Aussie Finch Forum

Does anybody know what seeding heads these are,the egg is for size comparison?
The ones on the right are eagerly taken by my birds.
Jack

Not too sure about the one on the left but the right one looks like phalaris

And I think the other is cocksfoot.both need to be well developed before my birds even think about looking at them.in fact they dont really care to much for either.

gomer wrote:And I think the other is cocksfoot.both need to be well developed before my birds even think about looking at them.in fact they dont really care to much for either.

You are right gomer,in an earlier topic today phalaris is not recommended to be fed in green form as it is toxic to cattle and sheep but as dry seed it's safe and relished by my birds. Craig

Craig52 wrote:

gomer wrote:And I think the other is cocksfoot.both need to be well developed before my birds even think about looking at them.in fact they dont really care to much for either.

You are right gomer,in an earlier topic today phalaris is not recommended to be fed in green form as it is toxic to cattle and sheep but as dry seed it's safe and relished by my birds. Craig

In it's green form is it toxic for birds?
Jack

Read "Home Grown Phalaris" topic in Active Topics Jack........Craig

I believe that plain canary is a Phalaris species. I have fed both cocksfoot (left) and the other to my birds.

I wonder if the problem lies with the stems and leaves of Phalaris for stock. I tend to think that, given a variety of choice, the birds will pick seeding heads at the correct stage (and therefore safety). That is, "the birds know best".

Lettuce is another seeding plant that apparently has toxic qualities at certain stages of development. Maybe Phalaris is like that.???

Tom

The problem with cattle occurs when the whole plant (&some soil) is ingested & results from too much intake of certain alkaloids present in the phalaris plant when soil cobalt levels are deficient where phalaris is the dominant pasture species eaten by the cattle or sheep. Similar problems can occur in ryegrass dominant pastures on unbalanced soils.
Birds eating some phalaris seed in mixed seed diets are not likely to be at all affected.
I've found phalaris & cocksfoot green seedheads to be difficult for many estrildid finches to extract the kernel compared to some of the softer grass heads. Cup-nesters & canaries are generally far more proficient at making the most of these heads.
Both are excellent dry seeds for most species though & are especially useful additives to tonic type supplementary seed mixes.

Home Grown Phalaris topic link below
viewtopic.php?f=45&t=14905&p=138143#p138143

Have been feeding the Philaris heads now for a couple of days with no problems,the birds
that are straight onto it are the Diamonds and Redbrows.
Jack