Cuttlebones are a must in every cage. Not only do they help in the care of their beaks, they also supply some of the much needed calcium. Oyster Shell Grit, Miner-A- Grit (which also contains Oyster Shells, but my birds like both products), Bird Charcoal, Baked Crushed Eggshells, Red Mineral Salt Wheel (local pet store), Commercial Eggfood-(Gold Label Feast Softfood) and Medicinal Herb Salad can be found in each of my cages. One doesn't need to add a million dishes to their cage, but you can combine Oyster Shells, Miner-A-Grit, Bird Charcoal and Baked Crushed Eggshells in one larger dish. I have 2 seperate dishes for the commercial eggfood and for the Herb Salad. The birds will pick and chose which supplement they need and will lick on the Mineral Salt Wheels many times a day as needed.
In addition to this routine, I add 1/4 teaspoon of Epsom Salt to their mineral dish once a month. This helps in adding extra Magnesium to their diet. Some will eat it and some won't, as they know what their body requires if given a choice.
I also feed Oiled Seeds fortified with Vitamins, Probiotics, and Calciboost Powder 3 times a week to the cages that contain split to Blue Backs, Blues, Yellows and Silvers. It is belived that those birds require higher amounts of Vitamin A and E. I serve it once a week to my Normals.
In addition I feed my own eggfood recipe to all my birds 3 times a week and daily to my breeding birds and those rearing chicks.
The other days I supply Romaine or Green Leaf Lettuce, some Cucumber, Carrots and fresh grasses grown from bird seeds.
I stay away from Spinach for the most part, although it's ok to give occasionally. Spinach contains oxalic acid that combines with calcium to make calcium oxalate. Because their intestines cannot absorb this compound it is flushed out of the body, therefore causing a calcium shortage.
Now that I have covered the food part, let's talk about the water:
I never add vitamins to their water. Vitamins can quickly grow bacteria, especially if droppings or other foreign matter enters the water.
It is best to change the water daily and quickly wash out the water dish with hot soapy water and rinse well. However, if you have as many birds as I do, at times this is not possible due to being out of town or simply too busy. At those times I like to add Saniclens to their water as it keeps the water free of bacteria. To this I add liquid Calciboost 1 or 2 times a week for non-breeding birds and 5 times a week for breeding birds. Every weekend my birds receive Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) in their water by itself. Not only does it make their stomach more acidic, it also cuts down on any bacteria in their water.
Australian Finches, especially Lady Gouldians have a higher requirement for Iodine, which a shortage will cause them to go bald. This is easily supplied in liquid form. It is either called Liquid Iodine or Liqui Kelp and I add it to their water twice a week.
Now, last but certainly not least is their bathwater. Fresh clean bathwater supplied on a daily basis is most important for healthy feathers. Many of times they leave droppings in their bathwater so it is very important to not leave the bathwater in their cage all day. It's a good idea, if possible, to supply them with their bath at the same time every day and only leave it for about 15 or 20 minutes. They will learn to bath at that time and afterwards the water gets removed and there is no chance of them drinking dirty water loaded with bacteria.
You can also safely add ACV to their bathwater. Another additive that they won't mind is a couple drops of Listerine. It also helps in case of feather mites and other skin ailments.
Some Of My Birds Pg.1
Some Of My Birds Pg.2
A Chick Is Hatching
Pricelist
Favorite Links
Recipes and Supplements Pg. 2
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