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Finch foods
Parrot foods
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. feeding birds
No bird/s should be
kept just on basic dry seed, a bit of cuttlefish bone and a bowl of water!"Dry
seed should only be considered as supplementary to a daily ration of
greenfood, sprouted seed, vegetables, fruit, etc." A quote from "Australian Grass Parakeets - The
Psephotus and Northiella Genera" by Stan Sindel and James Gill,
(Ed. 1996) page 27.
"In fact, many avian veterinarians, both in
Australia and overseas, believe that poor nutrition is the single greatest
health risk faced by our birds." A sad but true quote from Australian Birdkeeper magazine Vol
14 issue 10 (2001) author Dr Bob Doneley (an avian veterinarian).
Poor nutrition does not
necessarily imply the animal or human has insufficient food.
Poor nutrition can simply mean the wrong food or foods or the quantities of some
of the foods are in the wrong proportions or concentrations. The correct
food intake for each bird has to be complemented with a good exercise program.
Refer to the "Exercise" link below.
Poor nutrition can occur in many aspects of
animal and human food consumption. About 60% of people are overweight, about 60%
of dogs are over weight. A big percentage of cats are overweight. Many birds are
now overweight or poorly nourished. People have control over their own food
intakes as well as that of their pets and companion birds. With all that is
available to us in the developed world, it is sad to admit that pets can be
poorly nourished. That does not mean any pets are under fed, just that many pets
are fed the wrong foods or in the incorrect proportions.
We have a huge range of foods available
for ourselves as well as our pets. Most of the fruits and vegetables
people eat are also ideal for birds. When one is preparing a balanced
diet of fruits and vegetables for people or families, it looks
remarkably similar to what most birds should be offered. One of the best
balanced food intakes I had while competing as an elite athlete was when
I had 40 pairs of breeding finches and parrots. While preparing the
colourful fresh fruits and vegetables, inevitably a bit of each food
would be sampled. If you are cutting up, or preparing about 6 to 8
different foods, it is easy to improve and modify one's own nutrition
intake at the same time. The main difference between what the birds eat
and what we eat is only that we cook more of our vegetables. After a
while one starts to nibble on the fresh vegetables and can probably
benefit from not boiling all the vegetables we eat.
A fresh bowl of berries, apple, orange,
some nuts, fresh peas and beans, carrot, juicy corn-on-the-cob, slice of
watermelon, mixed bowl of leafy green vegies. Who's food is this??? Mine
or the birds??? Maybe it can be both. May be it should be for both.
Topics covered below - in order:
Eggs and egg products
With the
Avian Flu virus
threat, Why do we still allow
eggs, egg shells or egg products
to be used as a food to aviary or pet birds??
Why??
Viewpoint as at 9 November 2005
"The Age"
newspaper 9 Nov 2005, Page 12. Headline
"China shuts bird markets to combat flu" ...followed by ... "China yesterday
intensified its precautions against a spread of avian flu, closing all live
poultry markets in Beijing and banned the sale of pet
birds." ... "Shanghai officials announcing a ban on the sale of
live chickens, ducks, quail and other birds"
Gone are the World War 2 rationing of foods in Australia. Gone
are the days of "cannibalism" to feed birds. Why the need to eat your
own kind?
Eggs or egg products are not a balanced nutritional food intake for birds
and deteriorate rapidly in warm conditions.
Vast amounts of money and research have been spent on bird nutrition in
recent years.
We have lots of highly nutritious commercially available foods suitable for
all types of aviary or pet birds.
Modern commercial bird foods are far less likely to deteriorate rapidly in
warm conditions.
There is a huge range of commercial Calcium supplements available for birds
that are not based on egg shells.
There are regulations that restrict what can be fed to animals. It is
against the law to feed Pig material to pigs, Sheep material to sheep,
Cattle material to cattle, Poultry material to other poultry ... etc
unless it meets strict processing guidelines.
The tag on some commercial feed bags states: " This product contains mammalian
material - DO NOT FEED TO CATTLE, SHEEP, GOATS, DEER OR OTHER RUMINANTS "
Upper case is used on the tag.
Feeding inappropriate material/s to animals can transfer diseases to other
similar animals. e.g. Overseas, Mad cow disease and a disease in sheep.
Canary breeders have traditionally used eggs, egg products, and egg shells
as part of the canary food intake. A range of egg mixes, egg and
biscuit mixes and egg shells are commonly available as "home made recipes"
or commercially available products. Egg shells are promoted as a
source of calcium.
Some products sold as "Egg & Biscuit" contain no egg or egg products.
Surely this is false labelling and should also cease.
The use of these egg products and mixes has been taken up by some breeders of
parrots, quail, softbills, finches etc.
The Avian (Bird) flu virus in countries to our
North has moved the goal posts. All bird breeders and bird
owners should immediately cease feeding "eggs, egg products, or egg shells"
to birds.
Aviculture must not have a direct link to poultry
if the Australian poultry industry was unfortunate to identify Bird Flu in
any Australian poultry flock.
Some Bird breeders/owners feed poultry eggs, egg products or egg shells to aviary or pet birds.
