Seed Mixes

[chris]

Hi All,

i've mentioned that i was going to start mixing up my own seed at some point in another thread. hopefully this should be starting as of next wednesday (13th Dec).

for now i'm looking at creating a very basic staple diet that includes the bare minimum of what the birds need to keep them going. hopefully this will discourage breeding untill they are placed on the better diet later on in the spring.

i'm thinking along the lines of a few mixed millets, moslty white and pannicum, *some* red millet, and largely plain canary seed. to this i may add very tiny amounts of niger, maybe even hemp but not to much as to cause them to think christmas has come early!

not sure on what ratios, or even if i should use different seeds, more or less etc.

any opinions and suggestions welcomed

Chris;)

[PAUL HEARN]

Hi Chris,

Could you please let us know what birds you have in mind to feed on this diet?

Paul.;)

[chris]

Hi Paul,

that would be all my seedeaters, so napoleon weavers, black headed weavers, vitelline weavers, red headed finches, cut throats and hybrids, silverbills, and probably the quail also.

this would only be the winter diet as they're all housed together during this time, for the spring onward they'll be moved into separate flights so the diets can be made to suit

Chris;)

[laurab]

What about the cost Chris?

I know we all want what is best for our birds but I think we all have to look at our running costs from time to time.

[chris]

Hi Laura,

i don't think the cost will be too bad, the petshop sells most seed straights in 2.5kg bags at very nearly the same price weight for weight as the 25kg sacks. in anycase my lot seem to get though seed in no time so if i did buy several 25kg bags it would all get used.

other than that i could use a cheap diet and simply supplement with the desired seeds if cost was an issue

Chris

[kenny]

hi chris
i usually put a half cup of niger to a 25k bag when i get a new sack and the same with hemp and paddy rice i dont like to feed them in large amounts so i always add it to the mix when i put it in the bin.i keep stuff like groats seperate ,and a some hemp ,niger just in case i think they need topping up but i usually just give out some groats to some that need it ,after mixing with the main bag wich is usually just foreign finch mix with a little extra plain canary.my niger cost a £1 a kilo and the same for hemp as my local seed merchant does those vacuum sealed bags and if you get three you pay £2-50 so its not that much dearer my main seed cost £11 for a 25k bag johnson and jeffs and the same for plain canary.i have stopped buying mixed canary as i found they dont eat it as it is not the quality it used to be the rape is really bitter to the taste as opposed to the nutty flavour it used to have

ken

[laurab]

I buy Verselaga foreign finch approx. £17 for 25 kilo

[chris]

i can't think of the mix i've had in the past, it was basically mixed millets and canary seed, no oily seeds of any kind in there. £12 25kg, but it should be usefull for adding to.

kenny i know what you mean about the rape seed, mine were never fond of it in the first place but this year they haven't touched the stuff at all... not even the CPQ!

Chris

[kenny]

chris
i dont see any use for linseed in mixes.as i have never seen it consumed in any great amounts by anything.and when you soak it it hardly sprouts...the guys at my seed merchants think i am crazy as i have always tasted the rape .but of late there is no polish to it there has been a lot of webs in the sacks of it i have seen and rusen used to be really good but it is tastless almost peppery now i sometimes wonder if it is really siutable it probaly is just made for animal feed now and i dont mean birds.i thinl the bulk of the good stuff now goes for crushing now that the farmers have latched on to the qualities of it....i think my seed is cheaper as most of the seed merchants are just near me i used to swear by bucktons but they have reduced the sack size and its not worth the money i have just bought 2 bags this friday of j and j one foreign finch and one plain canary premium delivered £22 plus the few extras i buy like starter crumbs extra niger
,hemp,groats, paddy rice i have tried haiths across the humber but there stuff is no better but the price is awful and the delvery is nearly as much as i pay for a bag of seed dont get me wrong i dont buy the cheapest, as there are a lot of places near me i can get seed cheaper but it is what i call floor sweepings you only get out what you put in and i am happy with mine

ken

[PAUL HEARN]

Hi Chris,

The straight mix you are buying should be fine for the birds you have mentioned over the winter period, other oily seeds should be offered separately so that you can see if they are taken by your birds rather than mixed in with their standard diet and left uneaten.

Paul.

[cooltom28]

i have just found my local supplier of verse laga £16.40 a bag or sumink well it cost me £20.50 for a bag and a tub of bird care co pro biotic. its a lot cleaner, seeds are a lot smaller, birds are eating it and it seems to last longer will be sticking to it but you can always add to it for the other birds e.g i mixed some with pro bird waxbill mix for the weaver cocks and would of done the same would i of had to house the black hooded red siskins i got lumbered with on saturday midnight.

i started using a new egg food this wekened aswell its verse laga prestige it has red and green bits in very fruity smells nicer than the witte mollen i was using:D

[kenny]

hi tom
i used to buy quiko a while back and it smelt so good that i could have eaten it myself but it was not easily avaliable as it is now....i went with a good old yorkshire firm E.M.P. and i wouldn`t change it now .......lovely grub!:-D


ken

[laurab]

Hi Tom

I agree, the Verse laga is much cleaner than any other foreign finch seed I have used and no dust! It looks like each individual seed has been polished. :-P

[Waxbillman]

polished seeds are not allus a good thing tha nos

Matthew

[laurab]

I knew I could rely on you to 'take the shine' off things!! :-D :razz:

[cooltom28]

i used to use emp but since i have one over to moist egg food i certainly would not go back to dry

[Waxbillman]

:lol: :lol: sorry Laura

Matthew

[chris]

Tom,

i take it your too lazy to moisten the eggfood yourself then?:lol:

dry lasts longer,and takes all of 10 mins to moisten up. better still is homemade, doesn't last as long fresh but can be frozen and thawed as needed, nice and soft, and my birds prefer it over any commercial eggfood i have tried so far

Chris:wink:

[cooltom28]

yes im lazy but you can leave it in for longer as well and there is no moistening!

[PAUL HEARN]

Hello all,

I have found Versele Laga to be the best Foreign Finch mixture I have tried with my birds so far to the point that I see no need in trying other mixes, the seed is extremely clean and there is very little if any wastage at all.

On the subject of eggfood I also prefer the moist mixtures on the market, laziness isn't a factor at all, I have found that eggfood needing moisture in the form of water tends to sour very quickly during the warmer months.
Eggfood mixtures that contain oils and honey etc tend not to spoil, but if I needed to moisten eggfood, or any other softfood, then I would prefer to use Cous Cous to keep it moist and fresh for most of the day.

Paul.;-)

[chris]

Hi Paul,

there are probably more added preservatives in the moist stuff to prevent it going off. i still say homemade is best:-D

[kenny]

hi chris
the stuff i buy is a dry mix.but it is called soak seed mix ...it just seems to germinate faster than normal seed


ken

[Waxbillman]

sorry folks, probird waxbill/african mix is by far the best, no disputes, its not the cheapest though fairenough, but with my livefood costs these past few weeks, shocking, put i'm really getting the results now

Matthew

[cooltom28]

not for gouldians it not:razz:

[PAUL HEARN]

Hi Chris,

I agree home made softfood is most likely to be the best mate!:-D

When I develop my own perfect mixtures for all of my birds I will post the recipes,:wink: but until then I will continue with the lazy option.:lol:

Paul.:-D