Waxbills and Their Allies

Abstract

T Feeding

here are two different types of dietary requirements for waxbills - a daily existence or staple diet and a richer, breeding diet. The staple diet should generally consist of the basic seeds (usually mixed millets and canary seed), a little greenfood and the occasional livefood. However, it is essential to realize that some species require more regular daily amounts of livefood (see notes on individual species). The breeding diet must consist of the basic seeds plus an increase in greenfood, a considerable increase in livefood and the daily addition of wild seeds and eggfood. ·

Ordinarily these two different diets would always be seasonal for the wild bird, being dependent on the rains, but in captivity there is a tendency to artificially prolong the breeding period in order to propagate as many birds as possible. However, while such propagation is undoubtedly appealing to the aviculturist, what about the birds themselves' Our aim should be to keep and breed only healthy stock and not have them perpetuating to such an extent that our reward for their domestic affability is to allow them to die from exhaustion1

When it comes to feeding, waxhills are generally very easy to cater for, hut the food has to be of the highest quality. I always order my seed in hulk from john E. Haith Ltd., a specialist supplier based in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire, who then has it delivered straight to my door. I never buy seed from a pet store as I have often found it to be of an inferior quality and very dusty. My basic seed mixture is Haith's foreign finch mixture but without the inclusion of red

millet, which my birds won't touch. The company has been very helpful in this regard so that the mixture I receive consists mainly of white and yellow millet, panicum, a little Japanese millet and cana1y seed.

Besides the above, I also offer British Finch mixture. This has come about because, a few years ago, I kept a mixed collection of waxbills and some goldfinches together in a free-flying birdroom and put separate dishes down containing seeds for both types of birds. Within a short time I noticed the waxhills taking seeds from the goldfinches' dishes - basically cana1y seed, rape, niger, linseed, gold of pleasure, and small amounts of hemp and teazle - and vice-versa. Ever since, I have provided the British Finch mixture as a daily accompaniment to the

regular mixture. Occasionally, I also provide millet on the spray, which elicits great excitement and is relished hy all the hirds in my collection, as is eggfood. Soaked seed, while seeming to he of use to other hreeders' hirds, has never once proved popular with my own. Try as I might, I could never tempt any species to touch it. In any case, it is completely superfluous to my stock during the breeding season as I am ahle to supply them with large quantities of wild meadow-grass seeds on the stalk (see helow).

Greenfood

Newcomers to waxbill-keeping will often read articles that contain a reference to soaked seed, hut without any information as to what it actually is. Soaked seed is merely the, usually, staple seeds having heen left to soak in water in order for them to germinate or sprout shoots (roots, actually). Seeds which have germinated provide our birds with tiny amounts of greenfood, although many species won't touch it.

My method is to place half a cupful of yellow and white millet and canary seed in a howl and to cover it with tepid water that contains about 10 mis of hleach. The hleach kills off any harmful bacteria without affecting the seed or one's birds: Place a lid on the howl (this can he a plate or saucer) and leave it in a warm place, preferahly at a temperature of 26-2911C (80- 850F), for 12 hours. At the end of this period empty the seed into a sieve and rinse thoroughly with cold water. Replace the damp seed in the howl, cover it again, and put it hack into the warm place for a further 12 hours.

When the time is up, remove the lid and allow the excess water to evaporate. Germination will already have started and the seed should be left uncovered for 24 hours- but make sure that it doesn't dry out completely. It is now ready to he offered to your birds.

It is not necessary for the seed to have sprouted hut it should have a nice, nutty aroma about it. If it has an unpleasant smell it must he discarded as it will have gone off. If all is well but you find that you have soaked too much seed, put the surplus in the refrigerator. The cooling effect stops

the germination process without killing the seed.

Another easy method of soaking seed, devised hy Mr. john Shanks, is to use a plastic soft drink bottle. Cut the bottle in half and, using the bottom half, soak the seed for the same period of time given above and also add the 10 mis of bleach. Drill two small holes

in the cap of the bottle, screw it back on the spout, and, after soaking, transfer the seed from the bottom half of the bottle into upturned the top half Now place the upturned top half of the bottle into the bottom half and allow the dirty water to drain into it, whereafter it should be emptied. Fresh water can then be poured over the seed and the bottom half of the bottle emptied as often as is needed until the water runs clean. If sprouted seed is required just leave it until it germinates, giving the occasional rinse so that it doesn't dry out.

Vegetables, while often ignored completely by many species, are, nevertheless, an important addition to the diet. I found that by pushing the likes of Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and carrots through a hand-grater, which forces the food out into tiny, easily

managed particles, these were particularly enjoyed by my Cordon-bleus and Purple Grenadiers. With broccoli I just snap two or three stems high up and offer the heads (florets), whereupon the birds love to pick over them.