Therefore, if poultry get a transmittable disease, and some aviary or pet
birds eat poultry eggs or egg products, there is a theoretical
direct transmission vector. Break the
theoretical transmission possibility.
Remove any doubts or fears people may have.
Some of our foreign finches are in such low numbers in Australia, they are
owned by one or two people. One finch species currently exists on only
one property!! One quarantine order could finish some species in
Australia. Extinct in Australia forever.
Worst case scenario = Poultry in
Australia has an outbreak of the bird flu virus. People have
aviary birds, some aviary birds are fed poultry products (eggs & egg
products), therefore aviary
or pet birds could get avian flu, therefore get rid of those birds from our
neighbourhood. Don't laugh and say that logic will not be used.
I sat in on a discussion with several well educated people on 10 Oct 2005
who do not own birds but expressed and believe that logic. Clucky
women with young children can be very vocal and persuasive in their beliefs
when protecting their young and those of their group. Remove any
doubts or fears people may have.
BAN THE SALE, PROMOTION or USE OF EGGS, EGG
PRODUCTS, EGG SHELLS, EGG MIXES as a food for BIRDS.
Kathy, mother of 2
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Food presentation
If we are preparing food for our birds it can
take no longer to prepare a poor diet as it does to prepare a
nutritionally balanced good diet. Our food when presented well can
look and taste great and so can the foods
we present to our pet and aviary birds.
Make food fun and have an exercise value.
E.g. Corn on the cob. Whole fruits as well as diced fruit or vegetables
can be offered to the birds. Almonds or peanuts in the shell will
entertain and exercise many parrots.
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Exercise
Exercise is essential for all animals to maintain optimal health. Birds are no
exception. In the wild, birds have to travel long distances to
obtain their daily food intake. A wide range of seeds, berries,
nuts, fruits and vegetable matter are eaten by most birds and the
collection of these foods may take much of their day. The
preferred foods and seeding plants are usually widely spaced and not
easy to find. The birds also have to obtain sufficient water
intake. The foods and water may be a long distance apart.
The distances covered each day are increased during the breeding season.
Extra mouths to feed requires more food trips to cater for rapidly
growing chicks. During the breeding season the birds spend most of the daylight hours on
the move finding foods and water and delivering the nutrition to their
partner and the young.
As most of the foods in the wild are seasonal, the wild birds have to
fly to different areas to find the appropriate seasonal seeds, berries,
fruits etc. Not only do they fly significant distances, they must
have the necessary navigation skills and memory skills to find these
foods and water. In the drier areas, the water holes may also dry
out requiring birds to fly further to a remaining water supply.
In an aviary we place the foods and water a few metres away from the
nest and roosting spot. They wake up at their leisure and are at
the breakfast table within a few metres or less. All the foods they
need and much more. We give them what we have available and what
time we allocate to their feeding and food collection.
The aviary birds only have to fly less than 100 metres per day to fulfil
all their needs. All the food they can eat and no need to expend
much energy to obtain the foods and water. A recipe for overweight
or obesity in aviary birds.
Some birds in suspended cages do not have to fly. They can walk to
obtain all their food and water requirements. Just use the floor,
walls and the roof as paths. Why fly when you can walk. They
may only walk 20 metres per day with zero metres flown. For birds
that are designed to fly, that is an extreme case of energy
conservation.
Insects are placed in a smooth sided bowl to prevent the loss of any of
the insects. Almost no energy has to be expended to find or catch
the insects. Some articles state some birds can be "over
stimulated" by mealworms. May be its just that the bird has to do
so little to find and catch those insects. Make the birds do more
and spend more energy to find and catch the insects and the problem
disappears. In the wild, the catching of "high energy" foods would
be beneficial especially during the winter months and during the
breeding season.
People, pets and birds only get fat or overweight if the energy intake
is higher than the energy expended over a prolonged period of time.
Exercise helps keep the weight within the optimal weight range.
Exercise increases the use of stored (body) fat to produce energy.
Exercise decreases the total body fat.
Exercise helps keep the fat to muscle ratio at the optimal range.
Exercise helps in the digestion of the foods.
Exercise helps the body to keep warm during the cooler months.
Exercise helps the bird fill in those long daylight hours in the aviary.
Exercise increases the blood flow to the brain, skeletal muscles and the rest of the body.
Exercise increases the blood flow to the coronary arteries and helps
maintain the health of the heart muscles.
Exercise can increases the number of capillaries in muscle tissue and
hence improve blood flow efficiency and muscle health. Muscle
endurance and strength may improve. One of the functions of the
capillaries is to move the hormones to the required parts of the body.
An increased supply of capillaries may result in improved breeding
ability of birds. Better delivery system for the hormones.
Exercise increases the blood flow to the skin and this may improve the
health and strength on the bird's skin.
Exercise increases the blood flow to the feather shaft and may help
maintain better feather condition and strength.
Exercise requires the increase in volume of air to the lungs.
Exercise can improve lung efficiency, vital capacity, total lung
capacity, function and lung health.
