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What follows are comments on housing and feeding which apply to all the more common Parrot finches
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Housing
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4 different size cages
all 600mm deep - important for feeling of security
1 metre by 1 metre
900mm by 600mm
600mm by 900mm
600mm by 500mm |
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bottom of cages have Aurbeoise - a very absorbent horse bedding product
moisture in air is around 60 % - (measure with hydrometer)
any lower and and is a possibility of dead in shell occurring
baths used and changed daily, as is fresh water - with nothing added
temperature around 18 -20 degrees C/ 64 - 68 degrees Fahrenheit |
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Feeding
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8 kg White Millet
7 kg Plain Canary seed
4 kg Yellow Millet
3 kg Jap Millet
1 kg crushed Groats
1 kg Niger seed
1 kg Grass seed |
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also use Jos van Himbergen Code No. 4 seed mixture
email re availability of this excellent mix and
mix code number 3 which consists of smaller seeds which suit Waxbills
during the breeding season
and when the birds are moulting
I give them a small quantity of Kanaus grass |
Soft food Mix |
5 kilo of plain Cede
5 kilo of Tropical CeDe - contains dry shrimp
3 kilo of CeDe protein mix
mixed herbs - 150 gms
vitamins - 50 gms of grey calca and 50 gms of pink mineral
(add livefood in daily according to species, whether breeding etc.)
frozen Pinkies - 1 tablespoon per 100-150 gms of soft food
buffalo worms - 1 tablespoon per 100-150 gms of soft food
(amount varies by species and is a matter of trial and error)
when add frozen livefood to basic softfood mix daily add
1 gm of spirulina per 250gms of softfood mixture
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for the approximately 100 birds I have at the moment, with much breeding occurring I use approximately 500 gm of the mix
to this mix each day I add finely chopped chicory (one bulb)
plus two pre-frozen ice cubes of carrot juice
I divide the mix into halves and
feed the softfood twice a day
(twice a week outside of the breeding season)
use soft food prior, during and after breeding season
soft food mix is good for moults and rearing
also for bringing birds into breeding condition
5 months per year of no soft food, giving dry seed only (austerity diet)
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Nest boxes
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simple half-fronted - 100mm square (4.5 by 4.5 inches)
placed inside at different heights
according to the size of cage and species |
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bottom of next boxes is made of fine mesh
place a chamomile tea bag in bottom before adding material
(a tip from Johan Norde which seems to stop mites)
nesting material - both normal and bleached coconut fibre
plus small quantity of goat hair
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