Prunes

[Mystical]

Hey guys,

Quick question for ya, my lutino breeding pair are starting to 'do there thing' getting there box ready, displaying etc but are SO fussy on what they eat ive tried everything and the lil buggas dont eat alot of fruit or veges grrrr so i find buying dried fruits ie: banana chips, rasins, nuts, pinapple, apricots, sunflower seeds and all sorts like that that i cant think of this early in the morning in with there seed, i was shopping last night and went to buy my normal mix and seen a awesome mix (better than what i normally buy with alot more in it) but it had prunes in it, so i was wondering is it ok to feed them this?

Cheers,

Rach

[lovemytiels]

Hi Rach, my only concern with dried fruit is the chemical they use for the drying process called sodium metabisulphate ( sorry wrong spelling) which is not good for humans let alone birds. Also when fruits are dried the concentration of sugar is much higher, so don't feed too much as too much concentration of sugar also leads to diabetes in birds. The other thing known in prunes is it is a natural laxative lol, so again be careful as you could give the poor birds the trots ;D ;D. I think like most things, everything in moderation & don't feed too much but use as special treats. These are just my thoughts, so maybe someone else here can give you some more advise. Cheers Anna

[Mystical]

lol cheers anna, i know i used to feed the boys that as babys when they were umm other wise unable to go? lmao hence asking... i know its not a great thing to feed the birds the dried fruits but at my wits end on what to get them to eat so only put this in there seed once a week which is probably a handful and that either ends up on the ground or lasts all week lol thanks heaps for the info

Rach

[lovemytiels]

Poor Rach, it is unusual for ringnecks to be so fussy, my ringnecks are eatus anythingus lol. Have you tried things like capsicums or chillies, but with seeds attached, they seem to love the seeds & the seeds are chock full of goodness. Now it is winter here, I collect the rose hips from my rosebushes & it is the first thing my ringies go for. They provide a good supply of vitamin C & bio fl avoids. Mine also love air dryed popcorn. What about some cooked rice, pasta & throw in some veggies there or even oats. Have you tried some good grainy bread, as all my birds hang off the wire for this. What about some sprouted seeds, have you tried that as most birds luv em. Let us know what you have tried, so that we might be able to help you further. Cheers Anna

[Mystical]

actually rice and pasta is one thing i havent even thought of trying anna, what a great idea, do u just cook it (without using salt im guessing?) and feed it to them? chilli's i havent tried either, these i will try this week and get back to u on it. And yeah i dont know why they r so fussy...but then im thinking because they r around 3-4 yrs old (guessing here due to they have 'meant' to have bred twice already) that possible the ppl who have had them before me didnt feed them alot if any fruits and veges? they LOVE millet spray, that goes before anything else, just a thought really cause my tame ringie jewey eats EVERYthing u put in front of him..including McD's chippies the kids feed em without me knowing!!!! lol i think the kids just like the kisses they get from em that he has to do to get treats its the only time jewey likes the kids near em lmao! cheeky bugga he is and clever toooooo hehehe but yeah i will give all that info a go i knew u could give them chilli's but wasnt sure if they could be whole or u had to take the seeds out of the middle. Thanks so much for the help

Rach

[lovemytiels]

The pair of ringies I got were a breeding pair but they didn't breed for me so fingers crossed hopefully this season. This pair came from a bird place & was only feed seed, but a year down the track they will eat just about anything & it shows too. The lutino is the brightest yellow colour now & his wife, well she is to die for now & is a brilliant white. Diet does play a big part on how well they will breed. All you can do is keep trying & persevere with introducing new foods. Chillies are great for birds as they have no sweat glands so don't feel the heat, but they all seem to luv the seeds first lol. Yep just cook the rice preferably brown rice as it has a nutty texture which the birds seem to like, & no you don't need to use salt but a little bit in the water won't harm them. My pet ringies luv dried pasta, but that is only for a treat. Black grapes with the seeds are also very good for them but mainly the seeds. Mine pick out the seeds first & have a little munch on the grape. Good luck & keep us posted on how you go with introducing new foods. Keep trying. Cheers Anna

[Mystical]

actually u might be able to tell me anna, is it common or usual for lutinos to have white wing and tail feathers? mine do but have black eyes im guessing spilt green? both of them r the same but i saw a lutino at a bird show i went to on the weekend and he didnt appear to have white on him...and no i didnt buy any birds they only have lovies and budgies for sale lmao

[AussieBirds]

Hi Rach, In lovebirds it is usual for lutinos or any bird carrying the ino gene to have white flight feathers and tails feathers, this signifies the ino gene is present in the bird and is the first thing i look for when some one tells me their birds are split to ino.

John

[Mystical]

Hiya John,

Thanks for that, im guessing they would be only spilt to green and if so being both spilt would end up in all green babies? as ive said before this is my first breeding season so still confusing to me lolol

Thanks,

Rach

[hillcresttiels]

Hi Mystical Green is the Dominant Normal variety in Ringnecks so when you breed 2 Incompatible Varieties you will most often end up with green.In your case If the male is Lutino and the hen isn't they would produce Lutino hens and Green males,If the hen is lutino and the male isn't then you will get all Green birds confused!And if both are lutino then all young will be Lutino!
Lutino is Sex Linked so if you read up on it you might get a better understanding cheers Frank

[Mystical]

Thanks heaps Frank

[lovemytiels]

Hi Rach, as far as I am aware the male lutino is all yellow, no white bits, plus before I bought them, they had breed in the avairy where I bought them from & all the babies were lutino so he is not carrying the ino gene I beleive. Cheers Anna

[Mystical]

Thanks heaps anna for all the info here and in the breeding section, as long as they r heathly colour doesnt really matters huh? im just nosey and excited at the thought of babies! ;D

Rach