Exercise may keep the bird more mentally stimulated and more mentally
alert. Pet bird toys and bird gyms are given to pet/companion
birds but can also be given to aviary and suspended cage birds.
Exercise may help the fertility of the breeding adult birds.
Exercise may help the hen birds optimize their physical maturity, sexual
maturity and development.
Exercise may increase the bird's ability to acclimatize to seasonal
changes of heat and cold in the environment.
Exercise may help the bird maintain a more supple body and improved
flexibility. Better flexibility may make it easier to preen those harder to get-to feathers,
hence better feather condition and possibly less external parasites.
Exercise in the form of flying may reduce the number of external
parasites in wild birds. Some parasites would fall off while the
bird is in flight.
Exercise throughout the year can allow the birds to better cater for
the workload of a nest of young.
Exercise throughout the year can allow the birds to better cater for an
above average clutch size during the breeding season.
Exercise may allow the cock bird to be more physically fit and therefore mate more successfully with the hen.
Better mating may give less "clear" or infertile eggs.
Exercise optimizes the uptake of calcium from the foods to the bird's
body. Essential for both hens and cock birds. The more
one exercises within a healthy range, the better the body will lay down
an optimal amount of calcium in the body. This applies in all
animals as well as in people.
Exercise may delay the onset of age related degeneration and loss of
bone density.
Exercise may delay the onset of many age related pathologies and
diseases.
Exercise done regularly and in sufficient quantity will allow more foods to
be consumed without weight gain. The more food that can be
consumed without weight gain, the more of the necessary trace elements,
minerals and vitamins can be consumed. More foods and more
exercise may minimize the need for expensive food supplements.
Exercise may reduce the prevalence of "boredom eating" by a bird.
After all, what else is there for a bird to do in some of our aviaries,
particularly a suspended cage?
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The Food Table
Do we consider the options of where to place the foods we offer to our
birds. Do we just place a bowl of water and a food bowl on the aviary or
cage floor?
If the food and water is on the floor,
will it be contaminated by rodents? Will the birds droppings enter the
water or foods? Will rain spoil the food?
Not all birds like to feed at ground
level. In the wild many species of parrots and finches rarely feed on
the ground to avoid predators or the basic fact that their preferred
foods are obtained high up in trees or shrubs.
Food and water can be offered at other
elevation levels to suit the individual species needs. Care has to be
exercised if ground dwelling birds such as quail are in the same aviary
or cage. Cater for all the differing needs.
In a mixed species collection it may be
necessary to offer foods at more than one level.
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Food preparation utensils on hot days
Place utensils, syringes, etc that are used in the food preparation for hand
reared birds or the preparation of supplementary soft foods, in the
freezer when not in use. This
will prevent any pathogens or organisms from growing on or in the item while the
item is not in use. It may not kill any organisms that are already on an
item but it should prevent the pathogen or organism from multiplying.
When you need to use an item, remove the item from the freezer and allow it to warm to room temperature.
Most items or utensils only take a few minutes. Do not place the item in
warm or hot water before the item reaches room temperature as the sudden
temperature change may cause damage to the item. All items and utensils
should be dry prior to placing into the freezer as water left in an item
may expand when frozen and may cause damage. This hint applies equally to
items & utensils used in the food preparation for all small animals including
lizards, frogs, geckos, insects, snakes, etc.
Do not place sharp or potentially dangerous items in a freezer that will
be accessed by children. Warn all others of the items in the freezer.
I have a freezer that is only used for the birds and insects and it is
not housed in the kitchen.
This hint actually works well throughout the year.
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All birds in the wild have a diet that changes throughout the year
Their basic diet in the wild may be mostly dry seeds (mostly
grass seeds but also including some
tree and shrub seeds) and semi ripe seeds but it is supplemented by a
variety of ripe fruits and vegetables, ripe seeding grass heads, berries
etc and a variety of insects depending on seasonal conditions. Birds
generally breed when their preferred foods (including insects) are most
abundant and most nutritious. Captive birds should be educated to
consuming a variety of foods. Remember, the wider the variety offered
the longer it takes to prepare.
If the birds can accept a variety of foods, then one is able to
adjust or modify the birds nutrition intake to cater for the changing
seasonal requirements. For example, prior to the breeding season the
protein and calcium levels can be increased. Protein levels can also be
increased during the birds moult. If birds start to become overweight,
or even worse, obese, the diet can be adjusted to allow the usual volume
of food to be consumed but the energy value can be decreased.
Aviculturalists house birds in a wide range of
climatic conditions ranging from the tropics, to desert areas, to cold areas
subject to snowfalls, high rainfall to areas subject to prolonged droughts.
Some areas can have very hot days but at night the temperature may drop to close
to freezing point. Almost every possible climatic condition can be found
in Australia. Climatic differences may effect the choices of grains or
feeds used in the husbandry of some birds by some aviculturalists. Successful breeders can be found in this vast diversity of
climatic conditions so if you are able to get access to people or read articles
that relate to your particular area use those facts as a starting point.
Some birds will only eat foods that they have
been reared on. This can be a problem if new foods are offered to some
birds. If a wide variety of foods can be offered to the parent birds and
they feed this wide range of foods to their young, the young will generally
accept most foods offered to them as adults.
