Too much of a good thing?

[mattymeischke]

Is it possible to feed too many termites?
Is it possible for birds to have iron overload from too much 'meat'?

Thank you in advance for responses,
mm.

[grasswren]

Hi Do they eat anything else I tend to alternate my live food mealworms, crickets, maggots mixed with or sprinkled with insectavior mix The mealworms are fed on wildbird crumbles after All the bran is removed. Termites are hard to find here, you could try to sprinkle them with insectavor mix .
I have meat eaters here Kookaburras, perigrin falcon and a couple of magpies They would sooner eat strips of meat than anything else Not to sure about overdossing

[SamDavis]

Can't answer your question Matty, but I've also wondered. My Cordons seem to eat their body weight in termites every five minutes. It's hard to supply enough so the others get a go at them.

[Tiaris]

My breeding birds have constant access to live termites (fed twice per day) & they fluctuate what they eat according to the stage in the breeding cycle. If they are feeding young I don't think there's any such thing as too many termites even though some species seem to go overboard on them. When young are no longer being fed their uptake reduces enormously. Some species only ever take them when feeding young & the more insectivorous species will have a few any time. The only time I feel they are a disadvantage to have 24/7 is when certain species are not breeding & their livefood intake at that time contributes to obesity which hampers their breeding drive & fertility. I am certain that unrestricted access to termites is nowhere near as potentially harmful as is the same access to large quantities of mealworms for finches.

[GregH]

Me wonders if theis is the cause of my male bird's declinng fertility? Keeping mixed collections - species and differeing breeding status is compromise that is not without consequence. Soft food, egg, green seed and mealworms were available almost 365 days/year here and I had a lot of clear eggs. Poor guys may have found their beer-guts in the way of their pleasure centers. When I set up again perhaps I'll try smaller aviaries with fewer species and pairs.