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I used to feed the Quiko Classic eggfood by sprinkling it over the seed dish. It seemed that there was a lot of waste because much of it sifted down to the bottom of the dish. Is there a better way to offer it?

We recommend feeding the eggfood moistened in a separate dish. This is most easily accomplished by using either Quiko Rusk or Quiko Carrots as a moisture carrier mixed with the eggfood, Please read the article "feeding eggfood." on the D.Y.K.Archive page for more detailed instructions.

2

I have a pair of canaries that bred last year and produced 3 chicks. They don't seem to be doing so well this year. It appears that the male just isn't interested in breeding. Any suggestions?

I had the same problem a couple of years ago. Jeff suggestion of a romantic candlelit dinner with soft mood music didn't do anything to inspire the birds. Then I tried using Quiko vitamin E and had great results. Start supplementing the diet with vitamin E about two weeks prior to breeding season and continue supplementing until the eggs are laid. Stop the vitamin so that they stop concentrating on breeding and concentrate on rearing the chicks instead.

3.

I think that I would like to give my birds a good "all-around" vitamin. Which is better powder or liquid?

Quiko manufactures both (Quikon Multivitamin powder or Quikon V liquid.) It is merely personal preference as to which one to use because either one provides the necessary vitamins. The powdered Multivitamin is water soluble, but we prefer adding vitamins to the eggfood rather than putting it in the drinking water. Adding the vitamin to the water used to soak the Rusk or Carrots makes this a great way to mix it with the eggfood. If you do prefer to add the vitamins to the drinking water, be sure to thoroughly wash the drinker or water dish daily to avoid bacterial growth.

4.

I'm so excited! I just bought my first pair of Lady Gouldian Finches from the local pet store. The sales clerk sold me a wicker finch nest. It kind of looks like a cup with a woven top. I've had the birds a week and they don't go near the nest. What's wrong?

We've found that most of our Lady Gouldian breeder customers have greater success with an elongated wood nest box. Our Q450286 finch box tha is 8.5" X 5.5" X 5" is the most popular one for Gouldians. Some breeders request that Jeff modify it by elongating the round entrance hole into a rectangular one. Don't forget to offer the pair coco fibers for nesting material.

5.

My cockatiel Buddy Boy (boy what a mistake for a name) started laying eggs. I only have the one bird and don't intend on breeding. I just wanted a pet, but he/she keeps laying eggs. Is this harmful? What should I do?

Obviously "Buddy Girl" would have been a better choice for a name, but the bird won't know the difference and isn't in danger of an identity crisis. Laying eggs is natural for a hen with or without a male.The only problem is that if the hen continues to lay she may deplete her system of the calcium necessary for srong bones and properly formed firm eggs.Soft egg shells can cause egg-binding in the hen which can be a hazard to the bird's health. If you have a nest box in the cage-remove it. This may stop the behavior. If not, you can try replacing her eggs with artificial eggs in hopes tht she will tire of sitting on eggs that don't hatch. More importantly make sure that the bird is getting calcium supplements like powdered cuttlbone added to the diet. We also carry a liquid calcium suplement that is very effective. If the condition continues, you should consult a veterinarian about hormone therapy. 

6.

Do you have a product that I can use to disinfect the cage when I clean it?

There are a number of commercial products available. When we were considering whether or not to bring on one of these products we checked with our avian vet for his advice. Dr. Tim told us that the most effective disinfectant he's found (and uses in his own exam rooms between patients) is a solution of 10% chlorine bleach to 90% water. Save your money and buy a bottle of bleach and a spray bottle.  

7.

I love my finches, but I get tired of the mess they make scattering seed all around the cage. Any suggestions?

We have a few products that my help reduce the amount of seed scattered. We carry a couple of hopper style feeders that hang from the top of the aviary (Q400683 and Q400686) they can help. We also carry a one hole and a 3 hole hopper feeder from 2GR (Q2GR115 and Q2GR117) that help. Slot top trough feeders (Q400662 & Q2GR100) also cut down on cast out seed. In an aviary setting, offering a larger diameter feed dish sometimes reduces the mess. The birds tend to root around in the dish and drop unwanted seeds back into the dish rather than tossing them over the side.

8.

Do you carry any medications or anti-biotics?

We are bird breeders and suppliers of bird supplies, not veterinarians. We recommend that you contact an avian veterinarian for any medical issues that you encounter with your birds. Orchid Tree Exotics does carry pro-biotic supplements (Avi-Culture) that can have beneficial preventative affects and a Quiko product called Med that acts inconjuction with pro-biotics to help prevent digestive tract disorders. Please go to the "Pro-biotics" page on our website for more detailed information. These are profilactic treatments and are not intended to replace proper veterinary care.

9.

We just purchased our first pair of lovebirds at a bird show. When we were at the show we also bought a nest box. What sort of nesting material should we order? You have several different ones listed.

