Sunday, September 6, 2009

What Does Big Bird Say About.......

Got a question for Big Bird but no blog fits?

Post this weeks questions here.

Tuesday:

1. Is Pro-vital the same product as Vi-tal?

2. Where can I buy Vi-tal online?

Labor Day Monday:

1. Click on comments and read the lengthy response to Emily's question on what to feed for the post molting diet!

2. Rich asks about electrolyte in poultry vitamins?

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Linda,

As we move into fall could you address what a well balanced post moult canary diet should include on a daily and weekly basis?

Thank you!
Emily

Linda Hogan said...

Emily

Diets should focus on keeping each bird in tip/top condition all year long and provide nutrients to support the seasonal demands on the bird's body. Even with 200 plus birds, I keep my eyes on each individual and make adjustments as necessary.

But here are some general concepts:

Till show training all get poultry vitamins in the water with added liquid B vitamins and water soluble calcium. Once roller cocks begin show training or a month away from the first show, their water is plain with no vitamins or calcium.

Except for white competition bound canaries, the birds get a various greens a couple times a week. I have recently stopped the sprouted sunflower seeds as the molt is coming to a close.

Rollers and other song birds need to be fattened up for the upcoming competition as the cocks sound their very best when they are fat and losing some weight. If they get thin during the competition season, they will not sing at all. I depend heavily on white bread to fatten them. A cage of three birds would eat 1/2 slice daily. I also make sure the thin ones are separated from the rest. In addition, cock song birds should be feed petamine breeding formula free choice and song food mixed seeds with sunflower chips. In addition, American Singers can be feed some bee pollen and toasted wheat germ as frequency and volume is given some importance in the competition. A canary mix 60/40 canary to rape is also offered free choice. Rollers will be moving to 40/60 canary/rape when a month from the shows.

Linda Hogan said...

More Emily continued:

Borders are hard to put weight on and also require diets that are higher in nutrients as absorption can be a problem. I feed all borders the wheat germ oil, vitamin coated seed from Bird of Paradise from Wall Seed. This is a fantastic product and I highly recommend that everyone get some! Currently I feed the coated seed mix but as I get to October I will be increasing the amount of coated canary seed in the mix till it is straight coated canary seed. They also get wheat germ mixed with Lewis Lab Brewer's Yeast free choice as well as bee pollen. In addition, Borders need the egg shells and digestible minerals year round as well the vitamin and calcium treated water.

Colorbred and Staffords need red color food and this needs to be continued till after the last show. In addition to their nestling food containing coloring agent, they get Proteen 25 red free choice.They are also getting vitamin and calcium treated water with a seed mix and small pieces of bread to no bread depending on their weight. If they are Dolly Parton or tending to fat, I am putting them not they have finished the molt on petamine breeding formula and water. Being chesty costs a point and is the difference in showing their best and losing.

So I make adjustments all the time on the way each bird looks! Those not looking their best get started on the Bird of Paradise coated seed.

Although offering a great diet is a good start, some will choose to pig out on one thing and eat an imbalanced diet. In that case, I reduce the amount of the favorite food and offer it late in the day so that when their day begins they are eating what I want them to eat. If a particular food is like a dessert to them, it only comes after the meal!!

My recommendation for the person who is not showing and wants their birds to be healthy as well as all Border breeders is to buy the coated seed from Bird of Paradise from Wall Seed! You just must try this phenomenal product! The birds look better immediately and it is so easy to just feed that and then alternate treats like greens, wheat germ, bee pollen etc. You just must learn what your birds can look like!

The best place to start is to get the coated seed from Bird of Paradise and see just how simple it is to have very tight feathered, piped tails, beautifully healthy birds! It does not need to be complicated to have birds that are in tip/top shape!

Just call in your order to Nancy at Bird of Paradise (316) 263-0850. She will make it up fresh for you!

There is nothing out there that can even begin to compare with her coated seed mixes! So far out of the approximately 200 people who read this blog each day, Nancy reports only one person ordered the seed.

If that is you, please post a comment to this posting and tell us what happened when you fed the coated seed to your birds!

Linda

Rich said...

Hi Linda. since you brought up the subject of poultry vitamins in your answer to Emily I have a question for you. I recently got a vitamin with electrolytes mix designed for poutry and animals made by Durvet and sold at TSC stores. Is there any problem with the use of vitamin/electrolyte formula? If I am correct the electrolyte contain some sort of salts, is there any harm for canaries to consume this? Thanks. Rich

Linda Hogan said...

Rich:

I have used poultry vitamins for twenty plus years and probably all of there labels include electrolytes. My current one is Vi-tal and it says "a vitamin, mineral and electrolyte supplement." I dose as the package recommends but usually it says 1/4 teaspoon to a gallon of water.

Considerable research has been done on chickens and these products work very well with canaries..

Linda Hogan said...

Oops Emily

As I went to feed my birds, I was quickly reminded that I forgot to mention all birds have spray millet, all borders and other hens also get the fine grind milo and corn and all borders are also getting the grey millet and a new white millet I picked up at the health food store. Border do better on higher carb diets!

I am also cutting back on nestling food to all young birds that are not being color fed.

So many protocols, it can be overwhelming!! If I were you I would just get some of the coated Bird of Paradise seeds! Remember how good the pet store birds looked with just that coated seed and water!

Your question has inspired me to write Tuesday's blog on recognizing tip/top condition.

Thanks so much for your question!!

Anonymous said...

Linda
I think the Vi-tal Poultry Vitamins are absolutely great. I had a pair of Gouldians with 8 chicks, the hen died and the cock fed those 8 chicks out beautifully and at 6 months old, they are fully colored. One of the young hens has started to lay eggs. This is amazing to me as I feed, Vita Finch, Bisko and use the poultry vitamins. I think the vitamins kept that papa bird going.
And, you can't beat the price !
Deb

Anonymous said...

Is this the Vital product that you are talking about?

http://www.provitalhealth.com/pilot.asp

Linda Hogan said...

Pro-vital is not the same product as Vi-tal. Vi-tal is made by Neogen Corporation out of Lexington, Kentucky. www.neogen.com 800 621-8829.

Vi-tal is commonly sold at feed stores or veterinary supply companies.

Linda Hogan said...

You can buy vi-tal online at www.marshallgrain.com. It is marketed as a livestock and poultry vitamin. Directions on the package are for chickens, ducks, turkeys, hogs, calves, beef cattle, dairy cattle and lambs!

The neogen website was not very helpful..