Lavender Waxbills

I use Richard's seed mix -

• Foreign finch - 15Kg
• Panicum - 3kg
• Japanese millet - 3kg
• Red millet - 3kg
• Plain canary - 2kg – Niger

Grit and grated cuttlefish always available and vitamins are supplied

Thawed frozen livefood given daily - buffalo worms and Pinkies.  Thawed in water so clean & juicy

Some pairs eat very little, some eat Buffaloes but not Pinkies.   Others can't get enough   But, preference can change dramatically when feeding chicks!!

Sample of 1.
The pair that bred never ate Pinkies beforehand, not much buffalo, hardly any Cede.   So mainly seed

With chicks, Pinkies seem to be main food for chicks.   At day 8 they started eating buffaloes, but still little eggfood

Eggfood availability varies, depending on whether birds breeding or resting

Not sure matters but I add diced chicory for some 'greens'

Rearing mix based on the very successful Paul de Nil's mix

Paul de Nil is one of Belgium's most successful Waxbill breeders.   He attributes much of his success to his rearing food

He makes his in the most cost-effective manner starting with white bread and eggs.   Easier to start with normal, eggfood

The weights of eggfood given basd on dry Cede™.  If use pre-moistened eggfood is a bit denser

Perhaps increase weight of pre-moistened eggfood added by 20%

It probably doesn't matter

Mix vitamins, charcoal and Pinkies with eggfood (plus pollen powder? see below)

Then add eggfood (with mixed vitamins, charcoal & Pinkies) to drained, boiled seed, mix thoroughly

Seal entire mix in plastic container(s) or sealed plastic bag(s) and freeze

Take as much as needed for a week and thaw.   Only experience will allow to judge how much to thaw

Keep thawed mix in fridge and use for up to a week as required

If have several different types of bird then mix seed accordingly

If your Bullfinches eat twice the amount of their seed than your foreign finches, use two parts Bullfinch mix to one part foreign finch

If shells of two hens eggs eaten recently, bake or microwave them.   Crumble and add to mix

If grit and cuttlefish always available, this isn't necessary

Add pollen to rearing mix to bring cocks into condition

One tablespoon of pollen powder per 2Kg of dry seed, (add when making rearing food)

Initially use rearing food with pollen once a week.   Then twice a week to bring birds into condition (∼ 6 weeks)

Mix, without pollen, when eggs appear.   Mix with pollen daily to fledged youngsters, until moult

Paul de Nil gives rearing food at 5pm daily

Paul de Nil gives rearing food daily at 5pm

Weaker/ smaller chicks can die at night, due to insufficient food gained versus stronger/ older sibblings

5pm feed means chicks get best food from fresh, full dish in the evening

Helps weaker chicks through night

I make eggfood with probiotic added to keep gut in good condition.  I use BioPlus™

Add 1.5 teaspoons per 500gm (weight of initial dry seed)