Feed photos

[Masterfincher]

Hi all, just a couple of pics of the termites I have been collecting on the weekend - I used to collect them from ground mounds but there seemed to be 2 different types of termites in them, the soft white ones and more of a traditional worker-like ant that my finches didn't like, so I tried a tree mound that was within reach, and it was easier to get into, had heaps more termites in it, and they are all white - my birds love them. They seem to last longer at home too - I keep them in the bucket as in the photo, sitting on a metal sieve and a bucket lid full of water, more to keep the black ants out than the termites in. They will still be alive after a month or so, I just splash a bit of water in every few days.
The other photo is some soaked seed - I just put it in a porous fine mesh bag with a peg to hold it closed, and submerge it in an ice-cream container for 24 hours, changing the water 2 or 3 times if I remember. Then into the seed sprouter containers as shown so I can rinse it before I use it in the morning. I don't use any chemicals; never have, even in summer, and haven't had any issues. It lasts in the fridge for about a week but I usually make a couple of batches a week and it stays nice and fresh. All my finches love the soaked seed.
And a pic of a male Cuban, just because he looks nice

[Fireback]

Good tucker for your birds there mate, you can't go wrong with termites. Depends on what part of Queensland you live in to what type of termites to harvest. In north Qld its mainly the ground nests that we harvest, in the S/E Qld its a mixture of both. The dark coloured almost black arboreal nests in trees are the ones to steer clear of, your finches won't touch them, they emit a pungent odour and the workers and soldier castes are a dark caramel colour, the scientific name is Nasutitermes. The Bundaberg region has a perfect climate for breeding finches in my own opinion, I used to know a lot of serious finch breeders in Bundy about 16 years ago, most of them don't have birds anymore. One of them was the Seed Eater Finch Farm out near Coonar on the coast, it was a top setup, it was a full time business.

[Masterfincher]

Thanks Fireback, yep, Bundy does seem to have a good climate for finches. I haven't heard of any big breeders around, finch keeping seems to be a dying hobby around here unfortunately. But I still enjoy it

[Shane Gowland]

Nice pics! Access to termites must be an absolute godsend.