Abstract
Although we are what we eat, none ofus look like hamburgers or hot dogs. Nevertheless, sound nutrition is the cornerstone of good health. The same applies to the birds we keep.
For every organism there is the appropriate mix of protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals. This mix may be suitable on either a general or specific level and is .important to the nutritionist interested in assigning values for each species. As aviculturists, however, we do not need such specialized knowledge to provide a proper diet that encourages vigorous health and prolific breeding.
In the process of designing a proper diet, we should recognize that finches forage freely in the wild exploiting a variety of food resources to which they have adapted. The components of this natural diet provide all the necessary ingredients of proper nutrition that are no longer available to a captive bird.
Although we cannot replicate the natural diet, we can attempt to approximate it. insofar as appearances are concerned. We will also have to supplement this diet, since we would otherwise miss the mark. Supplements will not be discussed herein as the literature already has covered this area on many occassions.
Why should we attempt to replicate the natural diet, if all the necessary nutritional ingredients can be artificially substituted'? One answer would be to provide finches with a recognizable and attractive food supply. Secondly, a broad based variety will provide a natural source of protein and carbohydrates more readily absorbed by the bird.
The basic diet of finches consists of a good seed mix. Such a mix should contain a minimum of ten percent each of Canary Seed, Large White Prose. and Large Red Proso Millet, and preferably fifteen percent.
Other important seeds include watergrass, finch millet, panicum or millet 66, Japanese millet, red Siberian millet, and rolled or steel cut oats. Some finches will prefer one or two varieties, which if in short supply, will cause the birds to eat inadequately and fail to feed their young. Most finches do not prefer rape, niger, or flax. and. since these seeds are very expensive items. they are not important in a finch mix. Finches consume far greater quantities of the two proso millets and canary seed, than anything else. If your mix does not contain the above items. offer them Wild Bird Mix and a good Parrakeet Mix. In addition to the basic mix. finches should be offered spray millet, which can be fed both dry and green. First of all. the seed is not found in most mixes. Second. the exercise of removing the seeds from the head is good for the bird. In the wild, most grassfinches feed their young green seeds in the "milk stage". Seeding grasses mature at about the same time young finches are growing in the nest. The time is Spring and most dry seeds left from the previous year have either been consumed by birds, or have sprouted and produced grass plants, which can develop a seed head in a couple of weeks. This is why breeding cycles are geared to rainfall. The rain signals the coming of a plentiful food supply, i.e. the seeding grasses and the insects that prey on the budding plantlife. In periods of drought many species simply do not nest. Those species that do nest, have low success rates.
What about those insects? They are the source of protein, so important to the growth of young birds. Many species of finches become almost totally insectivorous during the nestling stage of the breeding cycle. This is especially true of some of the African waxbills. Without the proper quantity and quality of live food, they simply will not raise young. One solution to this problem is to foster such species, offering the foster parents appropriate protein substitutes, such as hardboiled egg or other protein rich nestling food. Another route is to offer the breeding species a variety of insects in unlimited quantity.
There are several available sources of insect food. One source, in an outside flight, is the naturally occuring insects that fly through the wire, or dwell on the plants or aviary floor. This source is limited, however, and some insect species may prove harmful in that they serve as the intermediate host for parasites. The most reliable source is the one the breeder supplies. And the breeder has several options. The most common insect food for finches is the mealworm. Contrary to some antiquated opinions, you cannot over-feed mealworms. The rule of thumb is to offer as many as the birds will consume and within your budget, since mealworms can be expensive. A good wholesale mealworm supplier such as Olympic Mealworms or Rainbow Mealworms (Watchbird advertisers) offer quick delivery service at reasonable prices.
Variety is the spice of life for finches as well as for people. Give them a gourmet diet of live food. Wax Moth larvae, crickets (small), and white worms can be purchased commercially through advertisements in such magazines as Field & Stream. Ant eggs can be imported from suppliers in Europe.