Javas love hemp & buckwheat seed

[Babs _Owner]

My javas Tux & Charm would not eat regular finch seed mix. They wouldnt touch sprigs of millet. They would only eat oats-groats and large white primo millet.

A rather boring seed mix. My ringneck parrot loves a blend of hemp seed and buckwheat so I decided to give the Javas a bowl of it about a week ago. Their large beaks have no problem opening the husks and the bowl is emptied everyday by the two of them. I wish I had known months ago.

So if you have had the same problem with your Javas, throw in some hemp and buckwheat weeds and watch them gorge.

Let me know how it goes.

[Stuart whiting]

Babs be very careful when feeding excessive amounts of hemp,

To a lot of birds hemp is literally like an addictive drug and ideally I'd strongly advise in not letting birds gorge on it

Over the years we've used it for European bullfinches and Siskins aswell as other hardbills but the bullies and Siskins will go mad for it,

With research it's believed that quantities of hemp fed to bullies seems to give em the gapes and causes respiratory trouble, Siskins are pretty much the same and can often be seen with the gapes,

Many times over the years when I've gone to buy bullies and Siskins from various uk breeders I've seen these hardbills siting in cages where they can hardly breathe, I've looked at the diet and practically half of the seed bowls are full of hemp,

The seed is an oil seed and is very fattening and if birds are kept in cages they simply can't burn off any excess weight that has built up,

The birds then become lefargic over weight and this then reverts to respiratory trouble,

Not trying to put you off of feeding hemp Babs but I've seen first hand experience of the damage that can be done to birds if used in the wrong manner,

Moral to the story is just be extra cautious to how much hemp one feeds to their birds, hemp seriously can be damaging if fed incorrectly

Speak soon

[Babs _Owner]

Stuart whiting

Hmm I didnt know it, as theres no trace of THC in hemp seed at all. But if it's too fattening I will cut them down to twice a week. The hemp seed I get is sterilized from a bird seed supplier....it cant be sprouted. I get it from Herman Brothers Seed. (hahah I dont smoke pot)

How's buckwheat for nutrition? They enjoy that equally.

Thanks for the tip.

[Icearstorm]

Babs
That's good to know. My Java finches were a bit picky to start with, but now seem to like a budgie mix as well as black oil sunflower seed.

[wildbird]

One of my Javas will eat shelled hemp seed, but I only give her a pinch of it each night. The other, doesn't want it. They will eat Plain canary grass seed & some white prozo millet seed. They also like Roudybush Nibbles pellets. Mine won't eat the pet store spray millet. They love the California golden millet I get from ladygouldian.com, especially the new crop that comes out in the fall. They also like steel cut oats & oat groats. One of them loves Harrison's power treats, but they have to be crushed up fine.

[Sheather]

When I had Javas, they were among the easiest to please of all the birds food-wise. There was nothing they wouldn't snarf down.

I've never had a bird that didn't love hemp though, but I don't have ready access to it so it's a rare treat.

[Stuart whiting]

Stuart whiting

Hmm I didnt know it, as theres no trace of THC in hemp seed at all. But if it's too fattening I will cut them down to twice a week. The hemp seed I get is sterilized from a bird seed supplier....it cant be sprouted. I get it from Herman Brothers Seed. (hahah I dont smoke pot)

How's buckwheat for nutrition? They enjoy that equally.

Thanks for the tip.

Yep that's right Babs all commercial hemp suppliers will have the seed treated, as you rightly say it doesn't exactly sprout but I do however soak it for 24 hrs in the fridge then drain off and feed to the birds mixed in with other soak seeds in moderation

I'd use this more so as a rearing food for British finches nowadays but just at very small amounts

[Nerine]

My javas prefer budgie seed mix over the finch seed mix. They are also little piggies and will eat pretty much anything I put in their cage I don`t find them fussy at all!

[Babs _Owner]

Icearstorm Sheather Stuart whiting Nerine

I wish my javas werent so picky. Im glad to introduce something new they like. Im cutting down on the hemp seed (and that goes for my parrot too).

Stuart, how's buckwheat for them? They just love buckwheat

[Stuart whiting]

Icearstorm Sheather Stuart whiting Nerine

I wish my javas werent so picky. Im glad to introduce something new they like. Im cutting down on the hemp seed (and that goes for my parrot too).

Stuart, how's buckwheat for them? They just love buckwheat

As for buckwheat I've never really found any problems with it, again this can fatten birds up a little and is handy to feed during the winter months, this I'd mainly use to feed to me exhibition greenfinches with,
This acted as an insulator along with other seeds fed during the winter but prior to the breeding season the birds would then be put into flights / avaires to burn off any of the excess fat they may of built up during the winter,

I've learnt that no bird breeds efficiently if its overweight

Speak soon