Zebra Finch Food

[Niki_K]

Hi everyone,
I'm trying to improve the diet of the birds I've inherited. When I got them, all they had been getting was a seed mix (equal parts Jap millet, red panicum and yellow panicum), shellgrit and endive. Since then, I've added cucumber and chickweed (when I can get it) to their diet, as well as sprouted seed, egg and biscuit, and crushed eggshells (these are microwaved to kill off possible salmonella contamination). I also have approval to add Avi-Vit to their water. Does anyone have any other suggestions?
Bear in mind that I have to answer to an Animal Ethics Committee, so I cannot just add things to their diet willy-nilly. I have to actually make a case for changing their diet (even if I'm just adding something), and if I have any birds die, I have to fill out endless paperwork, carry out an autopsy etc (plus it looks bad on my record if I have birds dying all over the place!). So, it pretty much has to be extremely important for their health. Is there anything I'm missing? Any particular grasses I could collect (I'm in Melbourne) that they might like (I can classify those as 'boredom reduction and environmental enrichment' haha).
Thanks in advance!

[grasswren]

I would not be giving them any thing else I have been breeding finches for 20 plus years and have found that they tend to become fat. My zebs are quite active and breed profusely on a basic seed and a daily small supply of silverbeet with a continuous amount of shellgrit and cuttlefish

[venetta]

Your Ethics Committee sounds harder than ours at my work!! Though I agree with the paperwork, PAINFUL!!

Touch wood, we've not had any deaths this year and they're on basic finch mix with greens once a week. The greens usually consist of broccoli, corn, strawberry, kiwi fruit, apple & alfalfa sprouts...

[jusdeb]

Could you please explain these "powers that be " that you are both answerable to ?

[venetta]

Any animals that we use within my workplace must be approved by an Ethics Committee as they are being used for educational purposes.

They oversee the way we care for and manage the animals, and so if anything is to die, it needs to be reported to them with statements pertaining to how they died, if vet assistance was sought etc etc.

[jusdeb]

Hmmm OK pain in the neck for you but good to know their welfare in being watched over .

[Niki_K]

Same here. While it is good that they're being watched out for, it can make things very difficult if you're trying to carry out research. For example, it took the Committee 4 months to approve my project even though its relatively non-invasive. If I make any changes to my project (even something as minor as changing the number of birds I use in an experiment), I have to fill out an amendment application, which can take the Committee up to 6 weeks to approve.
When I inherited my colony there were a number of 5+ year old birds (these are considered old, as they are wild stock, which don't live as long as domesticated birds) that died, and I had to fill out a 3 page form for every single one, and carry out autopsies on about half of them. I would guess this was about 20 odd birds.
Who do you work for venetta?


Forgot to mention that they also get cuttlefish/bone continuously.

[jusdeb]

Wow ... red tape = time that could be better spent on research .

[Niki_K]

Wow ... red tape = time that could be better spent on research .

Precisely!

[venetta]

I work for a TAFE college, so no research just animals being used for handling and students to learn about general care and housing etc