What Are The Requirements Cage or Aviary for Finches?

 

Which is really best for finches? Unlike parrots which we let roam free around the house and buy large play gyms, finches spend their whole lives in a cage. We all want our birds to be happy in their home but which cage is best for your finch. Maybe an aviary would be better?

Cages:

When people ask me which cage would work best for their finch, the first thing I have to ask is "which species of finch do you have?". Generally people buy the wrong cage when they first buy a finch, simply because they don't know enough about their finch. The general fault in finch cages today is their size. Many are simply too small. Finches need to fly. Working the flight muscles keeps the birds active, strong, and healthy. Horizontal flight is good, but that is mostly a jump and glide to the next perch. Vertical flight requires more effort.
The actual size of the cage needed will depend greatly on the species of finch you want to house. Some species of finch are larger than others, some are more active than others. Most finches found in pet shops are good cage birds. When in doubt, a larger cage is better. Please watch the bar spacing on larger cages. You don't want a finch to fly right out or get its head stuck in between the bars.
Zebra, Society, Orange Cheek Cordon Bleus and Gouldians are all active birds but are bred in cages and therefore will be quite happy in a modest sized cage. They can live out their lives and even breed in a cage as long as they feel comfortable in their environment. Java Rice, Tri-Color Nuns and Spice are slightly larger birds which may need a little more space. Most Waxbills and Whydahs will not enjoy the confinement of a cage unless it's very spacious because they are very active little birds. Weavers on the other hand need lots of space because they tend to be aggressive.
Of course, having the right size cage doesn't do any good if it's filled with perches, swings, and toys. I've seen cages so cluttered with stuff that the poor finch couldn't even open its wings for fear of hitting something. Cage accessories are nice since finches do like a little variety in their home. But take care not to crowd the bird out.
What are cages good for?

They are great for breeding. Keeping the breeding pair away from other pairs guarantees they will not breed with any other finch. Many people, like myself, who breed finches for show and sale keep breeding pairs in smaller flight or breeding cages. This is to ensure that the parent birds don't mate with any other bird, and that there is no competition for the food and water.
Cages are also best used for people who keep a few finches, or a variety of species that don't mix well in an aviary setting. The majority of finch owners don't breed their birds. They simply want to enjoy their company.
Household environment will have a big impact on your finch. Location of the finches cage is very important. Keeping a finch cage in the kitchen is rarely a good idea. Fumes from non-stick cookware, self-cleaning equipment and aerosol sprays can kill any species of bird very quickly. Areas in the house with high human traffic can also pose a problem, especially for the more flighty species. The finches cage should be kept back from doors and walkways. Allow space between the cage and where people walk by.

Aviaries

Aviaries are becoming very popular in homes and businesses. Over the last few years many nursing and retirement home have installed aviaries in their facilities. For the most part these aviaries are small and only house a handful of finches but they are so beautiful you can't walk by without stopping to admire the aviary and the birds within. These indoor aviaries are often built out of wood and Plexiglas. They provide excellent viewing of the birds and don't allow much mess to get out. Because of the health issues with the elderly the finches environment must be as self contained as possible. Aviary manufactures have done a great job building these specialty aviaries. Many of them are available to the general public, but they are not cheap.
For people who can not afford to buy some of these fancy indoor aviaries, they must build their own. Materials and design vary from person to person. The one thing I enjoy about home built aviaries is their uniqueness.
The internet is filled with images and stories about people and their home built aviaries. Some of these people have invented unusual ways of building and maintaining them. The majority is built to be functional, easy to clean and keep, but some turn into little birdie amusement parks, with complex series of perches, swings, ladders and toys.
The "Backyard" aviary is almost common place in the warmer states. The neat thing about most backyard aviaries, like the home built indoor aviaries is that they are all different. Everyone builds their aviary to suit their needs and their backyard landscape. The backyard aviary is relatively inexpensive to build, you can make them as simple or complex as you like.
Outdoor aviaries should not be used anywhere the temperature drops into the 30s or below for any length of time. Most finches originate from very warm and tropical climates.
Because of their size, most aviaries can hold many finches and a larger variety than a cage can. Many species of finch will happily live in the same aviary together providing there is room enough for them to get away from each other. Other species will simply not do well in a mixed aviary. After introducing new birds to an aviary you must watch for signs of aggression. You must never house any hookbill species in an aviary with finches.
You should never house any hookbill species with any finch or softbill species. Hookbills tend to cause serious bodily harm to finches. The finches become play things in the eyes of the hookbills, and can be quickly torn apart. I've encountered far to many bloody messes when visiting aviaries that have made this mistake.
Aviaries do take up quite a bit of space, whether in your house or yard. They can be difficult to keep clean and with larger numbers of finches living in them the food and water will be soiled quickly. Every aviary has a different approach to the messy problem. You should take time to consider the cost and maintenance requirements of an aviary before you buy or build one.
Personally I have found that hanging wild bird feeders are great for holding and dispensing seed. Water can be placed in shallow bowls or run through the aviary in a series of falls and streams for the larger aviaries. Outdoor aviaries don't usually need to worry about the floor getting soiled, nature will take care of that. Indoor aviaries require regular washings or mopping to removed excess droppings. Keeping the aviary clean will help ensure your birds stay happy and healthy.
In the past several years I have noticed changes in my finches living and breeding in the indoor aviary. My finches have become more social, stronger, and overall more active. The offspring also seem to be more healthy and friendly with other species on average than my cage bred finches.

Conclusion:

Which you ultimately choose is up to you. Common finch species, like those found in pet stores and bird fairs are bred for cage life. Given enough space, food, water, light and companionship your finch will be happy and healthy.

Breeding Finches

 

Ok so you bought a pair of finches and plan to breed them. There is nothing like watching the miracle of life un-fold in your very home. It's a great learning experience for you and your family. Best of all, breeding finches is fairly easy, right?
Before you say yes to that question you'd better stop and think about what is involved in breeding finches and understand that things don't always go according to plan. In fact when things don't go according to plan it isn't always the finches fault. Not only do you need to provide the correct home environment and diet for your finches but you much understand how and when they'll breed. For this you need to get to know your species.
No I can't cover every species in this article but I will give you the basics for the most commonly kept species. Hopefully your breeding experiences will be only pleasant ones. However when things do go wrong – check out my "Common Breeding Problems" article.
To start off, putting a pair of finches in a cage and giving them a nest probably won't result with a stellar breeding season. In fact I suggest you put a pair in a nice big cage, provide an enriching environment, diet, and then let the pair have a month or two to bond properly. Then you can add in a nest and start the breeding processes.
More information about housing can be found in my articles: "Cage or Aviary", "MultiSpecies Cohabitation" & "Fighting or Co-Existing".
Sexing:
It will also help if you are 100% positive that you indeed have a male and female in your cage. For some species this is pretty simple to determine at a glance. Species like Zebras, Gouldians, White Hooded Nuns, Green Singers, European Goldfinches, Cordons, African Red Headed Finches, Java Rice Finches and often Stars can be visually sexed.
Species like Society, Owls, Shatftails, Saffrons, Tri-Color Nuns, Bullfinches, Parrot Finches, Silverbills, Bronze Wing Mannikins and Orange Cheek Waxbills can not be visually sexed. For these species you need to wait and watch for the males to sing and for the females to lay eggs.
Other species such as Weavers, Whydahs and Strawberries can be visually sexed when they are in breeding condition. When in condition the male's colors will change and be vibrant, the females will often remain rather dull looking. When they aren't in breeding condition however the males will lose the colorations and look like the females.
 
Pairing:
Not all pairs are a match made in heaven. Like people some finches simply do not like each other. Normally this has very little to do with personality but that can play a roll. In reality when a finch is looking for a mate it wants the best mate it can find. The mate needs to be healthy, fit, active, alert and in good physical condition and be able to provide for the family. Given that these are captive finches and they can not simply fly away to find another mate, nor can they leave the cage in search of a better nest site or food supply; you'd better be holding up your end of the deal. It's up to you to make the nest, cage, and food supply as good as possible so both finches feel that this mate has chosen a good place to start a family.
In addition to the home life being good it much also be safe from predators. I'm referring to you, the human. Yes you are often viewed as little more than a potential threat to your tiny finches. The less time to spend in and hovering over the cage the better, in fact if you can't see in to the nest it's even better. The pair will want some privacy and needs to feel secure if they are going to breed. Over time they will learn your routine and will tolerate you taking a few peaks now and then but until the first clutch of babies has grown and fledged I strongly suggest you stay out of their way.
Before putting a nest in the cage be sure your pair is going to be a harmonious couple. Look for signs that they are bonding well such as mutual preen, courtship (song and dance) rituals, tail fanning and sometimes cooing sounds. They should sit close to each other for comfort and shouldn't squabble over the food or water dishes. If they are chasing each other constantly, plucking and sometimes they'll even make a screeching sound and pounce after each other; it's time to split them up.
You can learn more about "Pair Bonding" and "Pair Fighting" in my articles.
Mating or mounting isn't always a sign of affection between a pair. If one jumps the other without permission it's a dominance display. Normally the male will mount the female very quickly but it is also possible for the female to take the dominant roll. If this occurs, wait. Give them time to sort things out, at least a few days providing they aren't fighting. If the female actually accepts him she'll lift her tail and invite him to mount her. I do have more info about "Finch Sex" in another article.
It is also very important that the two finches you put together are not related to one another. That will lead to a whole new mess called "Inbreeding".
Nesting:
Choosing the correct nest can make all the difference in the world. Some species like society and zebras will often nest in just about anything. This includes the food bowl and sometimes even the corner of the cage. Nesting in anything except a proper nest isn't something you should encourage. I say that because make-shift nests that aren't secure like real nests tend to fall apart or the parents are too easily spooked off the nest frequently and the eggs and/or chicks rarely survive. If your pair starts building a nest in anything other than a nest I recommend you pitch the eggs as you find them. This will let the pair know that the location they have picked is not safe and they will eventually move to the real nest.
There are several types of nests available: Bamboo, Millet, Covered, Canary (bowl shaped) and Nest Boxes (wooden or plastic). Most finches such as zebras, society, nuns, cordons, spice and waxbills will prefer the covered nests made of bamboo or millet. Generally Gouldians and African Red Headed Finches like nest boxes but can and sometimes do breed in covered nests. Canaries, Goldfinches, Doves and Green Singers like the Canary style nests.
Many smaller and more timid species like the waxbills will also require that the nest be mostly hidden from your view. They need their privacy and I do not encourage you to even check the nest for eggs or chicks.
Good nesting materials you can provide would be burlap strands, grasses, tissue paper bits and clean paper pieces (no newspaper). Nesting materials that can be hazardous to your finches and their young are string, cotton, newspaper (the ink), dryer lint and pet hair.
For more information on nests, check out my article "Nesting".

Diet:
Feeding your finches the correct diet is essential to a good breeding season and to the overall heath of not only the parents but the chicks. A good seed mix is very important but only the base of the diet. The diet should also be supplemented with greens, egg food and sometimes even fruit.
African finches and some other exotics may also require either live foods such as maggots, fruit flies or meal worms. If handling live food isn't to your liking you can also try high in protein supplements such as Breeders Blend mixed with egg and/or bug meals which are basically a bag of dead bugs.
In addition to a balanced diet I give my finches Calcium Plus just before I put the nests in and up until the chicks are about a week old. I do this to help prevent egg binding, to ensure that the eggs laid have a solid shell and for the overall health of the chicks and females. My flock will get the supplement twice a week (not two days in a row – space them out) for up to six weeks when breeding.
If a female appears to have trouble laying eggs or is laying eggs with thin shells I will pull her and her mate from the flock and treat with the Calcium. Naturally that clutch of eggs will probably be lost but I'd rather maintain the health of my females over trying to save every egg. After being pulled from the flock I give her the Calcium Plus 3 days a week (not 3 days in a row) for 2 weeks. Then 2 days a week for 2 weeks, then once a week for 2 more weeks. If she's looking better she and her mate can be returned to the flock.
For even more information about diet please read "Finch Food".
Eggs:
Once fed and nesting well you should see eggs at some point. Don't be discouraged if you don't get eggs right away. Just because they have a nest, have mated and are using the nest it does not mean the female is ready to lay eggs. It takes time for her body to start the egg production process. Her hormones need time to switch in to breeding mode and this can sometimes take days, weeks even months. If she's less than nine months old you really shouldn't even try breeding her in the first place.
Once eggs do start to appear you should get one laid each day until the clutch is finished. The average clutch is 3-6 eggs. However 2-10 eggs is not all that unusual for many species. Incubation doesn't always start when the first egg is laid either. Many finches wait until the entire clutch has been laid before they really get down to the business of incubating the eggs. Incubation will continue day and night until the eggs hatch. Hatching times will vary according to species as well. Some hatch after 10 days of incubation, others hatch after 16 days. Generally if the incubation has gone on for more than 20 days it means the eggs aren't going to hatch.
Given the delicate nature of eggs and how much takes place inside the shell before the chick can come out it's amazing how many survive and do hatch. Eggs that aren't incubated properly either due to poor nest construction or to inexperienced parents wont survive. If the shell is too thin or cracked the embryo will die. If the egg is jostled around or jarred too much it the embryo will die. If the egg wasn't fertilized it will never develop in to a chick. You can lean more about eggs in my article The Egg.
My best advice to you is to leave the eggs and nest alone. If you really need to know how many of your eggs are fertile and alive wait until after the first week of incubation then quickly candle the eggs and hope you have not spooked the parents in to abandoning the nest.


Chicks:
If all has gone well up until now you will have babies. Finches will and should be allowed to raise their own chicks. These are not like parrots; they do not need or want your help. In fact the less involved you are the better. Granted first time parents aren't good parents and sometimes the first clutch or even the second will die. Normally this is because the parents simply don't know how to feed the babies. As hard as it is to watch you really need to stay away and let nature take its' course. If you interfere the parents will never be able to learn from their mistakes and may never be able to raise a family in the future.
If a chick is tossed from the nest, put it back in. You can pick up the baby with your bare hands, it's really alright. It's a myth that touching a baby bird will cause the parents to abandon it because they can smell you on the baby. Finches, and most birds, have a poorly developed sense of smell. What bothers them is seeing you, a predatory animal, around the nest. Thankfully most of our pet finch species will go right back to caring for their chicks even after you have been around the nest. They see humans daily and aren't as spooked by humans as wild birds are.
If a chick is tossed repeatedly then you may need to get a little more involved and can try hand feeding it. A word of caution however - before you attempt to hand feed a finch read my article "Hand Feeding Finches" first and have all the supplies you need on hand. I even have a booklet "Handfeeding & Raising Finches" which will go in to greater detail about hand feeding finches.

Do not pull a chick from a nest specifically to hand feed it because you want a tame finch pet. If you are inexperienced at hand feeding your chances of successfully raising that chick are very low.

Hopefully your finches will prove to be devoted parents right from the start. It can happen and is always wonderful to see. As the chicks grow they go through several stages of development. These stages are described and illustrated in my article "Chick Development". Once they have grown and fledged from the nest it is time to remove the nest from the cage so they can be weaned properly without the parents attempting to start another clutch too soon.

Safe, Toxic and Unsafe Foods For Finch

 

 

 

Safe Foods in Moderation

Because seeds should not comprise more than 20% of what a finch consumes on a daily basis, a total of 80-100% of the diet should be provided "from the kitchen. Birds tend to eat to meet their energy requirements, meaning that they vary their intake based on the caloric density present in foods. If a food is calorie-rich, finches will eat a modest amount of it. On the other hand, finches will ingest a great deal of a lower-calorie diet in order to meet their energy needs. Fruits and vegetables tend to have high water content as well as many trace nutrients, yet they are low in calories. Because of this, they can supplement the nutrients that are likely to be low in seed while not diluting the diet with excess energy

"Safe" fruit and vegetable sources include: spinach, broccoli leaves and florets, carrot tops, grated carrot, celery leaves, parsley, endive, Brussels sprouts, cooked peas, alfalfa, kale, dandelion, turnip greens, romaine lettuce, beets, spirulina, kelp, applesauce, winter squash, yams, pumpkin, apricots, citrus, and bananas. Fruits and vegetables should always be fresh, prepared hygienically, and removed from the enclosure within 4 hours to prevent spoilage. Increased urine from eating increasingly watery foods may result in polyuria, which should not be confused with diarrhea.

Because fruits and vegetables may not contain all of the nutrients that tend to be deficient in a typical seed mix, other sources are also available for supplementing your birds. These sources become particularly important during the breeding and molting seasons, as growing, egg-laying, and molting birds have a higher demand for nutrients such as protein. "Safe" animal protein sources include: canned tuna fish (packed in water), hard boiled or scrambled egg, cat and dog kibble, and grated cheese. Cheeses are safe to feed birds because they contain little or no lactose (a milk sugar which birds cannot digest); instead they extract the fat, protein, and some trace nutrients from the milk and leave the majority of the lactose in the whey Amino acids can also be provided from balancing vegetable sources such as mature legumes. Whole grain products are also a valuable source of nutrients; they include: dry cereals, cooked cereals, crumbled whole wheat breads (stale or toasted). Also, commercial products such as monkey/primate biscuits are recommended. Biscuits made by ZuPreem and Science Diet are quality, and surplus quantities can be frozen until needed.

If providing any of these foods, do so in moderation: acorns alfalfa apples asparagus bananas barley beet greens beets berries broccoli Brussels sprouts buckwheat cabbage carrots cauliflower celery cereal grains corn eggplant flax seed grape seeds grapes green beans kale kohlrabi legumes lettuce millet milo mustard nuts oats onions oranges peaches peanuts pears peas peppers pine nuts potatoes pumpkin radishes raisins rape seed red cabbage rutabaga rye sorghum soy beans spinach sweet potatoes tomatoes turnips wheat

What Did Happen When Safe Foods Become Unsafe?

 

 

Any of the foods listed in this section that are normally considered safe may cause problems for a bird if fed in high quantities. Therefore, keep in mind that moderation is key. As long as any of the following foods are fed in minute quantities, your birds should not experience many (if any) problems.

Protease inhibitors inhibit digestive enzymes and, when present in high levels in the diet, may decrease the avian body's ability to digest proteins and lead to pancreatic hypertrophy. Although these enzyme inhibitors are present to a degree in all plants, significant levels are found in all legumes, corn, lettuce, oats, peas, peanuts, barley, beets, buckwheat, wheat, rice, rye, turnips, sweet potatoes and potatoes (in VERY high amounts). Luckily protease inhibitors are readily inactivated by cooking, so if any of the above-listed food sources are going to constitute a major part of your birds' diet, you should cook them first.

Acorns, lettuce, carrots, rape seed, grape seeds, bananas, spinach, onions, milo, grapes, and raisins have high levels of tannins. (Rhubarb, tea, coffee, and chocolate also contain high levels of tannins but these foods should never be fed to birds anyway as they may be harmful or toxic). Tannins can inhibit digestive enzymes, bind protein, and reduce the bioavailability of vitamin B12 and iron.Additionally, at high levels, tannins can cause epithelium and liver damage. Tannins (tannic acids) are the chemicals that are responsible for the normal browning of fruits and vegetables that have been bruised or cut. If feeding any of the above-listed "safe" foods that contain tannic acid, only feed them in moderation.

Oxalate (oxalic acid) is an organic acid makes calcium and other trace minerals unavailable to birds because it binds them. Lower levels of oxalate can cause reduced growth, kidney stones, and poor bone mineralization. Peas, beets, beet greens, lettuce, turnips, carrots, and berries have lower levels of oxalates; high levels of oxalates can cause diarrhea, poor blood clotting, vomiting and convulsions. Very high levels are found in spinach (tea also contains very high levels of oxalate, but it should not be fed to birds due to its caffeine content).

The complex of phosphoric acid and sugar is called phytate or phytic acid. This complex effectively forms a heterocyclic ring with metal atoms (minerals such as iron, zinc, and calcium), making the minerals unavailable.5 Phytates are found in nuts, cereal grains (germ and bran), and legumes. Phytic acid is also present in green beans, berries, carrots, broccoli, potatoes, and sweet potatoes, but at lower levels.

Other various inhibitors are present in a wide variety of food stuffs. Briefly, they include: amylase inhibitor (in wheat, rye, sorghum, beans), plasmin inhibitor which inhibits blood clotting (in some beans), cholinesterase inhibitors (in carrots, cabbage, asparagus, broccoli, celery, radishes, raspberries, strawberries, oranges, pumpkin, peppers, tomatoes, turnips, apples, eggplant, and especially potatoes), and kallikrein inhibitor which reduces antibody formation (in potatoes).

