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Saving seed

Posted: 12 May 2011, 20:09
by Sicj
Hi all.
As I am sure everyone knows, finches live to waste seed.
I was hoping to get a few ideas as I currently setting up 20 or so breeding cabinets and really do not want to waste seed on the bottom of the cages.
Is there any seed holding containers or something which I can use in breeding cabinets where by the finches do not waste it?

Cheers

John.

Re: Saving seed

Posted: 12 May 2011, 20:31
by jusdeb
Myself ...I give up on seed hoppers in smaller aviaries /cabinets holding just a couple of birds ( Have hoppers in bigger aviaries ) .
All my birds that are housed as pairs get a tray of seed with enough for a day . This way they eat all the seed provided ( there is always some left ) and I can then recycle whats left to the wild birds .
Winnowers can save a lot of seed but it must be remembered that this time of year when we add oily seeds to the diet that the oily seeds go rancid well before the staple seeds so winnowing isn't such a good idea all the time .
With 20 cabinets a tray is going to be time consuming so maybe someone else can suggest other ways around it .

Re: Saving seed

Posted: 12 May 2011, 20:40
by Sicj
So cannot wait to get my birds in the breeding room.
Will be insulating it aswell to help keep it warm and enclosing it up but will be able to ope up the front to let the sun shine in or close it on windy and cold days.

Re: Saving seed

Posted: 12 May 2011, 23:13
by matcho
I have hoppers in the bottom of my avairies and agree that there is a terrible lot of waste but the upside is that if it gets low they have to forage. Luckily the avairy doesn't get a wet floor (mostly). When my hoppers are low I usually give it a couple of days before refilling but I must admit they do get a daily dose of sprouted seed. But each day I reach in and grab a couple of handfulls of the waste and spread it around for the biggest and fattest pair of doves in Leichhardt who wait for me each morning. Deb has the right idea and only giving what they need, perhaps a substitute with greens may help but I am sure that you will get to sus out what is needed on a daily basis. I think it is just the nature of the beast.