None of the nest materials we carry are suitable for lovebirds, or any other parrot like birds. These hookbills generally don't use nest materials. Your lovebirds may use palm fronds. Try checking with a local florist to see if they have any palm leaves that haven't been treated chemically. Tie a small bundle to the inside of  the cage. The birds will tear off what they need, tuck the peices under their wing and fill the nest themselves.

10.

How much is shipping?

Two factors affect the cost of shipping your order; weight and distance. Before we can tell how much it will cost to ship your order it has to be pulled, packed and weighed. Then we input the information into the computer to determine the shipping cost based on how far you live from our location. Some customers who use debit cards want to know the exact cost including shipping so that they can make adjustments to their account. In cases like this we call or e-mail the total before we ship. 

We always pack as much as possible into one box to help defray shipping costs. You can help by placing one larger order rather than several small ones.

I see that you have two different products for color feeding red factor canaries; red intensive and canthxantin. What is the difference between the two?

Both of these supplements contain the chemical coloring agent "canthaxantin" mixed with Vitamins A, D3, E and C. The difference is that Red intensive is 10% canthaxantin while Canthaxantin is 50% canthaxantin. This means that canthaxantin will give a much deeper more intense red color. We generally recommend Red Intensive for most people with pet canaries, because the chemical canthaxantin itself is very hard on the bird's liver over extended period of use. Canthaxantin really is designed for people who are seriously showing red factor birds and generally only use this product during show season. For the typical bird owner feeding Special Red or Classic Red eggfood will produce sufficient color.

You list show cages for Euro Show Cage/Colorbred, Euro Show Cage/Finch, and German Roller Show cage. Can I use these to show my birds?

Show cage standards are different for Europe and the US for Colorbreds and Rollers so these cages aren't suitable for use in actual shows. They can be used however for training your birds for show. Because finch shows in the US do not have show cage standards the Euro Show cages/Finch can be used.

13 I've heard that sunflower seeds are addictive and make birds hyperactive. My Amazon "Freebie" loves them. Do you have a seed mix without sunflower seeds? I figure that I can buy sunflower seeds from the health food store and just give Freebie a few at a time for a treat.

First of all the statement that sunflower seeds are addictive and make birds hyperactive is a myth. The reality is that sunflower seeds are high in fat (26%). Generally parrots require a diet that is about 5% fat. A high sunflower seed diet therefore contains too much fat. Offset this with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Sun Seed's Vita Large Hookbill and Vita Small Hookbill mixes are safflower based mixes with no sunflower seed. Sun Seed's Orchid Tree Exotics mixes are reduced sunflower diets that also have lots of dried fruits and nuts for variety.

I use a water soluble vitamin in the water dishes. It seems that a lot is wasted when the birds splash in the dishes. Is there a better option so that I'm not throwing away expensive vitamins?

There are a couple of possible solutions. Instead of using water dishes, try drinkers. Birds can't really splash in them. You can get really efficient by utilizing our micro drinkers for the vitaminized water. We actually think that vitamins added to the eggfood are more effective. You can mix the powdered multivitamin with the dry eggfood before mixing with the mositened Rusk, or mix the water soluble vitamins in water as you are doing now, and then soak the Rusk in that mixture before combining with the eggfood. Either of these methods increases the likelihood that your birds are actually ingesting the vitamins and there is much less waste. 

My son wants a canary for his birthday. He'll turn twelve. Do you think that this is a good age for a first time bird owner? My husband I have never owned a bird so are at a loss as to where to start. What do we need to buy when we get a canary?

You've come to the right place. We believe that a twelve year old child is the perfect age for a budding aviculturist. Rather than go into a long drawn out answer to the rest of your question please read the articles elsewhere on our website; "Bird buying tips",  "Did You Know", "D.Y.K. Archive-Start a kid out right", and the "Canary care sheet." 

What's the difference between Quiko Classic Red and Quiko Special Red?

There really isn't much difference at all. Protein fat,fiber levels and ingredients are the same for both. Special Red is more finely ground than Classic Red.

Just like every thing in life bird supplements have been developed to improve on the "old ways". Gramps had the right idea in giving his nesting canaries additional calcium. The problem with his method is sanitation. If the eggshells weren't thoroughly disinfected by boiling and completely dried he could possible introduce bacteria right aloong with the calcium. Manufactured calcium supplements avoid this potential hazard.

I only have one canary so a one kilo package of egg food lasts a long time. I've looked into buying the smaller polybag but it is a little more expensive and freight is killing me. Any suggestions?

We fully understand. Nobody likes to pay freight. One solution is to buy larger quantities. There is always a base-line charge for each order, then the weight is used too determine the total freight cost. The heavier the order, the lower the freight charge per ounce. Order the 2 one kilo packages of eggfood. Each individual package has a two year shelf life until you open the sealed bag. Mix up what you'll need for one week and put the unused portion in a zipper lock sandwhich bag and place the bag in the freezer. It will stay fresh almost indefinitely in the freezer. We even have some customers who mix the wet Rusk and dry eggfood and then spread it into ice cube trays. They freeze the ice cube trays and then thaw out one cube at a time for one day's feeding.