Pedigree Comes Through the Beak - Birdie Booster

Nutritious Treat to Help Cocks Come Into Full Breeding Condition

Wednesday will be my cocks third weekly treatment with water soluble vitamin E. Today, I made up some Birdie Booster and fed to all cocks to help with their vent development. Hens will get some Birdie Booster but only when both the cocks and hens are ready. I have found that wheat products can over stimulate the hens to lay like a chicken before they will invite mating, so I always hold off on wheat products with them till the time is right for them to mate and lay! Birdie Booster has three ingredients: toasted wheat germ, brewer's yeast flakes, and soy grits.

The first ingredient is Kretschmer brand of toasted wheat germ. It smells ao good and the birds find it very tasty that they will eat it enthusiastically , even plain. It is sold at most grocery stores in the cereal section near the oatmeal. It is also carried at our Wal-mart super center for a cheaper price. The grocery store Kretschmer brand is manufactured by Quaker Oats Company and also sold at health food stores under a different label, I think the last I got there was the Mother Goose brand.

The second ingredient in Birdie Booster is Brewer's Yeast Flakes. My preferred brand is Lewis Lab and is sold in health food stores. This is a premium yeast grown on sugar beets which are well known for their ability to readily absorb nutrients from the soil. As a result, this yeast is exceptionally rich is selenium and other minerals. It also provides a wide variety of amino acids. The product comes in flakes, buds, and powder. The birds prefer the flakes, with buds being their second choice. They will readily eat either of these textures, even plain.

The third ingredient in my Birdie Booster is soy grits. I have found that soy is excellent to promote vent development without the bad side effect, aggression which is associated with animal protein (eggs). I use a variety of soy products in conditioning and in with eggs in my egg food. Even though soy grits has a finer texture, it is still similar to the other two products. My soy grits are the NOW brand which is commonly sold in health food stores. The product is 100% non-genetically engineered Soy Grits. My birds will eat soy grits fed plain but they like the texture of wheat germ best. By mixing the three ingredients together, the birds get more of the soy than if I feed it separately.