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Mealies to crickets for finches
Posted: 22 Nov 2017, 19:22
by fraudster
Hi all,
I have set up my cricket breeding tank and is doing well so far - it seems simple, and should have tons of baby crickets in a few weeks. Was just wondering if I made the right choice of switching from mealies to crickets? Will all birds take it, such as the insectevorous ones like cordons, ruddies, etc? or am I better off sticking to mealies instead?
Cheers,
Will
Re: Mealies to crickets for finches
Posted: 22 Nov 2017, 19:37
by Craig52
I would feed both until they well and truly used to the new live food, you may not be able to get them onto crickets straight away and lose any young in the nest.
A varied live food is better than just one imo. Craig
Re: Mealies to crickets for finches
Posted: 22 Nov 2017, 20:38
by starman
I don't know if my Ruddies are typical, but they love their mealworms.....they don't actually EAT any, but they love chucking them to all parts of the aviary...pristine and lifeless.
Re: Mealies to crickets for finches
Posted: 22 Nov 2017, 21:12
by arthur
As Craig pointed out a variety of livefood is great
A transition diet period is definitely advisable when / if switching from one livefood to another
But as to crickets Vs mealworms (ad lib) for finches (and softbills) . .
There is no contest . . CRICKETS . .Hands down . .
And, in fact, for some softbill youngsters, mealworms because of gut impaction from indigestible skins, can be a death sentence
Re: Mealies to crickets for finches
Posted: 24 Nov 2017, 11:35
by MuzzaD
A question.
I have heard quite a few people say the birds do not eat mealworms, just play with them.
Watching my birds, I wonder if they squeeze out the insides like we "suck out" the inside of a prawn then leave the outer shell?
Re: Mealies to crickets for finches
Posted: 25 Nov 2017, 12:33
by E Orix
Muzza
Over the years I have read so many reasons that you shouldn't feed Meal Worms,
from my experience I can not think of one reason not to feed them out.
Some 40+ years of feeding Meal Worms, to me they only run second to Termites(for smaller finches)
and I just can't be bothered busting my what ever collecting them.
Cordons and Stars to name a couple of species love to eat only the MW heads(much to my annoyance)
but then the headless bodies are picked up and eaten. My Munias and Saint Helenas love cleaning out
the skins and finally if you have Quail they will eat the near empty tubes.
Feeding a large amount of MW's and Fly Maggots seem to cover their needs because full clutches are
produced. This season so far I have had at least one nest of the following species Cordons, Painted,
and Munias that have fledged a 5 and other species fledging 4 so they seem ok to me.
Re: Mealies to crickets for finches
Posted: 25 Nov 2017, 17:29
by STUART WHITING
E Orix wrote: 25 Nov 2017, 12:33
Muzza
Over the years I have read so many reasons that you shouldn't feed Meal Worms,
from my experience I can not think of one reason not to feed them out.
Some 40+ years of feeding Meal Worms, to me they only run second to Termites(for smaller finches)
and I just can't be bothered busting my what ever collecting them.
Cordons and Stars to name a couple of species love to eat only the MW heads(much to my annoyance)
but then the headless bodies are picked up and eaten. My Munias and Saint Helenas love cleaning out
the skins and finally if you have Quail they will eat the near empty tubes.
Feeding a large amount of MW's and Fly Maggots seem to cover their needs because full clutches are
produced. This season so far I have had at least one nest of the following species Cordons, Painted,
and Munias that have fledged a 5 and other species fledging 4 so they seem ok to me.
Wise words from a man who sure knows
Thanks for sharing Dave
Re: Mealies to crickets for finches
Posted: 27 Nov 2017, 14:24
by MuzzaD
E Orix Thanks for your reply and I agree with you. I use as much variety as I can find both for seed grasses and live food. I have always liked mealworms and find them cleaner and easier to maintain than some other live food varieties. My Blackhearts ( Longtails) queue up for them and breed well and I have never had a problem.
My question was mainly to see if anyone had worked out the intricacies of how finches consume them. So thanks again for your comments, very detailed.
As a side issue, introduced them to a friend of mine and his Koi love them, especially the beetles.