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"Pop-hole" feeders and water facilities
The lorikeet and lory wet and dry foods can be external to the wire
cage. A circular hole is placed in the wire wall and the birds can poke
their head through the hole and get the foods they need. The water
supply works in a similar way. If the birds spill any of the wet or dry
mix the food does not enter the cage and minimizes any bird eating
spoiled foods. The diameter of the "pop-hole" may have to be adjusted to
suit the various sizes of the lorikeets and lories.
As the food and water
is external to the cage, the risk of faeces/droppings contaminating the
food and water is minimized. Some birds bathe in the water bowl if given
the chance. With the water external to the cage, the keeper could place
another suitable bowl in the cage in which the birds can bathe and play.
The
"pop-hole" minimizes the chances of the the keeper being
attacked whilst feeding and watering the birds.
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Austerity Diets
Many books and
articles have a non-breeding season austerity diet regime, and this usually
occurs during the winter months. Some foods and live foods are either
reduced or eliminated during this period and reintroduced just prior to the breeding
season. The concept is to partially mimic what many people believe happens in the wild and to
avoid the birds putting on weight during the non breeding season. My
observation is that this is practised mainly in the warmer northern states of
Australia. I have not found many people who practise this diet regime
successfully in
the cooler southern States so I will leave it up to the individual bird owners
to further investigate this issue to ascertain its value in your locality or
State. Russell Kingston, a recognised finch breeder from Queensland has
written many articles and books that describe how an austerity diet is
practised.
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Mixed species collections
Seed
selection raise the problem of how wide a selection of grains
should be offered to the collection. Most reputable dealers and produce
merchants are able to supply a good quality finch mix or parrot mix. These
general seed mixes are to some extent a compromise to give a wide range of
parrots and finches an adequately balanced seed diet. A collection of
finches and small parrots will generally need two feed stations. One for
the small parrots and one for the finches. When its set up, the birds will
then feed from both feed stations. Local experienced breeders will be able
to advise which additional seeds are available and recommended in your area.
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Consistency of food supply
It is best practice to ensure the diet of a particular pair, colony or mixed
collection of finches is maintained at a consistent quantity and quality to
minimize the chance of digestive upsets. Soft foods or supplementary foods
should be introduced slowly and offered at the same time or times each day.
The same principle should be applied when offering insects, fruits, greens and/
or vegetables. This is most critical leading up to and during the breeding season. A stop-start
or infrequent supply can cause diarrhoea or digestive upsets in both the
parents and/or the young and may jeopardize the chances of a successful clutch.
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Territorial aggression on or
around a feed station
Some birds
may prevent full or partial access to a particular feed station and prevent a
bird or birds obtaining an adequate intake of food. If any bird shows this
sort of aggression, two or more feed stations must be placed in that aviary.
A solid non transparent divider can be placed between the two feed stations.
If the cock bird harasses the hen during the breeding season, one feed station
should be placed as far away from the planted or nesting site as possible
without the feed getting wet from rain and the other feed site as close as
possible to the hens preferred "hiding" spot. A solid non transparent
divider can be placed beside the "hen's" feed station to help minimize the hen
being seen when she is feeding at that feed spot.
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Territorial aggression on or
around a water station
Although
less common than territorial aggression around or on a feed station, do not rule
out a bird, a pair of birds or a group of birds preventing another bird or birds
(including newly fledged young) from getting adequate access to water.
Cock birds may harass a hen just prior to or during breeding season and prevent
the hen getting unrestricted access to water. Two or more water stations
may be necessary as per above paragraph.
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Growing green leafy
vegetables and seeding grasses
With the common availability of drip irrigation watering systems from local
hardware stores, it is simple, cheap and easy to set up and grow a crop of
plants in small plastic trays or pots. With most birds breeding in the
warmer months, the greens and or leafy vegetables we place in their cage or
aviary quickly go limp and do not look very appetising. We are now able to
obtain commercially produced seeds that grow "mini" or miniature varieties of
popular lines of vegetables. These miniature varieties can be grown in an
automatically watered pot in an area outside the aviary and then easily placed
in the aviary for the birds to pick over. As the plant is "chewed up",
that plant can be removed and replaced with a new fresh plant. Many types
of vegetables can be trimmed and will regrow quickly and when the regrowth is
adequate the plant can once again be offered to the birds to be picked over once
again. Spinach, silverbeet and the open leafed lettuce varieties
(including cos lettuce) are ideal, mini broccoli, mini Brussels sprouts, mini
cabbage can be tried. The same principle can work with herbs but check to
ensure the herbs you try are totally suitable and safe for your birds.
Sweet corn will grow in an aviary and some finches may nest in the plant.
Seeding grasses, including cereals such as wheat
or oats, seeds we use in the dry seed mixes such as Panicum, millets or canary
seed; or the wide variety of "weed" grasses can be grown in pots and fed out in
the same manner. Grasses can be placed in the aviary as a tray of or a pot
of 100 mm high young juicy growing leaves or introduced when the seed heads have
almost ripened. Many grasses will tolerate being nipped back when at the
100mm high stage then removed and will regrow and form seed heads. The
mature grass plants may be used by the finches either as a dry leaf or a green
leaf to be used as a nest material. Swamp grass and November grass may
also be grown in pots.
If you have multiple aviaries and space allows,
each aviary can be allocated a colour and the plants grown in that coloured pot
or tray and only placed in that specific aviary. This will minimize the
risk of transferring any pathogens between aviaries. You are more likely
to transfer pathogens between aviaries on your footwear than on the plants.
If you have a pair that has specific needs, the allocation of a colour makes the
system simple and easy. Coloured pots make it easy to ascertain the amount of
reserve stock you have for each aviary and allocate it to the most important
pairs.
Growing these plants in pots allows you to use a
spare sunny wall space and grow them at multiple height levels. This could
give about 5 levels of production and the radiated heat from the wall could also
assist in the speed of the plant growth. Glasshouses or poly houses are
another aid to ensure continuous year round production.
Seeding grasses include:- African feathergrass =
Pennisetum setaceum. Barnyard grass = Echinochloa crusgalli. Foxtails = Setaria lutescens.
Guinea Grass = Panicum maximum. Palm grass = Setaria palmifolia. Pampas grass = Cortaderia species.
Panic grass = Ehrharta erecta. Pit-Pit grass
= Setaria species. Reed grasses = Calamagrotis. Tussock grass = Poa
billardieri. Zebra grass = Miscanthus zebrinus.
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Food preparation room /area
A food preparation room /area must be established that can
ensure the food is prepared in a clean, hygienic way. As the volume of
food increases, the family kitchen may not be the best place. A
separate area should be allocated and a small refrigerator to hold bird
preparations only (and a cold soft drink in summer), makes life easier
and minimizes family/partner conflict. Some veterinary products may
require refrigeration instead of being stored in steel sheds or an
outdoor aviary in the summer heat. A separate small freezer may be
beneficial for the storage of frozen foods for the birds.
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Food and water utensils
should not be galvanized metal or have any
soldered parts. Stainless steel, impact resistant plastic,
glazed ceramic dishes, or glass should be used. Some new
plastics can tolerate temperatures of over 200 degrees Celsius and
allow these to be heat sterilized as well as being able to be
sterilized with chemicals such as chlorine (bleach). Frozen
dinners that are placed in a gas or electric stove often are
packaged in these heat resistant plastic trays. Don't use
these "frozen dinner" trays for birds that will bite pieces out of
the trays. Buy enough utensils to have separate bowls/trays
for each food type. One each for seed and dry foods, water,
supplementary foods, fruit and vegetables. Many antibiotics
must not be placed in metal containers so have a suitable plastic
container/dish/bowl available available for use only with medicines.
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Water
& rainwater
In the wild, finches are never far from a water source. In an
aviary or cage, clean fresh water must be available at all
times. Water systems should be checked daily to ensure no
bird goes without water. Birds will usually survive longer
without seed than without water. In summer it is best if the water is not in direct
sunlight. A regular cleaning routine of the water utensil/bowl
must be maintained to minimize the growth of undesirable pathogens
and algal growths. The area around the water bowl must also be
regularly cleaned and kept as dry as possible. If possible,
move the water bowl to a new position on a regular basis to minimize
the moisture level in the soil or sand around the water bowl.
In an aviary with a concrete floor, the moving of the water bowl and
allowing the concrete to dry is also beneficial as it also
minimizes the build up of undesirable pathogens in and on the
concrete. Some birds bathe in the drinking water. Some
birds such as Indian Ringnecked Parrots will not bathe in their
drinking water bowl but will bathe in another water bowl if it is
supplied. There are a number
of automatic and semi-automatic watering systems now on the market
as well as "home made" systems that are used successfully both in
outdoor aviaries and indoor rooms. A dry floor is of
particular benefit for ground dwelling birds such as quail and
finches that spend a lot of time at ground level.
Rainwater or tank water has been
acceptable in years gone-bye but with the environmental pollution increasing and
the bird flu outbreaks overseas, this should be reviewed. Australian
Capital cities and major towns have some of the cleanest water in the world.
Some advocates of soaked or sprouted seed do not recommend town water because it
contains added chlorine. However, soaked or sprouted seed is soaked in a
chlorine (bleach) and then rinsed in water. Even after a rinse in clean
water some residual chlorine, or chlorine compounds would be retained in the
grain or seed. Most town water would be cleaner and safer than rain
collected from a roof. If it is perfectly acceptable to use chlorine in
soaked or sprouted seed production there should be no valid reason not to use
the chlorinated water in Australian cities and towns.
Australia has seen a huge increase in the types of legally imported plants,
shrubs and trees used in our home gardens, streetscapes and parks. Many of
the imported plant materials have not had a full toxicology done on them and may
be toxic or detrimental to the health of some birds. When I purchased my
current house, which has a flat deck roof, one of the imported trees deposits
seeds, seed coverings and leaves on to the roof. I have been told by
several bird breeders all or part of the plant material from that tree may be
toxic. If the rainwater from that part or the roof was to settle into a
rainwater tank and then used in the aviary water bowl the birds could
hypothetically be seriously effected or die. One other tree deposits seeds
onto the roof that are so small they easily fall through the normal rainwater
sieve mesh. Hate to think what could build up in the bottom of a tank.
