I went to my seed merchant this week and bought 3 X 20klg bags of my normal budgie mix, today I opened the bags, put my glasses on, and checked the seed. I am amazed at how small each grain of seed is, the millet is tiny. Even the plain canary seed is small. So this has got me thinking, here in Australia we have had drought conditions for 12 years [ or is it climate change] this is having a huge impact on our farmers and on the grain they are able to produce. I remember 15-20 years ago feeding my birds both white and jap millet that were double the size of todays crop. I wonder about the nuitrient value of this tiny seed.

Does anyone know of recent studies on the nutrient value?

Anyway, I have decided to change the feeding program I have used for many years. During the breeding season I have fed suppliments such as soft food mix, additional grains such as sunflower, safflower and oats and additional vegetables. I am now going to add these all year round to suppliment the diet. I will also resourch vitamin and mineral suppliments which I have used sparingly in the past.

I know climate change has altered how I house my birds, I now have a cooler in the avairy. On hot days I give my birds ice blocks, but I'm seriously looking now at their diet, I just don't believe they are getting enough from their natural diet.

Clearwing

 

Small seeds don't always mean less nutrient. In dry finish conditions (where enough rain falls to grow crop but not enough falls at the very end of the growing season to properly fill out seed heads), you will get a proportion of whats often called pinched seed, these often test highr in protien and micro nutrients per kilo than normally finished seed.

 

I would assume there may also have been some varietal differences in 15-20 years, allowing producers to grow varieties that might be slightly more suited to their growing conditions.

 

People like GrainCorp or other grain marketers would do basic grain quality testing like protiens, screenings etc. Not sure if anyone would be testing amino acid profile of todays millets and canary seed.

 

It's probably a good question to ask your seed supplier "Do they have grain test results for the seeds that they are using". They should given that seed quality can change from year to year even if seed looks the same. Every feedmill that I have ever worked for or with quality test their grain coming in and their product going out but usually only for protein, fibre, ME, fat and not for amino acid proile so you might hope that seed suppliers do the same.

That's really interesting Nubbly, I know where Greg gets his wheat from which is direct from the grower he test his.

This is the seed I was using ( Golden Cob )

 

 

and the seed I am using now

 

 

My birds get soft food and vegies all year round.

 

No Jap millet in your current mix Kaz?!!!!! Jap millet is the smaller more shrivelled looking millet in the Golden Cob mix. I've been using Golden Fields seed for the last 10 years and have found a HUGE variety in the mix. When we had a local seed shortage over here, they stopped putting in the Jap millet - THE most important seed for amino acids, and the quantities of canary and white millet change every now and again. The last "quality" batch of seed I got had some canary seed, LOTS of Jap millet, no white millet and WHOLE OATS!!!! I rang and asked what was going on and was told that the workers must have stuffed up the seed mixing - WELL YEAH! It's supposed to be a standard mix of 50% canary, 25% white millet and 25% jap millet....... Since tackling them on it, the bags I have bought have been good - pays to check on them every now and then.

 

Most local mixes, Golden Fields and Triangle Seed mixes are made from local seed. To bring in seed from the east means that it has to be heat treated to kill any nasty visitors coming in with the seed. That's why, when Golden Cob was available over here it was generally more expensive than local mixes.

Good photos KAZ, I like the look of the second seed, it looks fuller if that is a word, it seems to have more life in it, I like the colour of it better than the first photo. What brand is the second?

 

This is the seed I was using ( Golden Cob )

 

 

and the seed I am using now

 

 

My birds get soft food and vegies all year round.

 

 

The brand is called Triangle........I will check on if it comes in from over east

 

 

The seed, as it turns out is Western Australian grown...from KUNNUNURRA

 

 

Triangle are known as Triangle Agencies are are based in Maddington. They are a wholesale company dealing in a wide range of pet products.

Golden Fields is a grain supplied by Symonds Seeds based in Osborne Park and again they are a Wholesale Company like Triangle.

 

These companies will have their regular suppliers of grains but they will source products from other sources should it be required. When I had my home based small bird business going I dealt with both companies for most of my seed requirements.

 

As far as seed mixes go I don't use a ready mix product I buy all seperate and mix to suit. My basic mix consists of-

 

Canary

White Millet

Jap Millet

Yellow Pannicum Millet

Hulled Oats

Sunflower (Grey Striped)

Niger

This is the seed I was using ( Golden Cob )

 

 

and the seed I am using now

 

 

My birds get soft food and vegies all year round.

 

No Jap millet in your current mix Kaz?!!!!! Jap millet is the smaller more shrivelled looking millet in the Golden Cob mix. I've been using Golden Fields seed for the last 10 years and have found a HUGE variety in the mix. When we had a local seed shortage over here, they stopped putting in the Jap millet - THE most important seed for amino acids, and the quantities of canary and white millet change every now and again. The last "quality" batch of seed I got had some canary seed, LOTS of Jap millet, no white millet and WHOLE OATS!!!! I rang and asked what was going on and was told that the workers must have stuffed up the seed mixing - WELL YEAH! It's supposed to be a standard mix of 50% canary, 25% white millet and 25% jap millet....... Since tackling them on it, the bags I have bought have been good - pays to check on them every now and then.

 

Most local mixes, Golden Fields and Triangle Seed mixes are made from local seed. To bring in seed from the east means that it has to be heat treated to kill any nasty visitors coming in with the seed. That's why, when Golden Cob was available over here it was generally more expensive than local mixes.

 

I have jap millet at home and add it through the mix seperately.....if I dont mix it through its in dishes on the feeding paltform. have whole sack of it here :thankyou: