Parrot Seed Mix

Steptoe · Site Admin Joined: Oct 06, 2004 Posts: 4550

We dont mix our seed and purchase sacks of a std parrot mix. The only problem is the Kikes dont eat the wheat and sweet that makes up much of the bulk.

The sweet corn is mixed in with our birds salad, either frozen or fresh depending on season avalibity. See thread
http://www.kakariki.net/ftopict-12.html&sid=425d1ce50e0205ef5787055e755d2c61
What do other members reconmend for a good Kakariki mix?.

Steptoe · Site Admin Joined: Oct 06, 2004 Posts: 4550

We have been trialing different mixes over the last few months...
To date this seems to be the best mix considering Cost, Variety, Lack of Wastage.
               Proportion       volume = weight (approx)
Cockatel mix    6              10 lite = 7kg
Sunflower         2                6 ltr = 2.3kg
safflower          1          2.5 ltr = 1.15kg

We found using 3 cheap 10 lite plastic household buckets the simplest why to mix, measuring out by volume in each then hand mixing roughly in each bucket and a final mix in our main storage container (a sealed 60 lite square stackable plastic container that holds 3 of the above mixes.
We purchase
50 kg sack cockatel mix
20 kg sack sunflower
10kg sack safflower
After making up mix as above, the remaining unmixed seed in the sacks are also stored in a second stackable container as described above, along with the buckets and other tools, millet spray, cuttlefish

This keeps everything clean, dry, hygienic, vermin proof, easily accessible and tidy

Kaka-riki · Site Admin Joined: May 30, 2005 Posts: 363

We prepare our dry seed mix and buy the seed in seperate quantities.
This is what we currently use.

6 kg canary seed
3 kg safflower seed.
3 kg jap millet
5 kg white millet
3 kg hulled oats
3 kg panicum seed
1 kg grey sunflower
1 kg black sunflower

This makes up 25kg of seed and is stored in air tight drums with a rubber seal around the lid. Seed is fed in 6" stainless steel bowls and mixed with half seed and half pellets. The bowls are replaced every 3 - 4 days or when empty.

We also have a sprouted seed mix that consists of
4kg sunflower
1kg safflower
2kg mung beans
2kg peas
1kg maize

This is purchased in 10kg bags and sprouted as required. We sprout the seed using the following method.
Place the seed in a large stainless steel bowl (with drainage holes) and wash.
Seed is then placed in another stainless bowl and soaked in water. Add several drops of avi-clens to prevent bacteria growth.
After 12 hours seed is again washed and placed in original bowl for sprouting. Whilst sprouting seed is mixed and washed every 12 hours until sprouted.
Place seed in second bowl fill with water and add avi-clens once more.
Finally rinse seed and place in air tight plastic container. Seed can be stored in this manner for up to one week as long as it is kept refrigerated. Sprouting times vary depending on the time of year. In warmer weather it will take approx. 24-36 hrs. Cold climate a lot longer. In the winter months we use a food warming display cabinet which is set at a temp. of 25 degrees celcius to ensure seed sprouts in 24 hour period.

Steptoe · Site Admin Joined: Oct 06, 2004 Posts: 4550

When keeping animals/birds in captivity, what is often over looked is the obvious.
Where in the World and what is is their natural habitat
How does one give them as close as possible their Natural food they have spent the last few 100, 000 yrs evolving to?
Kakariki live in in a country of subtropical rain forest with a unique flora and fauna that has been isolated from the rest of the world for millions of yrs and a huge climate difference from snow on the 'Roaring 40s' to tropical in the nth

Kakariki in the wild didn't have sunflower, millet, safflower...in fact they didn't have ANYTHING that one can purchase in a shop.
As with most parrots, commercial parrot seed is a myth, an old wives tale, and what I describe as Commercial Marketing BS and sole purpose to make money...the same goes for "wonder foods"...u think u will live a healthy long life on vitamin/mineral pills, a few nuts, and a packet of chips?
Don't do it to your birds. (the commercial and retail aspects of the above, is an issue that has upset me for many yrs now.)
NZ by nature has very little or no grass/corn/ seeds.
Nor does it have any mammals other than a tiny bat.
It does have berries, fruits, tree seed, flowers, new growth in trees and scrubs, and vegetable 'weeds' like puha, cress, flax, And grubs like the huh, priori moth, a few small frogs, skunks.
So what does this mean?
Well 1st off Kakariki ARE not a 'grass parrot' like a budgie, Bourke, or cokateil. SO DON'T feed them like they are, they will suffer.
Next ...Even in NZ we don't have 70m + Kauri, kahikatea, rimu, puriri, karaka, manuka trees growing in our backyard, Nor are they available to harvest the fruits/cones. (We do have the last 3 in ours from which we harvest the fruit)

