All seed diet?

[Ryan.W]

I had the budgies on far too many supplements, so as advised by Barrie, i put them onto seed only for about a month and half 2 months. Im now trying them on Eggfood, (at the recommended amount/rate it says on the back of the packet) this is supposed to provide them with everything they need, without the need of other supplements, but since being back on it, they're droppings have gotten loose again. I know ALL the local breeders feed seed only when not breeding, and when they do breed that's when they provide Egg food. And all the pet owners (locally) that i know of do the same (feed seed only). (ofcourse this is supplemented though with the usual iodine nibble, cuttlebone etc etc. Some people even give them cod liver oil seldom though.) Is it normal for budgies on a veg or "supplemented" diet to have loose droppings, or have i introduced them back onto supplements too soon?. They're droppings where fine before i gave them eggfood again, and it hasn't effected them ,they're still chripy and playing around just their droppings. I wonder if it's the extra moisture in the eggfood?. Im thinking of giving them a all seed diet, unless i decided to breed again as this seems to suit them. The only thing i worry about is D3. What's others thoughts on this ? is their anyone on forum who feeds seed only and what are your birds like?.Any opinions welcome. sorry for the essay ;D.

[Hezz]

Veges definely can contribute to looser dropping, Ryan, but usually only for the next day (from my observation), until their body has passed the greens. Is your seed not Trill? Ours does have added Vit D3, but I use, as you may remember, "The Good Oil" on my seed and that provides all those extras that may be missed with all seed. Unfortunatly I can't give my birds very much sun, as ours is just too hot and I have no way of moving them to a place with dappled sunlight, so D3 for me comes from the oil.

[stace]

I think you've been making things too complicated, Ryan. Provide variety, yes, but you don't want to be radically changing up their diet all the time.

For normal, non breeding pet budiges.

1. Quality seed fed daily.

I think the mix is: 40% canary seed, 20% French millet, 20% panicum and 20% oats - less oats if your birds are prone to getting chubby. (Every once in a while you can add just a few drops of cod liver oil or wheatgerm oil , just enough to coat the seed for extra protein, but only do this for small daily amounts as the oil will go rancid)

2. Add variety and vitamins and minerals with greens, fruit and veges.

You don't need to feed them too much. A bit of corn and spinach one day, some grated carrot and apple the next, whatever you have on hand. To make it easy, think about providing variety by supplying different colours. Some red, some yellow, some green over the course of a week. They need no more than the size of a budgie head. In spring/summer you can also add clean washed dandelion and seeding grasses from your garden for extra vits.

3. Calcium and iodine.

Use a cuttlefish or calcium block, and an iodine block. Well cooked and dried and ground egg shells can be sprinkled over your bird's food for calcium as well.

4. Oyster grit, if not already in their seed mix - a pot just to let them have if they want.

[BudgiesBuddy]

I think the best food for pet budgies is a good seed mix which makes 70% of their diet and rest in form of vegetables & fruits, egg food, sprouts, socked beans and groats and so on, rotated and provided after every few days.

[gerwynmr2]

would have to agree with stace mostly seed of good quality i have gone back to countrywide specialbudgie ,ingediants areWhite Millet,Canary Seed,Red Millet,Naked Oats,Oil Dressing*.
a good all round seed if you think your birds need the extra supplements why not try countrywide breeders budgie with vitamins and minerals ingrediants are
Canary Seed, White Millet, B18 Nutribird Pellets, Japanese Millet, Panicum Millet, Nigerseed, Hempseed, Red Millet, Oil Dressing*.
regards gerwynmr2

[barrieshutt]

Oct 29, 2011 7:40:04 GMT stace said:

I think you've been making things too complicated, Ryan. Provide variety, yes, but you don't want to be radically changing up their diet all the time.

For normal, non breeding pet budiges.

1. Quality seed fed daily.

I think the mix is: 40% canary seed, 20% French millet, 20% panicum and 20% oats - less oats if your birds are prone to getting chubby. (Every once in a while you can add just a few drops of cod liver oil or wheatgerm oil , just enough to coat the seed for extra protein, but only do this for small daily amounts as the oil will go rancid)

2. Add variety and vitamins and minerals with greens, fruit and veges.

You don't need to feed them too much. A bit of corn and spinach one day, some grated carrot and apple the next, whatever you have on hand. To make it easy, think about providing variety by supplying different colours. Some red, some yellow, some green over the course of a week. They need no more than the size of a budgie head. In spring/summer you can also add clean washed dandelion and seeding grasses from your garden for extra vits.

3. Calcium and iodine.

Use a cuttlefish or calcium block, and an iodine block. Well cooked and dried and ground egg shells can be sprinkled over your bird's food for calcium as well.

4. Oyster grit, if not already in their seed mix - a pot just to let them have if they want.

A super post Stace , i always feed 50% plain canary and 50% mixed millets.
Because plain canary is more expensive than millet the pet shop seeds contain not enough canary seed and far to much cheap white millet, not a good mix.

One addition to your thread and one that i have told Ryan 99 times ;D do add calcium supplement to all your birds water one week in every month, most brands contaon the much needed vitamin D3

[owain20]

Oct 29, 2011 0:57:32 GMT Ryan.W said:

I had the budgies on far too many supplements, so as advised by Barrie, i put them onto seed only for about a month and half 2 months. Im now trying them on Eggfood, (at the recommended amount/rate it says on the back of the packet) this is supposed to provide them with everything they need, without the need of other supplements, but since being back on it, they're droppings have gotten loose again. I know ALL the local breeders feed seed only when not breeding, and when they do breed that's when they provide Egg food. And all the pet owners (locally) that i know of do the same (feed seed only). (ofcourse this is supplemented though with the usual iodine nibble, cuttlebone etc etc. Some people even give them cod liver oil seldom though.) Is it normal for budgies on a veg or "supplemented" diet to have loose droppings, or have i introduced them back onto supplements too soon?. They're droppings where fine before i gave them eggfood again, and it hasn't effected them ,they're still chripy and playing around just their droppings. I wonder if it's the extra moisture in the eggfood?. Im thinking of giving them a all seed diet, unless i decided to breed again as this seems to suit them. The only thing i worry about is D3. What's others thoughts on this ? is their anyone on forum who feeds seed only and what are your birds like?.Any opinions welcome. sorry for the essay ;D.

I think ryan if you are having problems go back to basic feeding plain seed and plain water obviously grit cuttlebone iodine block. Greens that contain alot of water can give loose droppings like lettuce.

But you need good clean quality seed, i use bucktons 50/50 only once ive had a problem with it and it wasnt bucktons fault, you cannot beat them on quality and how clean the seed is, bit pricey though!

Country wide is crap on more than one occassion i found insects in the seed, they were unhelpful when i complained either so switched to bucktons and the cleanliness compared to country wide was second to none, you pay for quality with bucktons!

It is my long time belief that alot of people give there birds to many supplements that they do not need provided you give them a good diet, seed mix with 50% plain canary 50% millets to this mix i add 10% extra canary, 10% groats.

I give plain water, i give cuttlebone,oyster shell grit, iodine blocks, and bread and milk when breeding or conditioning to breed, i also give veg once a week maybe twice. this is the diet of all the birds not just budgies.