What live food do Red-Faced Parrot finches like?

For all your questions about diet and food for your finches
Post Reply
User avatar
cranberry
...............................
...............................
Posts: 496
Joined: 02 Jul 2009, 19:26
Location: Adelaide
Location: Adelaide

Meal worms or maggots (gents)?
User avatar
Matt
...............................
...............................
Posts: 363
Joined: 15 Nov 2008, 20:42
Location: Hawkesbury, NSW
Location: Hawkesbury, NSW

I haven't tried maggots but they will absolutely gorge themselves on mealworms if allowed to. Some pairs on the other hand, wont touch them if they weren't raised on live food until they have young of their own.
User avatar
Diane
..............................
..............................
Posts: 7402
Joined: 05 Apr 2009, 14:23
Location: Northern 'burbs of Adelaide
Location: Northern 'burbs of Adelaide

Mine will be the first at anything I put out in the aviary. Mealworms are a favourite, they also like those little flies I have been catching. I have seen them zooming around in hot pursuit of a moth that got into the aviary too. Green seed heads too.
Diane
The difference between Genius and Stupidity is, Genius has it’s limits
User avatar
Pete Sara
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Posts: 2221
Joined: 09 Nov 2008, 19:44
Location: Byford WA
Location: eastern suburbs of perth w.a

just be careful with the mealies. apparently i have read that the skins can cause a few problems in red face..i have a few pair of redface and have only seen one pair eating the mealies.......pete
SA Parrot Finch Man

All the Parrot Finches i have had in the past were masters of eating out the inners of mealworms without even ingesting any of the skins. All that is left is a hollow shell of the mealworm which has had all contents squeezed out so i don't think Parrot Finches will have any problems...
Mick.
User avatar
Diane
..............................
..............................
Posts: 7402
Joined: 05 Apr 2009, 14:23
Location: Northern 'burbs of Adelaide
Location: Northern 'burbs of Adelaide

poitta wrote:just be careful with the mealies. apparently i have read that the skins can cause a few problems in red face..i have a few pair of redface and have only seen one pair eating the mealies.......pete
what was the problem with the skins?

SA Parrot Finch Man wrote:All the Parrot Finches i have had in the past were masters of eating out the inners of mealworms without even ingesting any of the skins.
My parrot finches do the same, its amazing how they manoeuvre the mealworm back and forth and leave the casing totally empty.
Diane
The difference between Genius and Stupidity is, Genius has it’s limits
SA Parrot Finch Man

Diane, Apparently the skins can be toxic if consumed in a large amount or so i have heard...I have never had a problem in the past...
Mick
User avatar
Mickp
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Posts: 2809
Joined: 09 Nov 2008, 19:03
Location: Yenda NSW
Location: Yenda NSW

my parrotfinches dont eat the skin, they squeeze the mealworms and get the juicy bits out that way.
its almost like watching a kid squeeze the toothpaste tube
Mick.
Finch addict and rodent hater.
User avatar
arthur
...............................
...............................
Posts: 1999
Joined: 13 Mar 2009, 10:22

Dont know if toxic or gum up the digestive system either way if they kill the bird result is the same

Many softbill chicks will succumb to too many mealworms in their first 7 days but are happy with them after that indicating that skins are hard for the tiny nestlings to digest

Some successful breeders will only feed the small white-skinned mealworms . . Others will feed no mealies at all

Young wrens seem to have no problems at all
Post Reply

Return to “Diet & Food”