So what is the answer?
A very varied diet, heaps of sprouted seed, fresh veggies, fruit, trimmings of trees and scrubs in the gardens, worms, and meat. And something most will look past, the stems of plants, ie the Cali, Broccoli stems u throw away, and that hard piece at the bottom of the celery.
(Also see this thread http://www.kakariki.net/ftopict-12.html )
Even that is not enough. Due to the lack of NZ native trees, plants, insects outside NZ, we have to look even further for a complete balanced diet...
These come as multi mineral and vitamin supplements. The most effective forum of these are powers added to veggies and supplemental pallets and biscuits.

We feed Alfalfa, onion, lentil,azuki, pea, bean and mung beans as part of the daily diet.

Different successful breeders have their own formula, this doesn't make any necessarily better than another...Why because the common denominator is huge variety, and not reliance on seed as the main source of nutrition.

Speaking from my own experience in the forums, in the last 12 months, althu our basic 'food formula' remains the same, we have made changes and additions, with positive results. For example, We had big birds before, now they are bigger, chicks are stronger coming out of nests.

This is what our site is all about, the best for our birds, and the 1st time anywhere at any time, top international breeders have seriously got together and compared notes, not just Diet, all other aspects of keepnig kakariki.

SimonDraper · Member Joined: Apr 05, 2006 Posts: 14

Everyone talks about sunflower seeds, these are very heavy in fat and oils, will this produce a fat Kaka? With most other animals you're to limit the amount of sunflower seeds that they are given, so far Kike seems to eat these first then his millet then the rest of his seeds, much like a child who eats favourites first then onto what else is left.
*I'm currently being screamed at because he's not getting his way with a toy, it won't stand still for him to eat the snack out of so I'm the target of screaming at wall

*

Oh well as long as some words come out I can deal with it, but it is 6.30am here!! Good thing I'm not tired!! Laughing

tiki · Snr Member Joined: Mar 29, 2006 Posts: 54

hi everyone,
With the talk about sunflower seeds, I was told by the vet that you should not give your bird any sunflower seeds at all, (its a bit hard as all mixes that you buy have it in it), but he told me that it will cause liver damage because of the fat content in it, all birds love it and he said if i was going to give it to him that to use it as a treat only and not to have it in his staple diet, i do try to take it out but there are some that i miss and he goes for it as soon as he sees it.

Karen · Snr Member Joined: Nov 12, 2005 Posts: 221

As long as you don't given them too many it is okay.
Kakariki are the single most hyperactive bird I have ever seen so sunflower seed fats would be worked off in no time.
Don't forget, sunflower seeds are a natural seed, not manufactured - it can't be all bad.
Moderation is the key.
I've found though that mine love safflower seeds as much as sunflower seeds so I guess since they are so 'nice' I have to moderate how many of those I supply as well.

I am amazed by the variety of fruits & vegies they eat, heck I don't even eat the variety they do!! My parents complain they eat better than we do!!

Kaka-riki · Site Admin Joined: May 30, 2005 Posts: 363

Kakariki do love Sunflower and this fact can actually work in your favour if you are breeding your birds. When we have young birds in the nest we actually increase the quantity of sunflower the parents get, BUT only in sprouted form. If you sprout seeds like Sunflower and Safflower much of the oil and fat is removed. The reduced levels of oil and fat are perfect rearing food when combined with the normal fruit and veg fed daily.

Nally · Member Joined: Apr 21, 2007 Posts: 7

Ive just found in my local pet shop a tasty food known as Fruit Parrot Mix. Originally my kikes were eating cocketiel seed and that was all (blame the pet shop and breeder!) when my birds first came to me they would not eat any fresh fruit or veg. It gets tossed to the bottom of the cage and left. I'm hoping that by feeding them the mix I've found (which contains loads of dried fruit and various seeds) that they will start to develope a better taste range. In the meantime my question, is the mix enough for them or am i missing something they need?

