when is enough too much

[jusdeb]

OK I want complete honesty here folks , It has been bought to my attention by the very temporary minister for finances ( lasted 2 minutes at that job ) that " how did it go " ? oh yeah "the bloody birds eat better than us " ...

So Ive had a think about it and maybe just maybe he may have something ( wouldnt admit it though ).

Finches excluded as they are basic eaters and happily live on seed , grits , greens and soft food .

The parrots ...all of which get seed /pellets , soft food , greens , sprouted seed ,dried fruit/nut mix ,madiera cake every couple of days , grits and a salad of seasonal fruit and veg ie . celery , apple , orange , corn , capsicum and carrot .

They eat everything with relish ( no not the condiment ) and are healthy looking , active and very well feathered birds HOWEVER I didnt have a very good breeding season ....on the quiet here the Kaks and R/Rumps are on eggs now ( touch wood )...

So what I would like to know is ...Can birds be in too good a paddock ? Can too varied a diet make them less likely to reproduce ? Am I killing my birds with kindness ?

Thanks ...

[Buzzard-1]

Probably, I tell my better half if there's still leftovers your giving them to much.

[spanna]

variety is good every now and then but i like to keep things simple most of the time. i don't breed parrots, never have, but with my finches i have good success giving them a basic, consistent, balanced diet. maybe you're spoiling them too much and they think it's time for an early retirement?

[bleeding green]

Deb, I can't see it doing any to the birds but it will burn you out or make it harder for someone to look after the birds if you go away.
I prefer to keep it simple. Birds fed on an appropriate pellet get all the dietary requirements they need, the rest is just for stimulation.
I'm in a routine of offering mixed frozen vegeies most days to the conures and that's it (I mix in very small amounts of soaked seed before I store in plastic containers in the freezer).
The caiques require much more stimulation so they get much more daily and sometimes there is enough left over to share with the conures.
When they have young it's a differant storey cos you need to encourage the birds to feed their young especially if they have a large clutch.

[jusdeb]

Good point about no one else being able to look after them , Ive kinda grounded myself a wee bit too much with the way things are .

[GregH]

It's no so much the variety but the lack of variation. Estrillids are cued to breed by seasonal peaks in the availability of food according to Mike Fidler and many others. I too hunt around to give my birds the best I can all year long but I think without giving them a break it’s a mistake. Luckily for my birds a long “summer vacation” in June when I take the kids back to Sydney sees an end to the supply of mashed eggs, meal-worms and green seed. I think there is something in this austerity period even if it’s just to give you a break

[E Orix]

I am a firm believer in an austerity period for alot of seedeating birds.Parrots or Finches shouldn't be fed top shelf every week
Give them a balanced diet but also give them a period that they have to scrounge a bit.

[jusdeb]

When is the best time to "let them scrounge " ? Kinda enjoyed not being their kitchen slave today

[finchbreeder]

Can only speak for this part of the country, but it gets too darn hot for sensible birds to be breeding mid December to mid February. So that is when I would be laying off the luxurys. But others who know your area better may be better equiped to answer. P.S. I volanteer to reincarnate as one of your parrotts.
LML

[Myzomela]

I agree with E.Orix,

The best period for austerity is after the breeding season after they have moulted ie Feb/March to June for spring breeding parrots, or mid-summer in hotter areas as finchbreeder has stated.

That way the birds respond better when the extras are fed again.

For species that breed year-round, chose the least productive time of the year to give them a break eg mid-winter down south, mid-summer in warmer areas.

That way we also get a rest & maybe even get to go on a holiday... well, at least there's a chance...and that way we keep the other half happy too!!!!!!