What Brand Of Bird Food Would You Prefer

[Elly 0]

here was the reasoning our avian gave short and simple

seed is filled with carbs and yes that is needed in a high quanity if you are a wild budgie flying all the time and need the high energy of carbs but because our birds are not like that most (esp) pet ones sit around and don't fly like their wild relatives carbs are now too fattening and more protein needs to be emphasized.

 

One thing that we must remember is that our budgies are that pets and though YES the ones wild are budgies too the diet need would differ because of the different activitiy levels, enviroment that they live in. That completely makes sense to me.

 

Our pet budgies have evolved to something different then their wild cousins and as each species has different needs I believe so do the budgies. No different then a human that is highly active vs one that is not or even a dog that is younger vs a senior dog. The protein, carbs, nutrition is different. I hope that is making sense too

[Boomberry 0]

Bad genetics are a MAJOR part of budgies dying young thats for sure!

 

I fed Trill up until a while ago. Im just using a Pets At Home Nutritional Brand for now.

 

But Im planning on doing my own mix.

 

Any advice what I should be adding and whats not necessary.

Edited March 27, 2007 by Boomberry

[Guest BUUZ BEE]

I think your all right with the strenth and genetics of the bird. It does get hard when one articles says to do one thing, then another totally contradicts it! I just try to give them a well balanced diet with seeds/pellets/veggies & fruits

[Daz 0]

Presentation given to the World Budgerigar Organisation

& BAA Grand National

Las Vegas, Nevada October 21, 2005.

by David N. Phalen, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ABVP (Avian)

Associate Professor

Small Animal Clinical Sciences and the Schubot Exotic Bird Health Center

Texas A&M University

College Station, TX

 

1. A Study of the Dietary Requirements and Toxic Levels of Calcium and Vitamin D3 in Budgerigars.A moderately common problem seen in budgerigars and some other species of birds is calcium deposition in the kidney resulting in kidney failure. The cause of this disease has been hypothesized to be either excess calcium or vitamin D3 in the diet. To determine the cause of this disease, groups of budgerigars were fed diets containing various concentrations of calcium and vitamin D3 and allowed to breed. Results of this study showed that budgerigars need less dietary calcium (0.3%) than most other species for growth and egg laying. When dietary calcium concentrations reached 0.7%, mild calcium deposition occurred in nestlings and adults. When calcium concentrations reached 1.5%, death occurred in chicks and adult birds. All seed diets containing less than 0.3% calcium resulted in weak bones in laying hens and their eggs did not hatch. Vitamin D3 concentrations ranging from 500 to 3,300 International Units of vitamin D3 per kilogram of diet did not cause calcium deposition in the kidney as long as diet did not contain more than 0.3% calcium. This research is important because it shows that budgerigars can only tolerate a narrow range of calcium in their diet. Calcium concentrations in seeds are insufficient, but calcium concentrations found in most pelleted diets will be too high and could be toxic. Therefore, it is necessary to supplement seed diets with some form of calcium, e.g., cuttlebone and if you are going to feed pellets, they should be no more than 25% of what a budgerigar eats. This research also shows that budgerigars can tolerate a wide range of vitamin D3 concentrations in the diet without problems.

 

Hath and I have discussed Pellet diets before. We have both come to the conclusion with the information availible to us that a pellet diet is not the best thing for your birds. (our opinion). Budgerigars are granivors but as Rainbow posted that recieve their neutriants in the wild from many sources. It would be difficult to excactly copy the requiremnets in a pellet.

 

Budgerigars require different levels or neutriants at different times in their cycles.

• Developing as chicks
  
• Moulting
  
• Normal life
  
• Preparing to breed
  
• Incubation
  
• Feeding the young.
  

I have found that my birds are at time throwing seed out of the hoppers and feeders. I first thought that they were playing or just being a pain. But I decided to offer the seed in different containers and have found that the birds will eat different type of seed at different times.

 

I am slowly developing a mix that the birds will love but also get the basic requirements.

 

I source a lot of my information from other top breeders on what they use and also from the information from Budgerigar World and the Challenge.

 

Here is some information on Requirements.

Budgerigar Nutrition

Protien - What is it?

