What seed do you feed

[bigal47]

Hi one and all I'm on a roll.
WHAT SEED DO YOU FEED your birds on. Do you go to the pet shop and buy a few pounds at a time, not a good idea ,as all seed eating birds need a good stable diet of seed with a mixture of certain seeds and the bigger seed companys mixture will always be the same each time you buy it. You then give them the extra seeds that are required at certain times of the years ,for conditioning, for oil, for winter bulk and what ever you need.
Do you have a winnower ?? I know Kenny has just bought one and they save you lots of money in wasted seed BUT remember that all that winnowed (or what ever the word may be) seed is missing the seed that was eaten and thats the seed they like ,so replace that type of seed before refeeding it back to them again. You will find birds are like kids they will only eat what they like even if it is not always good for them so feed in moderation. You will find that your birds will get use to the way you feed them, we always use to feed our own made conditioning mix that we mixed with anniseed oil with breeding cages of 20 in a bank by the time you were able to get half way down the row they were all excited and singing was it the smell of the aniseed, they only got fed this every other day. I still don't know the answer to that one.
Can birds smell?? no not by not being cleaned out but do they smell the roses??
Allan
So what do you feed yours then.

[chris]

Hi allan,

i'm pretty sure the canary mix i feed mine is Countrywide, and the foreign finch Bucktons. i am guilty of buying 2.5kg in bags from the shop every now and again, but since i used to work there i know that it's just seed taken out of the sack and measured into 500g bags and 2.5 Kg bags.

i will be buying in bulk by the end of the year as these bags now last me about a week and a half, whereas when i first started in the hobby they would last upto a month or two as i only had 2 birds:grin:

god help me the day a 25Kg sack lasts me a week:shock:

Chris:wink:

[Waxbillman]

hello there,

i get mine in 25 kg sacks from the manufacters, i don't have a winnower, as the seed as been chucked on the floor for a reason i believe, they eat there favourite seeds and chuck the rest,
thats why i have just changed my mixes, as before i used to mix in other seeds to the mix but now i don't have to.

matthew

[kenny]

hi allan

i use bucktons and allways have done.the head quarters is only 15 miles from me its usually polished and very little dust.the seed that i winnow out does not go back to the birds as you say they only eat what they want to so half of it i use as part of my soak seed mixture and the rest goes on to the bird table it saves me buying so much wild bird food.i used to buy mine in 25 k bags but bucktons are stopping those and going down to 20 k for some reason i sometimes get johnson and jeffs wich is another local seed merchant that is on the harbour side in my town centre.with regards to that aniseed oil i still buy that in a little plastic dropper bottle and put it on my condition seed mix and i have been doing that a long long time and i have been getting the stuff from the same pet shop for ages but you cant get it that readily now the only other thing i use is p y m and sprinkle a little in my young birds seed and eggfood i think it gives them a good start but i am a creature of habit i have been doing stuff like that for so long there is probably a lot better stuff on the market but i dont even look at it as i am used to giving them the same additives like vitapet cod liver oil and abidec in the water i think i am just old fashioned.i will shut up now.


ken

[Gary]

I also use buctons foriegn finch

[kenny]

hi gary

yeah its excellent stuff highly polished and very little dust in it and a nice seed mix all round,as i said its not far from me and they are now owned by cranswick foods who make ready made meals amongst other things .the only thing that is worrying me is they are thinking of reducing theirr bag size to 20kg according to my supplier its not the price thats worrying me its the more frequent visits to replenish it thats bugging me

ken

[Gary]

They have reduced it , down here anyway to 20kg clear bags, cant remember the price

[kenny]

hi gary.

i was wondering about that as matt said he still gets the 25 kg bage but i have been buying 20 kg for quite a while but the price has gone down to a tenner i dont know how ling ago you bought yours as mine always came in the blue and gold bags.

ken

[axelrod]

hi there
i buy canary seed and british finch seed from jon joe's near mansfield he bags up seed from haiths from 1kg to 25 kg, i also buy single types of seed to mix with the canary and british finch. i only have four birds at the moment two parrot finches and two greenfinches
so i only buy the 2kg bags.both pairs are together in a aviary and they eat each others mix, i think if they like it they will eat it if they do'nt they wo'nt.

axelrod

[kenny]

hi axelrod mate its poinyless buying a big bag if you only have a few birds as it just wastes,is your seed a reasonable price.i have looked at the price list for haiths and its nearly twice the price of mine so i was wondeing if the price goes down when you by small amounts .

ken

[axelrod]

hi kenny,
i do'nt buy from haiths as you said it's to exspensive and what i've heard their delivery is'nt very prompt either,,jon joes must buy it from haiths and he bags it himself, i live about 15 miles from jon joes and the 2kg bags last me about a month, not sure of the price but it's cheaper than haiths.i've got shops nearer to me where i could get seed which is cheaper but that's in big open bins, and who knows what's in it.

axelrod

[Waxbillman]

i live quite far away from they, but its a great place, he has some good birds and everything you could want for your birds, at very good prices.

matthew

[kenny]

not having a go at the place but most people are cheaper than haiths,it still would not be economical for me to pay the bridge toll and pick it up myself it still works out expensive


ken

[PAUL HEARN]

Hi everyone,

The seed I use is Verse Laga, as far as I'm concerned the smaller the seed the better it is in nutritional value, and Verse Laga has the smallest seeds I have ever seen as well as the cleanest mix I know of.

The Birds I feed this to range from Strawberry Finches, Madagascan Mannikins and Jacarini Finches, up to Timor and Java Sparrows, House Finches, Doves and Quail.

Paul.:wink:

[kenny]

hi paul,

where do you get that from then paul,and excuse me for being thick but didnt they do pigeon corn or am i just imagening it.


ken