Food Recipes – various
By Mike Fidler
STANDARD FINCH MIX
25% RED PANICUM
25% CANARY SEED
25% WHITE MILLET
10% JAPANESE MILLET
10% COCKSFOOT GRASS
5% NIGER
STANDARD FINCH SPROUT MIX & SUPPLEMENT
SPROUT THE STANDARD FINCH MIX AS PER TUTORIAL
After sprouting, add dry to sprouted seed:
5% LETTUCE [BLACK OR WHITE]
10% NFB PRIMA
2% NFB MICRO NUTRIENT
FOR MORE INSECTIVOROUS SEED EATERS, ADD 2.5% OF NFB PROTEIN BOOST
SMALL WAXBILL SEED MIX – MEASURED BY PARTS
COCKSFOOT GRASS 9
GATTON PANIC GRASS 1
SABI GRASS 3
RYE GRASS DEMETER 2
NIGER 2
PHALARIS 5
WHITE MILLET 10
RED MILLET 15
JAPANESE MILLET 15
SIBERIAN MILLET 15
HOODED RED SISKIN SEED MIXES – MEASURED BY PARTS
Base Black Mix
NYGER 5
CANOLA [RAPE] 5
Base Grass Mix
COCKSFOOT GRASS 5
CANARY SEED 5
NB we feed the above two mixes separately to avoid ‘flicking’
HOODED RED SISKIN SPROUT MIX & SUPPLEMENT
MEASURED BY PARTS
SPROUT 5 PARTS OF BASE BLACK & 5 PARTS OF GRASS MIX
After sprouting, add dry to sprouted seed:
HULLED SUNFLOWER 3
MAW 1
CHIA [BLACK OR WHITE] 1
NFB PRIMA .5
NFB MICRO NUTRIENT .25
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We use hulled sunflower obtained from Omega Feeds Pty Ltd,
It comes in the form of a product called MAXICOAT which is sold as a horse supplement and comes with added minerals and vitamins.
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NB: ALL SPROUT/SUPPLEMENT MIXES ARE MADE UP AS A LARGER BATCH AND PUT IN THE FREEZER FOR USE ON A DAILY BASIS OVER A PERIOD OF TIME.
THERE IS NO NEED TO THAW IT BEFORE FEEDING.
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INSECTIVOROUS CRUMBLE
MAY BE USED FOR BOTH SOFTBILLS AND SEED EATERS.
MINIMISES THE NEED FOR LIVE FOOD
150 gm sweet Potato
150 gm beetroot
Chop in blender bowl
Then add all the following to the bowl:
10 eggs in shell
350 gm molasses or black treacle
100 gm NFB PROTEIN BOOST
100 gm sorghum flour
50 gm coconut flour
50 gm pea Flour
50 gm Cat Food flour [mashed pellets]
15 gm bicarbonate Soda
15 gm tsp chia seed
10 gm multivitamin powder
400 gm sunflower Oil
Mix 20 seconds at speed 5
Pour into lined tin
Bake at 180 degrees C approx 45 mins
When cool coarse crumb by hand and add 30gms of NATURALLY FOR BIRDS MICRO NUTRIENTS
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Adding MICRO NUTRIENTS boosts colour, fertility and the immune system
Adding a small amount of pound cake may help to accustom your birds to a new food.
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NECTAR
Whilst many species of birds eat nectar to either a smaller or greater extent, natural nectar actually has very low nutritional values, supplying mainly energy and carbohydrates, with the more important components of their diet coming from other sources such as pollen and insects.
So with birds like honey eaters and chats which eat insects as their main source of amino acids, in captive husbandry, our nectar formula only needs to concentrate on ensuring our stock get an adequate intake of vitamins and minerals. Sugar will supply part of the carbohydrate requirement.
NECTAR FORMULA – to make 1 litre.
250ml – raw sugar
100ml – honey
650ml – boiling hot water
MIX UNTIL DISSOLVED, THEN COOL
When the mix is cool add ORNITHON POWDER
1level teaspoon [4gm] for birds which eat a lot of nectar
2level teaspoons for birds which eat a small amount of nectar
POUR INTO APPROPRIATE SMALL CONTAINERS AND FREEZE
There are a number of ways to feed; a popular method is to freeze in ice cube trays and pop one of the cubes into a feeding container every day.
There is no need to defrost first.
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ORNITHON – is a multi vitamin / mineral supplement miscible in water.
Ornithon Powder, Inca Company PTY LTD,22-23 Forthorn Place, St Mary’s, NSW 2760
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NB:
*there seems to be little measurable nutritional difference between any type of sugar.
*the nectar mix can be used as a medium to deliver medication such as parasite treatment.
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*bird foods containing milk or casein as a source of protein have no nutritional value as only mammals have the enzyme lactase which enables them to digest it.
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