Seed & Weight Gain

 

I use suppliments in water, on the seed and by themselves. Seed and water alone is not good for a growing bird.

[Neat 0]

I use a premium Crest mix.

 

I have been told by a breeder that Trill is very low in quality.

 

 

I use trill when I can't get to the Wholesalers.....I planted the Trill seeds and they are growing really well....

[Zebra 0]

I don't think we have all these here. I've seen ZuPreem pellets and Trill here in shops. But my budgies don't like the ZuPreem and the Trill they sell here is in small box only. So after trying some other makes, I decided to buy seeds separatelly from one breeder near me, he grows his own seeds (sunflower seeds, millet, etc.), he breeds lots of parrots (even macaws), and is very experienced, so I know his seeds are good quality and I can go and see his beautiful parrots when I go to fetch my seeds

 

Sometimes I buy budgie food (I don't remember the name), but on the bag is written that Loro Parque in Tenerife uses it, so I think it's good

[Neat 0]

I use a premium Crest mix.

 

I have been told by a breeder that Trill is very low in quality.

 

 

I use trill when I can't get to the Wholesalers.....I planted the Trill seeds and they are growing really well....

 

 

Well the Trill Growns really well INTO GRASS !!!!!!!!!!!

I came across another Brand called whistler it has all these seeds, hulled oats, grit, millets etc I found that the local Breeder seeds weren't growning either......

I must hunt down all the "Need"seeds and mix my own I think

[splat 0]

Hi everyone, I thought i would put my bit in.

I use Golden Cob breeders choice and I add 25% extra canary for my breeders and when no one is breeding they just get the golden cob straight.

 

I like it because it looks like a nice mix and it doesn't have much or any oats in it. Which all the other feeds I have used did. I like to add my own oats so I can control how much they get, and they only get it in the cold months and when breeding but not much of it as it tends too make them fat.

[macka 0]

I use Watto`s mix,buy it by the pallet from the grower.

[KeetCrazy 0]

I voted for Beak Appetit although my birds eat Harrison's too. I feed them because there are no unnatural additives, and also because they are made from human-grade foods so I could eat it too if I wanted. (And I have eaten both. ) If I wouldn't eat it myself because I think it contains questionable additives or ingredients I can't pronounce, I don't feel comfortable feeding it to the birds either.

 

Same here. BeakAppetit is a daily food for my birds. I use exact pellets and mixed seed as well.

[timbo.1 0]

i get it in 40kg bulk from the local feedstore

[Guest lonebudgie]

Hi all I use Golden cob for two reasons , it is clean and a high quality seed ( high germination rate), and the mix is the same all year round even in a drought , you never get any seed mixed in that the budgies dont eat.

[Daz 0]

I mix my own, that way I know what the birds are getting.

[splat 0]

Daz I would like to mix my own but I can't seem to be able to the seed around here, Only 2 places sell canary seed and you know the difference in price is unbelieveable, the seed place in Numurkah gets in the canary seed and sells it for $1.80 kg it hasn't changed since the drought but budgie seed sky Rocketed and the other place Hunters in Shepparton sells their Canary seed for $4.40 Kg and that was before the drought, The one in Numurkah was much cleaner and hunters you were paying for husk and grass.

Any I rang around trying to get the millet etc and no one stock them only mixed seed. So I buy mix and I have changed from golden cob $58.00 a 25kg bag to Howard Martin $60.50 for a 40kg because of the price. I add extra canary seed for the breeders and young.

[jamieo 0]

I checked Harrison's but some of my budgies prefer ZuPreem pellets. I buy ZuPreem's "AvianEntree" blend that contains dried vegetables in addition to pellets. One blned has dried chili peppers that the birds have fun with- the like to break them open and eat the pepper seeds. It's fod and a toy all in one package.

[renee 0]

I feed my budgies Golden Cob Supreme Breeders Budgie Mix. I buy it through the club (which brings it in from over East). I pay $58/25 Kilos - if you live over East you'd get it cheaper.

 

It has added Vitamin A, E and D plus Iodine and Cod Liver Oil so I don't have to supplement their diet with anything other than Soft Food and veggies.