Aussie Finch Forum

Is green seed a replacement for shot seed ?

Ive been giving my birds seed heads this year almost every day and have noticed that the number of eggs has increased as well as the number of young ...is it just a coincidence or maybe that they have been mainly getting Dandelions and seeding grasses ???

Its only really been a $$$ saving exercise but the advantages have been noticeably positive .

I don't ever use sprouted seed, but constantly supply a variety of seeding weeds and grasses at various stages of ripeness. I have great faith in animals' ability to regulate their diet according to their needs as long as there is sufficient variety and quantity available. An article in Biological Reviews last year covered the relative nutritional value of ripe vs. unripe seeds and fruit, and collated numerous examples from field studies where unripe seeds/fruit were preferred by incubating or feeding parents. The authors ascribed this to the relatively higher protein content of unripe seed. Given that this is why we sprout seeds (to turn on the cellular machinery and get protein production up), I think that they would be broadly equivalent foods. I would welcome alternative opinions on this.

My birds never cease to surprise me with their preferences, and they do seem to change according to time of year. My staples are chickweed, milk thistle, Phalaris, dandelions, flatweed, wild oats, rye-grass, helicopter grass and fairy grass, but I offer any seeds I find. Sometimes, they demolish something that looks unappetising to me (that little thing with flat leaves and small red round seeds, for example). They also get leafy greens from our (human) garden (currently spinach, lettuce, parsley and a taste of anything else that I walk past), termites and egg'n'biscuit (homemade in spring 'cos we've got plenty of eggs, packet stuff in winter) as well as seed, grit and water.

On both occasions when I sprouted seed for birds, it went into salad for humans. I have been lucky with breeding so far, though I am currently copping a heavy mouse season which has buggered me a bit the last few weeks. When people ask why I get good results, I often think the fresh, regular, varied green seed is the reason; it's the only thing I do differently from others I know who have less success.

I am fortunate in having several hundred chemical-free acres at my disposal, which makes it easier...

yes I do the same as mattymeischke i pick grass seed 3 times a week. dozens of varieties over the year. even in the middle of summer their is types of grass seeding you need to find places without livestock. and have numerous spots to get the different varieties.
I constantly have large nests of big healthy young, i agree with mattymeischke birds self regulate their diet. I also never supply sprouted seed or nesting grass as they use the seeding grass.
They are Grassfinches so feed them grass seed !

I've been feverishly collecting seed heads over the past month and freezing them. The plan is to collect enough during the spring early summer period to last during the molt and 2012 breeding season. I collect the seed whilst it is still green and my birds absolutely love it. I will strip the seed from the stem and use the stem (grass) as nesting material. If i collect enough seed I will be substituting sprouting seed with the seedling grass.

Each morning/nite when i walk my dogs I come back with a couple of pockets full of this seeding grass....I'm sure my neighbours must think i'm crazy...but my birds love me for it so I can cope with the funny looks...cheers, Paul

Jusdeb, its no fluke that your results have picked up since giving them fresh seed heads.
i agree with the other replies that you just cannot beat them.
sprouted seed will get them through when you cannot find any fresh stuff, but the diversity available from all the "weed" species allows the birds to pick what is best for them, and obtain many more nutrients than sprouted finch mix alone.
our rainy spring has been a godsend for all the grasses so no excuses.

Always been a fresh picked greens person. That's my excuse for the jungle that is my garden. And with retic. there is something all year. Though the seasons obvioulsly effect how much. Pick and feed whatever is growing and seeding and that provides food and nesting material. Quantity is increased or decreased according to how fast it is used.
LML

Im saving a fortune folks . The seed heads are being devoured and the finches and quail use the spent stems to nest with .

The parrots are eating the grasses out of my hands . It is amazing .

i take a rolled up seed bag to the local weir and pick panic, Veldt, oats and Rye at the moment every few days I 1/2 fill a bag. my mrs loves doing the feeding as all the birds like her more. (i'm the net guy) anything loose in the bag i put in a container and let dry then i use this to seed areas where required.
I bump into other finch keepers doing the same thing , it is a great spot.
There is a great grass seeding at the moment not sure what it is called but the heads are pink and is my birds all time favourite is not very common.

Might be seeing the end of the wild oats , getting very scarce indeed .

Theres another grass in abundance but I dont know what it is . Guess Ill pick a handful and see if they like it before I go filling the freezer .

Im the netter and the feeder here , they know when I have the net tucked under my arm .

Shark wrote:There is a great grass seeding at the moment not sure what it is called but the heads are pink

I gathered something like that on a trip to Victor Harbour earlier in the year just for the seed heads to try and grow it as I wasnt sure about any spraying, but nothing came of it.

Palm grass has pinky purple seed heads too but dont think that is in seed yet....at least mine isnt, its just starting to grow well after putting a fence around it to stop the dog chewing it.