HELP!!!

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I just bought some mealworms:D hoppfully this wil help them!
DK newbie said:
My buttons definitely prefer seed over their game bird feed and just like yours they don't touch their gamebird feed if seed is available. But you rarely find a seed mix that has more than 13% protein and buttons need at least 19%. So in general, I don't offer mine seed.
However I have tried what you did - scatter some in the cage every day - but never had them actually stop eating gamebird feed. Once they go hungry after eating all the seed, they have always started eating the gamebird feed again.
I have a small group of buttons living in a budgie aviary at my parents' place and there is always some fallen seed on the floor. Consequently they rarely touch their gamebird feed and get way too little protein. This has led to feather picking - only one of the 4 birds in the aviary still has feathers on her back. They look horrible. It's been going on for a year now, so even if the diet is corrected it's most likely become a habit they won't grow out of. You do not want that to happen to your birds, so make sure you get some protein into them.
Some people use meal worms to boost the protein. You can try this, but I never feed my birds meal worms, because there is a risk they'll mistake each others' toes for worms and hurt each other.
Sprouting the seed as Binki suggested is better than dry seed, but still not enough protein. Sprouted seed is wet though, if you mix it with the 'chick starter' (beware that might not have enough protein either - some chick starters only have around 17%) some of it should stick to the seeds so they are forced to eat it. Wet feed spoils quickly though, so don't give them more than they'll eat in a few hours.
Also make sure they get grit when eating seed - otherwise they have trouble digesting it.

I'm still very surprised they didn't eat for 3 days though. Sure there wasn't some left over seed or something somewhere in the cage? Or that they didn't just peck a little at the chick starter when you didn't look? If they ate the chick starter before, they know it's food and I have never had or heard of a button starving itself.
Even buttons that might never have seen a crumble feed in their life have eaten it straight away when I've served it for them - assuming there are no bugs or seeds available.
Click to expand...
 
Birds can survive without grit, even chickens, but it is beneficial. Can you give them a shovelful of dirt? They should find little stones in that.

I've been giving mine dirt that's got small earthworms in it for a protein boost. They've been having a ball.
 
Contrary to popular belief, earthworms are not a good source of protein. Earthworms carry parasites and other unwanted pathogens that can infect your birds.
I feed mine 24% protein crumbles to which I add ground sunflower hearts. They eat both with equal enthusiasm. Don't know the percent protein in the sunflower hearts but it has essental vitamins and oils that help with plumage development. Also contributes to overall heath of the birds.
 
007Sean said:
Contrary to popular belief, earthworms are not a good source of protein. Earthworms carry parasites and other unwanted pathogens that can infect your birds.
I feed mine 24% protein crumbles to which I add ground sunflower hearts. They eat both with equal enthusiasm. Don't know the percent protein in the sunflower hearts but it has essental vitamins and oils that help with plumage development. Also contributes to overall heath of the birds.
Click to expand...

Any bugs can carry parasites (unless they are freeze dried) but the benefits far outweigh the risks of providing species appropriate prey.
 
Well lets see what I can add to this question. First off the buttons should be on a good quality high protein crumble. I have used Nutrena Naturewise Meatbird crumbles, whick are for chickens/poultry they are 22% protein, Purina Gamebird Startena is 30%, even store brand gamebird/turkey crumbles but they were lower in protein at 18-20% which is fine. ALL crumbles should be run in a grinder or blender to break the crumbles down a bit NOT into a fine powder just some small bites. I also add good quality pet finch seed mix after they are 6-8 weeks old and it is mixed into the crumbles at about 30% or less. Daily they get fresh items like grass, sprouted seed, alfalfa or spinach, broccoli, corn, and other veggies. Even banana or orange for a treat. Please do not feed them lots of meal worms as they are the candy in a buttons world, high in fat and low in nutrition, 5 or 6 per week are more then enough. Hope this helps.
 

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