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Feeding Egg Foods

Europeans have been successfully raising birds in captivity for generations. Aviculture in the United States on the other hand is a relatively new phenomenon. In fact many of the first attempts to raise birds in captivity in the US were undertaken by European immigrants who brought their birds and their skills with them from their homelands.

The approach to feeding birds used in Europe is quite different that the methods most often used here. They tend to focus more on preparation of the food than simply serving it from a prepared commercial mix. Rather than being a chore, the time spent preparing a special diet has become part of the pleasure of keeping birds.

One of the more popular approaches to caring for their birds is a method known as variegated or varied diet. Simply put, the bird keeper uses a base product called egg-food mixed with fresh ingredients to provide a diet that offers different meal each day. The variety keeps the birds' interest and encourages them to eat a balanced diet.

Egg-food is a baked cake rich in eggs. The cake is dried and then crumbled into a more useful form. Because of the high egg content the egg-food is high in protein and amino acids necessary for healthy birds in breeding condition. Other fresh ingredients are added to the egg-food prior to feeding to moisten the egg-food and balance the diet. The egg-food is used in addition to the basic seed diet being offered.

The system works something like this; Dry egg-food is placed in a mixing bowl and set aside while the additive ingredient of the day is being prepared.

These ingredients are high in moisture and fiber and lower in protein than the egg-food. When these are added to the egg-food the complete mixture becomes moist and palatable before it is fed to the birds.

Some of the ingredients used are dry commercially prepared products that are soaked in water before they are added to the egg-food.

Rusk is a hard baked wheat product similar to a soda cracker without salt. Pelletized carrots is another dry product that is soaked prior to being added to the egg-food. These products absorb and retain water so that when they are mixed with the egg-food the egg-food itself becomes moist.

In addition to the rusk and carrots, chopped fresh fruit, greens, sprouts, vegetables, and fruit juices are used as additional ingredients.

The variegated feeding program utilizes these various additives to provide a different food offering every day. A typical program might look something like this;

Monday; Egg-food with rusk

Tuesday; Egg-food with carrot pellets

Wednesday; Egg-food with chopped grapes, kiwi, and berries.

Thursday; Egg-food with chopped cooked sweet potatoes, cooked pasta and beans

Friday; Egg-food with chopped apples, and fruit juice.

Saturday; Egg-food with cooked rice, chopped kale, romaine lettuce and endive.

Sunday; Egg-food with seed sprouts.

What this accomplishes is a well-rounded diet that can be tailored to the specific needs of various birds. The bird keeper can manage the bird's diet to meet the varying nutritional needs caused by life cycle and seasonal changes. When birds are breeding, raising young, molting or under stress their protein requirements are higher than at other times. In such instances the ratio of egg-food to additive is higher. During less stressful times the percentage of additives are increased to reduce the overall protein level.

In addition to being a great source of protein, these mixtures are also an excellent medium for administering vitamins and/or medication. The quantity of egg-food offered can easily be controlled. Since birds tend to eat all of the egg-food mix offered, vitamins and medicine dosages can be very precise. The bird keeper can rest assured that the bird receives the correct dosage.

Egg-foods are an excellent source of protein, and can help to assure that the birds are getting the vitamins that they need. The slightly greater effort required to prepare for this type of feeding program is well worth it when one considers the results.