I would hate to think what the "brew" would be like after sitting in the summer
heat for any length of time. Think I will stay with the Capital city and
the chlorinated rural water supplies.
I also have family of Brush-tailed Possums living in the trees that over hang
the roof and each morning there is a lot of "fertilizer" on the roof and nearby
paths. After rain the "poo" easily changes its deposited form and easily
and quickly transforms into a very liquid consistency and easily passes through
a "fly wire mesh".
The other end of the house is prime territory for a family of Magpies.
Yellow tailed Cockatoos consume a range of seeds from the wattle trees over
another part of the house. Magpies and Cockies can leave a large "deposit"
that is easily washed into the spouting and hence into a rain water tank.
Great for the garden but I would never give that brew to any of my birds.
How many people realise they should clean the "deposits/sludge" out of a
rain-water tank on a regular basis? How many people even know how to clean
the "deposits" from inside a rain water tank?
My conclusion is that the best deal for the birds is to use the City and town
chlorinated water for aviary and pet birds.
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Seeds for finches ( Including
Australian and Non-Australian finches, Weavers and Whydahs )
Basic mix of dry seed generally include Canary
seed, White
French Millet, Japanese Millet, and Yellow and Red Panicum. Commercial mixes include seeds such as plain canary,
millets, red & yellow Panicum, maw, hulled oats, phalaris, Niger,
and rape seed. Budgie mix, finch mix and canary mix are the most
common pre mixes available. New seeds of wild and domesticated
grasses suitable for captive birds are becoming available and may be
offered in separate bowls to the finches. Some of the newly
available seeds are very expensive and make sure they have not been
treated with chemicals e.g. fungicides or pesticides. Seeds can be
offered as a mix in one bowl or offered with each seed type in a
separate bowl. The more expensive or fattening (oil) seeds can be
offered in separate bowls to monitor the consumption levels.
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Seeds for parrots:
( including Australian and
Non-Australian parrots, the Conure, Cockatoo, Macaw and Rosella )
Commercial mixes have a fairly standard
mix of seeds and require a balance of fruit and vegetable to give the
birds a suitable nutritious food to keep them in good condition for the
tasks of maintaining their own health as well as breeding and raising their young. One problem that many
breeders come across is birds not eating a balance of seed and other
nutrients. Birds generally accept foods that they have been fed to
them by their parents. Encouraging some birds on to new foods can
be a frustrating task and some birds win the battle and refuse to eat
any foods other than their favourites.
The domestication of all our aviary
birds, including cockatoos, has led to a change in the foods the
original captive birds ate. We give seeds and other foods to our
own pairs of birds and the ones that accept those foods will often be
the most productive breeders. The more generations we breed with
an aviary mix of foods, the ensuing generations will adapt to those
foods. In the wild cockatoos cover vast areas of country and
follow the supply of suitable foods. The variety of foods and
insects the wild birds have access to is impossible to duplicate in the
aviary or captive breeding situation. The time and resources
breeders have available is often restricted by the ever increasing
demands placed on their lives by pressures other than the needs of the
birds. People living in rural or farmland areas may have access to
a wider range of natural foods. City people often have a wider
range of frozen foods, plus fruits and vegetables that have been
freighted in from interstate and available all year round.
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Seed storage
In a
society that is minimizing the use of chemicals in food preparation
and storage, it is probably best not to use pest strips,
insect sprays, or pesticides in our birds feed bins or food storage
rooms. Pesticides and insecticides either as a liquid or as a
gas/vapour may permeate the feed and be consumed with the food.
If moths, the larvae of the moths or weevils get into the feed they
will be eaten by the birds as part of their insect requirement.
The occurrence of storage moths and weevils is more often than not,
an indication of lax hygiene or cleaning. Failure to clean up
left over seed from the aviaries or spillages in service areas and
storage areas are often the source of recontamination of newly
purchased feeds. Purchase the foods/seeds from a supplier that
has a quick turnover of stock and only purchase a quantity that will
be used in a reasonable time. The longer you store
seeds/grains at home the more likely insects will decide to move in
and raise their own young. A cool dry storage area is best.
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Soft Foods
There are a huge number of recipes for soft
foods as well as pre-prepared commercial mixes now available.
Passwell P/L leaflet on finch soft food states "the finch soft food
is a concentrated, highly digestible source of animal protein
suitable for all finches, waxbills, weavers, whydahs and soft
bills". Many pet shops and aviculture clubs carry the more popular
lines from the major commercial suppliers. Home made recipes
or commercial mixes that include egg, egg products, egg shells, various mixes including mashed or
chopped hard boiled egg... etc should be banned. Parrots may eat the soft foods
that are put out for finches if they are housed with the finches.