Thiaminase destroys thiamin; it is in raw fish, red cabbage, beets, Brussels sprouts, and berries, and is produced by some microorganisms that can inhabit that GI tract. Flax seed (and therefore linseed meal) should not be fed in high quantities because a compound present in it may inhibit pyridoxine (vitamin B6).Diarrhea and vomiting can be the result of a bird consuming high amounts of saponins which are present in alfalfa, spinach, soy beans, broccoli, asparagus, apples, eggplant, and potatoes. Lastly, goitrogens have anti-thyroid effects;5 they are present in soybean, peanuts, pine nuts, all of the brassica family (turnips, rutabaga, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, kohlrabi, mustard, cauliflower, kale), and somewhat occur in carrots, peaches, strawberries, pears, radishes, and millet.

Toxic & Harmful Foods

Never feed any of the following to any of your birds:

• Moldy foods (possibility of mycotoxins, nutrient degradation)
• Rhubarb and the house plant dieffenbachia (contain potentially toxic levels of oxalate)
• Castor beans and black beans (contain plant toxins that cause kidney, liver, GI tract epithelium, and heart damage, as well as red blood cell agglutination and cell mitosis interference)
• Avocado (some species are toxic to some birds, especially to canaries)
• Raw egg (the avidin in it inhibits biotin)
• Chocolate
• Alcohol
• Poultry feeds (chick starter, chicken scratch, etc. grow large amounts of Pseudomonas, E. coli, & Klebsiella)
• Stimulants (such as coffee, tea, or other caffeinated beverages)
• Raw milk and raw milk products (e.g. dried skim milk [50% lactose], dried whey [70% lactose]), uncultured milk products. Because they contain significant amounts of lactose (a specific product of mammals), and because birds which have been tested cannot digest lactose, birds suffer from diarrhea when the diet reaches a level of 10-30% lactose on a dry weight basis. Milk products containing lactose should be avoided in favor of other sources that can more safely offer the missing nutrients you seek to supplement.

Preparing an Egg-Mix and Other Soft Foods For Java

 

 

The following information should help you to create some valuable supplements for your birds, but keep in mind that supplementing is only effective if the birds eat the supplements.

The Egg Mix

The basis of an egg mix, as the name implies, is an egg. I prefer to use a hard boiled egg that has been crushed shell and all. The eggshell is an excellent source of calcium in the form of calcium carbonate. It is one of the least expensive and most effective ways of supplementing calcium into the diet. Any seed-based diet is likely to be deficient in calcium, as calcium and phosphorus need to occur in a 2:1 ratio (twice as much calcium as phosphorus), and seed can have 9 times as much phosphorus as calcium! This is why the eggshell is so important to include in the mix. Below are ingredients and instructions for creating a custom egg mix to meet your finches' needs. Egg mixes and other soft foods can be used to supplement the diet and are especially important for molting and breeding birds. They should be provided several times daily to breeding birds to be used as a nestling food, and provided to non-breeding birds at least 3 times per week, if not daily. Increase feedings of egg mix for molting and growing birds, especially if they are on a seed-based diet.

Ingredients

• 1 large egg
• 1½ tsp. hulled, unsalted sunflower seed kernels, finely ground
• optional: additional safe fruits and vegetables of your choice, chopped fine

Directions

1. Hard boil the egg. (The best way I have found to boil the egg is to bring a pot of water to a rolling boil, add the egg to the water, and then reduce the heat on the stove to medium-low. Allow the egg to sit in the hot water for approximately 15 minutes. When you remove the egg, cut it in half to check the color and consistency of the yolk. A perfectly cooked egg has a light yellow yolk that is cooked all the way through; an overcooked egg has a green tinge on the surface if its yolk, and an under-cooked egg will have a yolk that is not cooked all the way through. Adjust the cooking time appropriately to result in a "perfectly boiled" egg.)
2. Mash the entire egg, shell and all, until it is ground fine. I highly recommend using a coffee bean grinder to do this job, as it saves time and labor. It is also the perfect tool to grind the sunflower seed kernels and other fruit and vegetable items for your birds.
3. Mix the ground sunflower seeds into the egg mash.
4. Optional: mix or sprinkle any additional bits of fruits and vegetables into your egg mix.
5. Serve in small treat cups. Any fresh, left over mix can be frozen or refrigerated for later use, but should be discarded after 3 days time.
6. Remove and discard of the mix you provide to your birds within 4 hours to prevent spoilage.

