VMD 513: Pet animal Breeding, Management, Nutrition and Health Care (1+1)

Feeding prior to and during breeding season

FEEDING PRIOR TO AND DURING BREEDING

• Some birds have slightly different dietary requirements prior to and during the breeding seasons. 
• Each species has its own preferences for certain nutrients. 
• Additional calcium may be a good idea, but if the birds always have access to sufficient amount of grit mix do not have to add extra calcium.
• During breeding season, several seed eating species eat small amount of animal food such as insects and egg food.  There are quite a few seed eater species of birds that partly fed their young
• Live food or animal protein during the first few days of their lives.  If such birds are kept, it is important that they should be allowed to become acquainted with egg food and small insects long before they start to nest.
• If they do not introduced this food until the young birds have arrived, there is a chance that the parent birds will not recognize the food and therefore not feed it to their young. 
• The beak of young bird is not as hard as those of their parents.  They are often as yet, unable to digest hard insects such as meal worms and grasshoppers. Softer insects are more suitable for young birds. 
• It is always important for birds to have a well balanced and varied diet, but it is literally of vital importance for young birds. 
• They should not be constantly fed with same kind of insect, it should be provided with variety of insects.