Meadowlark Farms
Lady Gouldian Finches - What Goulds Need
| Gouldian finches, like all companion birds, require a balanced diet to ensure their good health. If you make certain they are getting what they need, they will stay healthy and live a longer, happier life! THIS PAGE STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION! COME BACK FOR MORE! |
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| IN THE WILD |
| CARBS |
| FATS & OILS |
| VITAMINS |
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| MINERALS |
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| GRIT |
| GREEN STUFF |
| SEED |
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| EGG FOOD |
| INSECTS |
| Green stuff should consist primarily of dark green, leafy vegetables, and soaked and/or sprouted seed. Young plant shoots are often richer in protein than the full-grown leaves. Sprouting seeds are more nutritious than the fully grown plants. Ripe seeds have a greater protein content than unripe seeds. Please check the lists on the Safe House Plants page to be sure what you are giving your birds is safe for their consumption! |
| In the wild, Lady Gouldian finches will eat sorghum and ripe, or nearly ripe seed heads of a variety of tall grasses. During breeding season, however, the diet consists almost entirely of insects. Offering our birds a wide variety of dried seeds, soaked seed, sprouted seed, insects (live and/or dried), egg food, and fresh fruits and vegetables, is nearly good enough to provide for their nutritional needs. Sometimes, especially during breeding and molting, they need more of some nutrients than others. Supplements providing the additional vitamins and minerals they require is often necessary. |
| EWWWWWWWWWW! Anyone who knows me knows I DON'T DO BUGS! But...since it is in the best interest of my feathered friends to give them what they need, regardless of the pain it causes me, I sacrifice my good sense to run and offer them live insects. What I offer depends on availability. I can almost always get small mealworms, wax worms, mousies, and red wigglers. Any kind of small beetle or spider will do too, but they give me the creepy-crawlies. I think I'm pretty brave just offering the above mentioned bugs! I have tried flightless fruitflies, but found them to be more trouble than they are worth. My birds devoured grasshoppers, but it took them a whole week just to eat one! They die faster than the birds can eat them. Besides, they are far too big - almost as big as my birds - and ugly! There are many ways to get these bugs - dig 'em up, turn over rocks in your yard, chase 'em down - or go to your local fish and reptile supply. Most reputable reptile sellers will carry a full range of live, dried, or even frozen bugs for your choosing. Another good place to find them is a bait shop (smart girl, eh?). You could grow your own, but you'd have to invest in a few more items to get started. Another option is ordering them on the Internet. When I managed a local pet store, we ordered our bugs from The Bug Company. They sell they bugs in bulk, however. |
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| Meadowlark Farms Lady Gouldian Finches 2008 © All rights Reserved. |