Makes approximately 70 servings for non-breeding birds (as each non-breeding finch will eat approximately ¼ teaspoon of egg mix daily).

Nutrition Info

Adapted from information provided by the USDA National Nutritional Database for Standard Reference (2004). The "Nutrition Facts" table below does not include any of the optional fruits and vegetables you may have added to the mix; it is based solely on the egg and sunflower seed "base."

Nutrition Facts Serving Size ¼ tsp. (.8g) Servings Per Mix About 70 Amount Per Serving Egg & ground sunflower seeds Calories 1.5 Total Fat 0.11g Cholesterol 3mg Sodium 0.88mg Potassium 1.37mg Total Carbohydrate 0.02g Dietary Fiber 0.007g Sugars 0.01g Protein 0.1g Vitamin A 4.2 IU Vitamin C 0.001mg Calcium 30.44mg Iron 0.013mg Vitamin D 0.01 mcg Vitamin E 0.03mg Thiamin 0.002mg Riboflavin 0.003mg Niacin 0.003mg Vitamin B6 0.001mg Folate 0.47mcg Vitamin B12 0.008mcg Phosphorus 1.7mg Magnesium 0.31mg Zinc 0.01mg Copper 0.001mg Manganese 0.001mg Selenium 0.26mcg Pantothenic acid 0.014mg Vitamin K 0.003mcg

Nutritional Value of a Large (50 grams), Whole, Hard-boiled Egg (without shell) Energy 78 kcal Protein 6.29 g Total lipid (fat) 5.3 g Carbohydrate 0.56 g Total dietary fiber 0 g Sugars 0.56 g Calcium 25 mg Iron 0.59 mg Magnesium 5 mg Phosphorus 86 mg Potassium 63 mg Sodium 62 mg Zinc 0.53 mg Copper 0.007 mg Manganese 0.013 mg Selenium 15.4 mcg Vitamin C 0 mg Thiamin 0.033 mg Riboflavin 0.257 mg Niacin 0.032 mg Pantothenic acid 0.699 mg Vitamin B6 0.06 mg Total folate 22 mcg Vitamin B12 0.56 mcg Vitamin A 293 IU Vitamin E 0.52 mg Vitamin K 0.1 mcg Cholesterol 212 mg

Nutritional Value of 1½ tsp. Dried Sunflower Seed Kernels (4.75 grams) Energy 27 kcal Protein 1.08 g Total lipid (fat) 2.36 g Carbohydrate 0.89 g Total dietary fiber 0.5 g Sugars 0.12 g Calcium 6 mg Iron 0.32 mg Magnesium 17 mg Phosphorus 34 mg Potassium 33 mg Sodium 0 mg Zinc 0.24 mg Copper 0.083 mg Manganese 0.096 mg Selenium 2.8 mcg Vitamin C 0.1 mg Thiamin 0.109 mg Riboflavin 0.012 mg Niacin 0.214 mg Pantothenic acid 0.321 mg Vitamin B6 0.037 mg Total folate 11 mcg Vitamin B12 0 mcg Vitamin A 2 IU Vitamin E 1.64 mg Vitamin K 0.1 mcg Cholesterol 0 mg

Other Soft Foods

Grind 1½ cooked eggshells or an equivalent amount of oyster shell into a fine powder (calcium carbonate). Soak a monkey biscuit (ZuPreem and Science Diet are quality brands of primate biscuits) in either orange juice or warm water until soft. Knead the biscuit into a dough ball and combine it with 1 teaspoon of shredded cheddar cheese and all of the calcium powder you made. Add in 1 teaspoon of your favorite avian vitamin and mineral supplement. Optionally, you may wish to mix small portions of minced fresh greens or yellow meaty vegetables into the dough. Roll the dough into small balls and serve to your birds. (To make a larger batch of this soft food, soak 30 monkey biscuits in orange juice or water until soft, add in ½ cup of shredded cheddar cheese, 100 grams of ground-up eggshell or oyster shell, ½ cup of an avian vitamin and mineral supplement and roll into small dough balls. Surplus quantities can be frozen until needed. Serve thawed with fresh, finely chopped vegetables.)