Feeding Seed

SEED

The types of Seed below is what I feed my birds on, I will try to explain what I feed my birds daily and at what time of year.

Scottish Tonic : Specifically formulated for Budgerigars and smaller Parrot Likes, this mixture does not contain Jap Millet. There is a high proportion of Naked Oats which are extremely high in fats and proteins as an alternative source of required energy.
Contains: Naked Oats, Panicum Millet, White Millet, Plain Canaryseed, Red Milletseed, Pinhead Oatmeal, Nigerseed, Black Rapeseed, Linseed, Mawseed, Hempseed and flavoured with Aniseed Oil.

10% to 20% is added to all my finches stock mix, the higher level during breeding season as I believe this milky seed is easier to digest whilst feeding young.

Ingredients

Canary seed	40	%

Niger seed	20	%

Rapeseed	17	%

Linseed	8	%

Hempseed	6	%

Peeled oats	5	%

Wild seeds	3	%

Grass seed	1	%

Goldfinch and Siskin mix

This seed is fed to all my finches except Crossbills, 50% of it is added to stock mix.

Safflower

I add 10% of this to my Greenfinch and Bullfinch mix, 20% to my Crossbill and Hawfinch mix,

Red Band Pigeon Conditioner

Greenfinches love this mix, but be wary it does put weight on, great for getting the birds built up for winter and ready for the show season, but not for getting them fit for breeding, a must for Greenfinches during breeding season but I only use this soaked for rearing young birds 80% added to their soaked seed,

My Crossbills and Hawfinches get 20% added to there stock mix all year round.

Hemp Seed

Hempseed is loved by most seed-eating birds, but it should be fed sparingly as bird will quickly become overweight.

I use hemp for soaking for all my birds in the soak seed mix during the breeding season, the only birds that get it added to their stock mix are Hawfinches 10% added to there stock mix, and Crossbills get 40% added to there mix. Crossbills don't seem to suffer from weight gain like other species using this seed variety.

Small Striped Sunflower

I only use Sunflower for my Hawfinches and Crossbills 10% of their mix, I no longer feed my Greenfinches or Bullfinches with Sunflower.

Buckwheat

all my finches get 10% of this added to there staple mix all year round, It is mainly for my Bullfinches, Greenfinches and Hawfinches

also my Crossbills, 10% of their mix is Buckwheat

Wild Seed

Grass seed,Clover Seed,Carrot Seed Onion Seed,Cress Seed,Radish Seed,Spinach Seed,Millet,Rape Seed,Wild Seed.

I use a very good wild seed mix from Beyers, all my finches get 20% of this mix added to there staple mix all year round

Mountain Ash Berries

These are offered as a treat to my Hawfinches and Bullfinches, perhaps a tablespoon full per pair 3 or 4 times a week, but quantities do vary a different times of the year.

These berries are replaced with fresh berries in the autumn when a free supply can be collected.

Small Pine Nuts

These are only fed to my Hawfinches and Crossbills as a treat, perhaps a tablespoon full per pair 3 or 4 times a week, but quantities do vary a different times of the year.

Canary Mix

This is the staple diet of my feeder canaries, also for most of my mules.

some mules droppings get very wet, loose and smelly if they are fed on to rich a diet so even though one half of the mule is a finch and the other half is a canary, I find that finch mixes are far to rich, that said I do give my mules finch mix occasionally as a treat.

Hybrids are a different matter they are usually fed the same mix as the finches they are bred from, but like all species if there droppings become wet, loose or smelly, I will make it less rich by adding more mixed canary seed and less of the richer seeds.