Extra care must be taken with pre-mix foods once they are mixed with
water or other liquids as they then have a limited time to be fed to
the birds and consumed. It is good practice to remove uneaten
foods after a pre-determined time especially in the warmer months.
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Treats
Plain or Madeira cake, fresh multi-grain or wholemeal bread can be
offered. These foods should only be fed in small quantities and as
a "treat" as these items can cause the birds to gain weight rapidly.
Too much of these foods will give the birds an poor nutritional
nutritional intake.
Crushed dry dog food can be fed to a wide range of parrots.
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Mineral & vitamin supplements
With a good balanced
diet, mineral & vitamin supplements should not be necessary but, if used, it is best
mixed into or sprinkled over the soft food. Keep in mind with
supplements the correct dose rate should give good results, but, if
more than the prescribed dose is administered it could be toxic or
even fatal to the birds and / or the babies. Seek advice from
an avian veterinarian before adding a "mineral & vitamin"
supplement to a bird's diet.
The toxicity level for an adult bird could be very different to the
toxic dose for a baby or fledgling bird. What may be safe for an
adult may be toxic for a baby or fledgling bird.
Exercise can help in the absorption of calcium, minerals and vitamins.
Refer to "exercise" topic above for more details.
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Fruits & berries
Most fruits people eat, with the
exception of some varieties of avocado (some varieties of avocado
are toxic to birds), will be consumed by finches and parrots.
Most fruits that are seasonally available such as apple, orange, grapes,
pear, peach, mango, passionfruit can be offered to aviary birds.
Most berries that
people eat ( e.g. strawberries, blackberries, blueberries,
raspberries, mulberries) will be consumed by finches. Cotoneaster and Hawthorn
berries can also be fed.
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Vegetables and green leafy vegetables
Most vegetables people
eat (except onion which may be toxic) will be consumed
by finches, parrots, quail, pigeons and doves. Corn-on-the-cob is a favourite for many finches and
it does not matter if purchased
fresh or frozen, the birds don't care. Corn-on-the-cob is a
favourite for most parrots. Frozen vegetables
are a valuable resource during the "out of season" months.
Fresh or thawed frozen vegetables, the birds seem not to care.
Commonly used vegetables include peas, snow peas, beans, corn or corn-on-the-cob,
broccoli, celery, carrot, pumpkin, cucumber, broccoli. Do not feed onions as they can be toxic to birds.
Seasonally available green leafy vegetables should be offered to birds.
Greens such as Cos lettuce, silverbeet, endive are commonly fed to most
birds.
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Seeding grasses or Greens
In the wild most birds will eat more semi-ripe
or ripe seeds than dry seeds. Most birds love to nibble on the seeds
in seeding grass heads including wheat and oats heads. Seeding
grass heads have good nutritional value and provide the birds with a
reason to be very active. Many birds also like chewing the stalks.
Examples of suitable seeding grasses - chickweed, oats, poa grass,
panic grass, Panicum, millets, palm grass, dandelion, Johnson grass,
and wheat. Many will use the leaves, or pieces of the leaves of
the seeding grass plants to build or line their nests.
The leaf part of many grasses, cereals and plants are eaten by wild
birds and can be offered to aviary birds. Check with local
bird clubs and local breeders to ascertain which are safe and
available. Care should always be taken when any plant material
or feeds that are from areas outside your property, is to be fed to
captive birds to ensure that no toxic sprays or contamination is
present.
Ref: A/A Vol 59 No. 10 Oct 2005 Page 233-235 (The case for
feeding Green foods - by Dr D. Madill).
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Soaked or sprouted seed
An optional time consuming extra
that has to be prepared and stored carefully. Perfect hygiene is
essential. Soaked or sprouted seed has a similar nutritional value as dry seed
but may be digested quicker or easier.
A wide range of seeds can be used. Check with your local bird club
to ascertain the most suitable locally available seeds.
Legumes such as dry green peas, green beans, mung beans can be soaked
and fed to a range of birds. Most parrots will consume most of the
soaked
legume seeds.
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Insects
More details on specific insects are on " Insects & Livefoods" web page.
1...Most finches must have a constant
supply of a variety of insects if they are to commence nest building and
raise a successful nest of healthy vigorous young.
2...Some finches like to eat insects such
as mealworms, lesser mealworms, aphids, white ants (termites), maggots,
fly pupa, drosophila flies, brown crickets, small locusts, silk worms,
white worms, slaters and small captive raised woodroaches / cockroaches.
The pupae and beetle stages of the mealworm can be offered as well as
the larvae stage.
3...Insects are generally offered in a
smooth shallow tray. A layer of sand or bran can be placed into the
tray to give the birds a more secure footing when they land in a
very smooth surfaced
tray.
4...Some people place the insects in a
deeper smooth sided tray (e.g. 600mm x 400mm x100mm deep or 24 x 16 x 4
inches) which has been
partially filled (20 or 30 mm deep, about one inch) with clean leaf litter, dry leaves
or a material such as dry peat moss. This allows the birds to
"hunt" for the insects and can provide them with entertainment, activity
and exercise as well as preserving some of their natural hunting instincts.