Steptoe · Site Admin Joined: Oct 06, 2004 Posts: 4550

We have dealt with the old wives tail parrots eat seed before...
Think of it like this...most parrots come from bush/jungle...so where is the grass type seeds....and what is there in the jungle?
Berries, leaves, new growth tips, flowers...
See what Im getting at?

We see ppl feeding their children junk food these days...then give them good old fashioned food and they spit it out...its conditioning

We have bird food companies...sure some are good, but like all companies they are ultimatly responsable to the shareholders...not the birds...profit is the bottom line, just like the fast food companies and fat kids.

Dried fruit is shrunk down a huge amount, doing so increases the sugar content..also the raw fruit tends to be the over ripe stuff, not fit for human consumption...over ripe fruit has a very concentated amount of sugars
Dry it and the sugar concentrations are even higher...

Carbohydrates (good foods)are eaten, converted to sugar for use as excersice etc and the excess stored as fats...
Now feed excessive sugar +carbohydrates..to parrots people elephants whatever..the body uses the sugar and ALL the carbs convert to stored fat.
Arteries block up and you die ..self inflicted slow suicide.
Its simple chemistry.

Sure sugars are needed, but not cupfuls at a time.

He is a actual illustration of how much energy is in sugar..
Years ago we used to tramp thru NZ bush, hunting etc...70 to 80lbs on the back..hard out.
Come the afternoon the legs would get shaky etc...so pop a barley sugar, about 5mins later the legs would start to work again.
We would time when to pop the next 'hit' 20 mins worked about right because this would kick in about the same time the 1st would be used up.
That is 1 little barley sugar lolly!!! for someone about 140 to 145lbs
We where not tramping down tourist tracks, this was hard yakker no well defined tracks.

Birds in the wild use most of their energy flying, 10s of miles a day....
Capitive birds dont.

A bit different outlook but hope it explains.

Butterfly · Snr Member Joined: Dec 06, 2008 Posts: 33

Hi All,
Just been reading through this thread, about sunflower seeds and vegies.

I do let my kaka eat sunflower seeds. She has them everyday in her seed mix as well as the fresh fruit and vege. She is so active and flys about the house all day, I figure she burns off the excess fat from the sunflower seeds anyway.

When I bought my kaka from a bird breeder, he told me the three things I should never feed her were: Avocado, Rhubarb and Onion.

I see in this thread that onion is ok to feed to your kaka, is this right, as I have been avoiding onion for my bird.

kayleigh · Regular Member Joined: Mar 17, 2009 Posts: 21

with the flowers....what about dandelions? etc can they eat those?

Steptoe · Site Admin Joined: Oct 06, 2004 Posts: 4550

dandelion BIG YES Should be part of the veggie mix

Ciryluk · Member Joined: Feb 07, 2010 Posts: 7

I feed my Kaks a commercial "Small Parrot Mix" its quite a good mix has various dried fruits; papaya, pinapple and banana in it, peanuts, walnuts, dried carrot, maize, chickpeas ect it has no sunflower or any other seeds in it for that matter and I thought my kaks food was lacking in the seed department so I mixed CockatielBudgie seed mix in with it and they've both totally ignored the seeds and much prefer just the small parrot mix and their fresh fruit and veg, so I guess the seeds are going out the window. I bought them a seedy bell aswell my Green Pied (Widget) was constantly pecking at it but I'm not sure if s/he ate any of it as alot of it had ended up on the floor un eaten.. I think if I want to make my kaks work for some of their food I'll have to invest in some of the Kebab thingies that you hang in their cages and skewer bits of fruit/veg on.

Some shops near me sell dried Mealworms as food for Wildbirds but can I feed them to my Kaks?

Steptoe · Site Admin Joined: Oct 06, 2004 Posts: 4550

Be VERY careful of died fruit...since they are dried they are very high in sugars an other concentrates
A sugar is addictive..

When We or birds eat, the carbohydrates and sugars go into the system..idealy little sugar, and the body system breaks down the carbs in sugar for imeediate use for energy
The remaining carbs get desposited and stored in the body for a 'rainy day'
So if the sugar levels are very high, no carbs get used and most are deposited causing fat birds.

Bids that spend all day flighing around in the wild use a lot of energy, in capitivity, even thu they fligh, they are not covering a huge milage...hence it is best to limit sugar to fresh fruit.