BIRD FOOD: the basics for buyers
ONE of the most eye-catching developments in birdkeeping over the past half-century is the diversification of foodstuffs. The sector that has proliferated most dramatically is what is now called softfood. (The older name was eggfood.)
Today there is a positively bewildering choice and Continental manufacturers have been prominent in the diversification: CeDe, EMP, Quiko and Versele-Laga, to name but four.
The push to expand cage-bird nutrition beyond seed, giving full weight to the known importance of protein, came from the canary fancy. Traditionally, canary breeders would work with a biscuit rusk and would add hard-boiled egg. Now, commercial products are favoured across the fancy and many incorporate enhanced levels of vitamins as well as food types. However, many successful fanciers develop their own softfood mix, using a commercial product as a base and adding extras as experience has led them. Grated carrot is just one typical addition, but the blends can be complex and are often given in detail and read avidly in Cage & Aviary Birds.
“With newly hatched chicks, offer softfood sparingly but several times daily
Whatever the constitution of your softfood, here are eight guidelines that are commonly recommended by experienced fanciers:
1. Don’t change a feeding regime in the middle of the breeding season. If you decide on a brand, stick with it.
2. It is often wise to move your birds onto your chosen softfood before pairing up. It can play an important role in bringing your hens into breeding condition.
After pairing up, many breeders give their pairs softfood on alternate days