5...If a
plastic or metal tray is used such as the 600mm x 400mm, place it on some strips of timber or other material to raise it off
the ground and allow air to circulate under the tray.
6...Never feed black crickets to any birds,
reptiles, frogs etc. Black crickets have very sharp, difficult to
digest, "spikes" on their back legs which can easily damage the
digestive tract of birds and some animals. However, if the rear
legs on the black crickets are removed they are then safe to
feed to birds or other animals. Most people balk at the idea of
pulling legs off insects.
7...The inclusion of a compost heap within
the aviary to attract insects should be strongly avoided. In the
"old" days when commercially grown insects were either too expensive or
unavailable are long gone. Compost heaps are a source of many
bacteria and fungal organisms that may be detrimental to all types of
birds. Crickets, mealworms and commercially raised/home raised
woodroaches/cockroaches are a much safer option
and the price is now less than a few years ago. Some species of
finch eat the mealworm whole, some only eat the insides of the
mealworm and discard the shell.
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Frozen insects
From my perspective we no longer need to rely on frozen insects. One
problem with frozen foods is "how long has this food been frozen?"
Frozen insects don't come with a "Use by" date on the package. Almost
all good bird dealers stock insects and there are some insect breeders
that will send insects by mail or air-freight. Access to fresh live
insects is now easy. One of the main problems with storing insects in
the freezer is the fats in the insect/s start to break down as soon as
the insect dies. The breakdown of the fats to new compounds can change
the taste and smell of the insect and therefore the birds may be less
likely to consume the thawed out insect/s. Some animals will only eat an
insect if the insect is alive and moves. Fresh is best!
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Shrubs and trees
Plants, shrubs and trees can be grown in containers and placed in an
aviary with a concrete floor. Just add a drip irrigation system to
make the plant watering easy. Containers can be replaced or
rotated as required but always check to ensure no birds are nesting in
there first.
Bamboos will grow well in a contained and are a good nest site for many
non-parrot birds.
Shrubs and trees can improve the aesthetics of the aviary and the area
surrounding the aviary.
Plants, shrubs and trees outside and around the aviary can improve the
visual outlook from within the aviary.
Plants, shrubs and trees outside and around the aviary can improve the
security of the aviary by blocking the view of the aviary from
neighbours or from the street.
Plants, shrubs and trees outside and around the aviary can provide shade
from the summer heat and cold winter weather.
Some provide a
minor source if insects, some provide a supply of nectars and or
seeds.
Birds are more attracted to flowers that are coloured
red or orange.
Shrubs and trees can provide a natural place for finches to build a
nest.
In a finch aviary, the shrubs or trees will provide the birds with an
area of privacy and a sense of security. They can escape from
harassment from another bird or just get out of view from the keeper or
onlookers.
Shrubs and trees can provide the fledglings a safe place to retreat to.
The varying sizes of branches and twigs will allow the young birds to
choose the diameter of branch that suits them best. The varying
branch sizes and angles will exercise their growing feet and bodies.
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Calcium and grit supplies
Cuttlefish bone, shell grit,
calcium blocks etc should always be available, especially around
breeding season. These items contain calcium compounds and are
slowly absorbed by the bird. Commercially available liquid
calcium products are available from veterinarians and retail outlets
and these types of calcium are absorbed more quickly.
Medications, such as antibiotics, can alter a bird's ability to
absorb calcium from their foods. Check with a veterinarian as
to the correct dosage when using liquid calcium products as too much
could be as bad as too little.
A supply of grit may aid in the digestion of the
grains.
In view of the Bird Flu outbreaks and publicity
in overseas poultry and wild birds, Egg shells should not be fed to
aviary birds, pet birds or wild birds. Do not feed bird material
to other birds! There are a good range of inexpensive alternatives
to egg shells that can be obtained from most retail pet outlets
including most of the larger department stores such as K-Mart and Big W.
Exercise can help in the absorption of calcium. Refer to
"exercise" topic above for more details.
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Commercial pellets and crumbles
Are becoming more widely
available and may be of benefit as a portion of the diet. Specialist pet food supply companies are now producing commercial
quantities of pelletized foods to cater for individual types of birds.
A range of Quail and parrot pellets have been developed to cater for the needs of
these birds. Outside Australia there are pellet feeds available for a
wider range of birds. The nutrition of birds is a rapidly expanding field of
research and the exact formulas of many feeds will change as more of
each species nutritional requirements are identified.
The use of
pellet foods for most birds should be in addition to the fruits,
vegetables and leafy green vegetables we currently give with a seed
diet.
The lory and lorikeet food researchers and manufacturers have
produced a wide variety of nutritious wet and dry feeds for these nectar
and pollen loving birds.
Commercial pellets and crumbles for finches and softbills are
becoming available and can form part of a balanced food intake.
Powdered and dry foods supplements are
becoming more widely available and seeking the advice of an avian
veterinarian will help in the choice of what to feed to which birds
and in what quantities.
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Sunlight and Vitamin D
With aviaries having fully covered
roofs, care must be taken to ensure no deficiency occurs.
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Specific References
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