Fresh Veg/Fruit Breeding Pair Bourkes

[tooirresistible]

Hi

I've just acquired a breeding pair of Bourkes. I would like to know the most preferable diet for them. I have various other birds (budgies, cockatiels, galah) and they are all on primarily fresh food (veg, pasta, rice etc) plus grains (mostly millet mix, with canary, groats, oats etc). I have found various suggestions for Bourke diet on the net, but some conflict. I've given them mixes of silver beet, celery, capsicum, grated carrot, sweetcorn but they haven't touched it. Not sure if it's because they aren't familiar with fresh veg, if they are just still settling in, or if they don't like it.

I'm hoping to get them to breed this season, so what would you think was the optimum diet for them? I would be glad of any advice, thank you in advance.

[avinet]

The diet you have started them on is fine - more than likely they aren't used to much fresh food. Perhaps house them with a couple of birds (?tiels) that do eat the veggies - seeing others eat a food is a good way to encourage new birds to try new foods.

For breeding perhaps add sprouted seed to their diet - excellent protein rich food to encourage breeding. Also add a little sunflower to the seed mix - 5% is ample. You don't say where you live, but in Queensland they wcan breed almost all year round, and even in southern states they will breed through most of the summer so there is plenty of time for them to settle down and breed.

cheers,

Mike

[tooirresistible]

Hello Mike

Thank you very much indeed for the advice. Glad I'm basically on the right track with the veg.. suspect you are right and they don't know what it is, as they otherwise seem very relaxed. I will do as you say and see what they think of sprouted seeds. My others eat them, so will put a couple of placid cockatiels in with them in the hope they can get the message across.

I'm in northern Victoria, so it's heartening to think they might have a few months to get into good breeding condition before the end of the season.

Very grateful for your advice.