Feed your birds the right food

When it comes to feeding your birds, you may want to buy ready-formulated mixed, which are produced for a wide range of birds, from Finches to Parrots. Alternatively you may prefer to purchase the ingredients separately and create your own mix. Although seed might appear to be a natural diet to many birds however, it is worth bearing in mind that in the wild, birds feed on a wide of different types of food, and usually prefer green seeds to those which are dry, so that items such as fresh seeding grasses are popular with a range of species, from Budgerigars to Zebra Finches.

The seeds used to feed birds can be broadly divided into two categories, based on their nutritional contests. There are the cereal seeds, such as the various millet's, plain canary seed and oats. These contain a relatively high level of carbohydrate and significantly lesser amounts of protein and oil. The oil-based seeds, in contrast, are characterized by the presence of more oil and protein.

Typical seeds of this type which form the staple ingredients of bird seed mixes include sunflower, peanuts and rape, which is a common constituent of canary seed mixtures.

There are also certain seeds which are used in small amounts at particular times of the year. These include niger, a thin blackish seed, which is valued by canary and finch breeders for feeding to their stock early in the year, as it is believed to help reduce the risk of egg-binding. Similarly, blue maw is used as a weaning food for young canaries in particular, being sprinkled over the top of their rearing food. Its small size is ideal to encourage the fledglings to start pecking at solid seed.

The list of seeds is not static either, with seed merchants seeking to expand their ranges. Evening primrose seed is just one of the more specialist seeds now available, as bird food. Pine nuts, which are readily eaten by many members of the Parrot family, were first introduced to the market in the mid-70s. Today, both the larger grade of nuts and a smaller type, suitable for Psittacines like Cockatiels and Conures, and those Finches with powerful bills such as Grosbeaks, are quite widely available. You may have to purchase these separately, as they are not always included in Parrot mixes.

It is important to bear in mind that birds do not feed on the same food in the wild throughout the year. This is partly because of the fact that in many cases, it would simply not be available. Even for native Thai birds, the same fruits and seeds may not be constantly obtainable throughout the year.