Cranberrys

[Jake Levi]

A thought,

next week and until they are gone the grocery stores are going to be unloading cranberrys, has anyone tried them on Bobwhites and Pheasants for treats?

[CharlieHorse]

Nope.....not I.       

[Reeves]

Raw will be good for them.
The goopy mess stuff not likely: too much unwanted stuff it it.

[Jake Levi]

I was thinking of the bags, I usually get a bunch of them because I like them, in everything from pancakes to muffins.  This year my few Bobwhites will get some too. The canned stuff I dont eat myself, I fix a sauce with boiled berries, oranges and orange rind and walnuts. Some splendra. Or honey, or both.

My birds are also getting lettuce, and what chopped greens are available. Doesnt take a lot.  I sliced some acorn squash in half and they pick at those too.

[Reeves]

No need to chop up greens for Bobs: they love to tear it up !

For lettuce, are you giving Romaine ? It has a great deal more nutrients in it than other types.

This topic reminds me....I have to take some Sasktoons out of the freezer for the birds !

[Jake Levi]

I buy whatever looks good, not feeding many, sometimes I get spinach or mustard greens, have fed romaine, they like it but also like the spinach.  i put it on top of the feed trays and they take it first, chirping like crazy.  I had some eggs that were getting old so I hardboiled them and split a couple between the three cages.  They love them.

I got a bag of cranberrys yesterday, at first I cut some in half but found they would eat the whole ones. Cleaned them up in about ten mins. 

I also found that they like cooked brown rice and brown beans. I had some left over so split it between the doves outside and the quail. The quail went to it quicker then the doves. These little guys are getting a lot of experimenting on them.

It'll be interesting doing the same thing with Pheasants next winter.  I am going to see what I can do raising some mealworms in totes, got several 15 gallon sizes. The quail will take them from my fingers but buying them at a pet shop is pricey. A local bait shop carrys them in the spring.  Just use them for a taming treat. Gotta be cheaper raising them.

[Reeves]

Black oil seed (sunflowers) works great for a hand fed treat/taming as well.

The only bird here that is not tamed down , and I don't think he ever will, is my Amherst male. It's just this bird's personality to be this way. I've had others that tamed down nicely.

The Reeves male , you don't want to hand feed ! In the summer when I find a big Grasshopper, I'll slip it through the wire for him. He doesn't even take the time to kill it, he is so concerned about ripping a chunk out of me !