Absolute Essentials in Gouldian Diet?

[Gh1967]

So I am new to Gouldians and I am reading a mixed bag of stuff about their best diest. I feed mine canary seed, finch seed and calcigrit supplement.

The question is what else would you consider essential? Some websites make out green veges and some fruits are like an occasional treat while others suggest they are an essential part of diet. Is millet spray like a treat or a good vege supplement?

I currently have 4 Gouldians and will soon have a maximum of 6. Nailing this down to essentials, what supplemental fruits/veges would you consider they must have, how often do you give them and in what size doses/quantities (for example to feed my eventual 6)?

I tried giving them some orange flesh the other day and they weren't remotely interested.

Thanks for any tips.

[Misso]

my gouldians love Bok choy, Endive, Pak Choy, Kale, and fresh seeding grasses from the Guinea Grass plant, johnson grass and African Veldt Grass.

when breeding season is on green food is feed most days, during the off season its maybe twice a week they get greens.

Iv also tried feeding Lebanese cucumber( which alot of finches LOVE) but i haven't had much luck with my gouldians eating it, i will try again during the breeding season when they are rearing young.

Its worth while to purchase the book: A guild to gouldian finches, and their mutations either from ebay or birdkeeper website, it has good information on all things gouldian and covers diet etc.

Jarryd

[Tiaris]

Ditto to that, plus sprouted seed when grass seed heads are less abundant.
Green grass heads &/or sprouted seed during the breeding season are the pick of greens (for nutritional value).
Mine go through plenty of eggshells (zapped in microwave for a couple of minutes) during laying & chick rearing as well.
Slightly more plain canary seed eaten during the breeding season as well.

[garyh]

On the money Tiaris,garyh.

[Gh1967]

Thanks for feedback thus far.

Any thoughts on millet spray?

[MadHatter]

The dry millet sprays you buy in the packs are no different to dry seed from a nutritional standpoint.
Take over a patch of the yard and grow millets and panicum and feed the sprays green. Your birds will love you for it.

[TomDeGraaff]

When I bred Gouldians in the seventies, we were advised to always keep iodised mineral salts or rock salt in the aviary.

I suppose nutrition has come a long way since then! I have always maintained a mineral block from AUst. Pigeon Co in the aviary for all my birds.

Anyone care to comment on the need for Gouldians to have access to these ineral supplements?

[Tiaris]

I haven't used rock salt for many years but some of the other mineral foods are very important in the breeding season. Fortunately Gouldians favour eggshells & cuttlebone as these are cheap & easy to obtain. I also offer all my finches a fine mineral mix which includes fine shell grit, biocal, crushed eggshell & cuttlebone, PVM powder, & canunda shell - my Gouldian hens virtually live in this dish during the breeding season.

[Tintola]

While I agree with the nutritional value of supplements, A couple of months ago I had taken all nest boxes out and weeks later was confronted with six big healthy young on the perch one morning. The parents had found a small half log, used for landscaping, on the ground and had dragged in a few pine needles that they had found, and raised them on seed,water and a bit of soft food mix that was put in for the wrens. No other food items were given as I was not aware they were breeding. It was the best nest of the season as all the others, with all the extras, only had three and four young.

[gouldianpaul]

best starting point is the book Misso recommended....during the breeding season mine get a soft food mix (green seed, sprouted seed, phalaris, red pannicum, etc, etc) twice daily....plus as much wild seedling grass (Veldt grass) as you can collect, freeze and give them during the breeding season.

I also found mine love the pannarama millet spray (especially the juvinille birds)...but make sure it is locally grown as the imported stuff is chemically treated and mine wont touch the imported stuff.

Cheers
Paul