Aussie Finch Forum

Has anyone cracked them on this live food alone?

Looking to make contact as I'm interested in how you did it.

Ideally I would like to source some of your birds.

Yes, bred plenty of Cordons on frozen termites. I don't think you would need to get your stock from someone breeding them on frozen termites for them to do well on them - very different to maggots where you'd be well advised to get maggot-reared ones if feeding maggots.

So they will transition from live to frozen termites easy?

Not in my experience,you still need to supply live termites with the frozen ones and slowly withdraw the live ones till you are only feeding frozen termites.
Your topic also mentions frozen mealworms,freezing mealworms doesn't work well.Once you kill a mealworm it deteriorates very quickly when fed out frozen turning black in colour, you can chill them without killing them similar to maggots with success.
RCC"s will only take very small mealworms whole, the large one's will only have their heads bitten off and discarded. Craig

My experience is the exact opposite of Craig's. I changed from live termites in the morning feed to frozen ones in the afternoon feed of the same day with no difference at all in the amount of termites eaten nor the number of young reared. This first foray into frozen termites lasted unbroken for 3 months with continued consistent breeding results. I have since changed between live and frozen ones regularly as circumstances dictate with no difference in either consumption or consequences to breeding outcomes. With non-breeding birds I must admit they are very slightly more inclined to eat live ones and a little keener to do so compared to frozen, but with breeding birds with dependent young - no difference at all - they just do what they have to do & do it just as well. This is true of my experience with Cordons as well as Bluecaps and all Pytilia species.
If you have frozen termites you need not bother with mealworms if Cordons are the only species you are concerned about.

Cheers, frozen termites it is.

Just curious,can you buy frozen termites?
Jack

branchez wrote:Just curious,can you buy frozen termites?
Jack

Not commercially Jack. But get one of your friends up country perhaps to work out a deal. I know someone who has a chap getting him some but the freight to Melb is a killer. If you could pick it up with a car on a bird trip with a big car fridge/freezer it would be more viable if your thinking of it

Just an update on this one . I have 3 pairs of cordons out my 5 pairs all on young atm using frozen white ants . They smash them every morning and arvo .
Cheers Deano

I'll be trying to breed a pair using live mini-mealies and an insectivotous mix described at the website as :

White millet, corn meal, powdered alfalfa, Musca domestica, Canola oil and/or Soy Oil, Spirulina, ground oyster shell, rosemary all blended with liguified freshly killed insects to ensure bugs in every bite:) Great for insectivores!

Good luck, @Lukec

Cheers,
Luis