitamized Oat Chips, Carrot Granules, Oyster Shell, Spinach Flakes, Orange Oil

Volkman's featherglow canary / finch
Contents:Canary Seed, White Proso Millet, Canola Rape Seed, Fortified Pellets, Eggfood, Nyjer Seed, Flax Seed, Fine Sunflower Chips, Oat Groats, Caraway Seed, Poppy Seed, Sesame Seed, Carrot Granules, Volkman Small Fruit Mix, Spinach Flakes and Orange Oil

Volkman's super parakeet
Contents: Millet, canary grass seed, Red Proso Millet, oat Groats, Flax seed, corn (canola) Rape seed, Hemp seed. Orange Oat Groats (FD&C Orange #6) Nyjer seed, Sunflower seed, Volkman Fruit mix: (Papaya, Pinapple, Apple, coconut) Carrot, Oyster shell, Spinach flakes, Orange Oil (natural preservative)

Thank you for your time and help!

[Stuart whiting]

Hi there mate, in truth there isn't really a quality seed mix that will be suitable for both canaries and Gouldians,

Both species of birds eat completely different seeds to one another,

A canary mix normally includes 50% plain canary, 30 % black or red rape ( dependent ) about 10 % linseed and 10 % hemp also a bit of Nyger thrown in for good measure,

A decent foreign finch / Gouldian mix would be something like
2 parts panicum millet and 1 part of red, Japanese yellow and French white millet with a splash of Nyger again thrown in for good measure,

To be onest not one of the mixes you've mentioned are proper canary or finch mixes,
I'd say at least half of the ingredients in those mixes the birds probably wouldn't even touch,
If anything the finch mix is probably the best but is still not what I'd call a std quality finch mix because if this is supposed to be a foreign finch mix the majority of foreign finches don't really eat rape seed and the sunflower isn't std for small finches.

I'd definitely look around at other companies quality seed mixes,

For best results I'd buy the two different seed mixes

[debbie276]

Both of those mixes look good to me. Gouldians change what they eat depending on which mode they are in, breeding, molting and resting. So one mix will be perfect one time of the year and another another time of the year. The trick is variety, don't go crazy trying to eliminate what they don't eat when later they will be looking for it.

I've used Herman Brothers for seed mixes for many years. You might want to take a look at what they offer, they list each seed in their mixes.
http://www.hermanbros-seed.com/finch_se ... FINCH%20#1

I usually switched between, Finch Mix, EM Finch, EM Soak Seed and Forified Finch #1. I notice they have several more choices then they used to. Most of the mixes are created when aviaries request their own mixes.

Abba seed also is very popular with finch keepers. Finch is the 1900 http://www.abbaseed.com/Seed_Products/1900/1900.html
canary the 1700 http://www.abbaseed.com/Seed_Products/1700/1700.html
Abba has been showing and breeding canaries since the 50's. G.A. Abbate, Sr. is very well known, check out his site.

I've been able to find a local source for seed so mix my own but basically I use most of the seeds in these mixes.

good luck

[Sally]

Stuart whiting It is impossible to compare what we get in the U.S. with what you get in the U.K., we have totally different seed companies. We have to work with what is available to us.

I have not used Volkman's seed mixes, so I can't comment on them, but I have used their Egg Food, and I love that, I add it to my homemade egg food to dry it out somewhat.

Herman Bros. Seed Company (Michigan) offers good mixes, plus you can buy bulk seed and make up your own mixture, or they will make up what you want. Starting out, I think you are better off just buying a finch mix. http://www.hermanbros-seed.com/

Abba Seed (New Jersey) also offers some pretty good mixes and/or bulk seed. http://www.abbaseed.com

Since you are in Georgia, Laraine McGinnis also carries finch seed, so shipping costs would be minimal.

[debbie276]

Since you are in Georgia, Laraine McGinnis also carries finch seed, so shipping costs would be minimal

Ah, for got all about Laraine's being closer, love her seed mixes. A good place to get spray millet too.
https://ladygouldian.com/catalog/seed-m ... ray-millet

[artgecko]

OK..... This is all so confusing lol. The parakeet forum told me that Volkman's was one of the best mixes available (at least the parakeet lol).

I am looking at Laraine's seed mixes.. The special finch mix is white proso millet, japanese millet, and canary grass seed.
Her deluxe gouldian mix has the following: white proso millet, red millet, canary grass seed, japanese millet, golden german millet, red siberian millet, niger, and rape seed.

If I were to use both of these mixes (in rotation) would that work for both species?

I will look up the other brands you mentioned and see how much shipping would be. Since they are both located quite far from GA, shipping may be a deal breaker.

If I cannot meet the dietary needs of both a canary and a pair of gouldians housed together, then I may just have to settle for keeping one species or the other for now.

Thank you for your time and help!

[Stuart whiting]

Sally

Yea I can understand in what yer saying Sally but that volkmans seed to me just looks rubbish, half of the ingredients in the mixes are not really needed and just added junk

However the abbaseed and the ladygouldian seed is spot on and a far better seed,

I would never compromise on seed and only go for the best,

The quality seeds that we get here in England isn't just here as most of the decent companies are distributed throughout most of Europe

[Sally]

artgecko Talk to Laraine about her seed mixes. You can also get small bags of several different seed mixes and try them out. Whatever your birds will eat will be the best one to get.

I happen to like Hagen's special finch mix, but it is not available in a lot of places in the U.S., much more available in Canada. We get it at cost through a co-op, so it is very reasonable for me. The clincher is that my birds eat it, most of them anyway. When you have a large number of birds of various species, you just get what most of them eat.

[Babs _Owner]

debbie276 Stuart whiting

I use Volkmans finch seed. Now I am rethinking that after reading your posts. I saw this on Hermans Bros site. What do you think about this mix below for my gouldians? artgecko My gouldians will waste about 70% of the parakeet mix. I accidently bought the parakeet Volkmans mix in a rush and they simply wouldnt eat most of it.

E.M.FINCH Blend
JAPANESE MILLET
CANARY
SIBERIAN MILLET
FINCH MILLET
WHITE MILLET
THISTLE
RED MILLET
STEEL CUT OATS
FLAX
RAPE
ANISE
SESAME If you approve Im going to switch to this mix. Its about 1dollar a lb, not bad.

[debbie276]

Only thing my goulds are not so keen on though at times will eat are the cut oats and rape.

[artgecko]

Sally- Thanks! I put in an order for one of her mixes yesterday (can't remember which one). I am hoping to pick up some different ones at the show I am going to since it will probably take over a week to get the one I ordered in.

Babs- Thanks for the info! I will definitly not try to feed the parakeet mix to the finches then.

[Stuart whiting]

Babs

Can't see any problem with that , seems ok, the only seeds that yer birds may not eat much of is the steel cut oats , rape and flax ( linseed )

I'd certainly give it a try as most of that mix is various millets and plain canary seeds which is spot on with no other added rubbish unlike that volkmans seed,

Over here where I am we've got a few rubbish seed companies aswel but many of us all steer well clear of em

I've always learnt to use the absolute best seed you can get,

Rubbish seed mixes with all of the wrong ingredients and fed to the wrong birds will never produce good results,

Let us know what you find Babs

[Babs _Owner]

Stuart whiting debbie276

Im going to check out their shipping tomorrow. They are closed today. Thanks for the advice. Breeding season around the corner and need a better seed. Ill check their other blends that dont have the oats and rape.