FOOD & SUPPLEMENTS
The list below are types of food we give to our feathered friends.
The food items are kept in the car porch cabinets in the Ladrang. See picture below.
FOOD
Small Aviary - Sun Conures:
1. Sunflower seeds: 3/4 of a 1 liter container can last for 2 to 3 days. Cleaning is important because the shells will fall everywhere.
2. Fresh Corn: Give 3 1/2 cob of corn for the large aviary which can last for one day while the small aviary only 1 1/2 cob of corn. To serve, remove the husk, wash the corn and roughly cut a cob into 2 parts and place into a container. This food item are cleared out and replaced fresh daily because they can dry up and harden. Some parts of the aviary, the corn are being hung on perches and also on the aviary wall mash. The corn is being tied on with a raffia string and it stimulates the birds to be active, play as well as enjoy their food.
3. Long Beans: About 10 strands of long beans that are cut into shorter pieces are put into containers in the big aviary. In the small aviary, only 5 strands of bean are required and they are hung up so that the Conures can play while enjoying a nutritious meal. This item is cleared and replaced daily for the same reason as fresh corn above.
4. Apples (Organic): Conures enjoy apples more than the birds in the big aviary. As mentioned, the apples are cut into small cubes and served in containers in the aviary. Apples are sweet and must be handled with more attention to cleanliness so that it will not cause an infestation of ants in the aviary. Additionally, apples can spoil easier in the heat.
5. Millet (not available for Sun Conures in Small Aviary): 3/4 of 1 liter container can last for 2 to 3 days. This is a natural grain that acts as the staple food especially for the little birds. * The big birds enjoy the fresh food and sunflower seeds more.
Above: The corn and long beans are being hung up in the aviary to act as additional toys for the birds.
It also makes it feel like it is a natural environment where in the wild they would pick foods on trees.
Above: Millet and Sunflower Seeds. All the birds’ favorite are sunflower seeds but this is considered a "snack" and does not have enough nutrition. Hence it is important for us to add other food/fruits such as long beans and corn in their diet.
Food Stock:
It is important to ensure that food is well stocked so that our aviary will not suffer a cut in supply. The standard re-stocking process is to place order for dry food when the stock level reaches 2 packets. The re-order quantity is 18 packets so that a stock level of 20 packs is maintained at the beginning of each stock cycle. The lead time for delivery is about 3 to 4 working days. As an estimate, 20 packets of dry food can last 2.5 weeks.
Our vet Dr. Vellayan has informed us that Aki (African Grey) and most big birds enjoy fruits like humans. We can try giving any fruit or even fruit juices to the bigger birds and observe what they like. However our big birds has preference for sunflowers, corn and long beans.
Always ensure fresh food and water is given daily.
Bird Snacks:
Bird snacks are a fun way to prepare food for our feathered friends. Provision of bird snacks does not have to be limited to our own birds but also can be shared with our "neighborhood friends". Bird snack can be as basic as fresh fruits to "home-made" snacks.
Some favorite bird snacks include:
1) Pasta: short-shaped cooked and uncooked such as bow-tie pasta.
2) Whole grain bread
3) Bean sprouts
For some ideas of home-made snacks that can be prepared by ourselves, check out: http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/family/bird-snacks.htm
Food Suppliers
1. Supplier for Millet:
KOOI LIM ENTERPRISE SDN. BHD.
Address:
290 Jalan Brickfields
50470 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: +603 2272-3933
Contact Person:
Alex +6016 336 3933
2. Supplier for Sunflower Seeds:
Can be obtained from any pet shop. We get ours from:
WINNERS PET PLAZA in TTDI
Address:
3 Jln Tun Mohd Fuad 3
Taman Tun Dr Ismail
60000 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: +603-77294145
SUPPLEMENTS
Multivitamins are to be given daily. We are using powdered multivitamins & minerals from Dr. Vellayan own special concoction which consist of 13 vitamins, 16 trace elements and 18 different types of amino acids. Some of the ingredients are like; Vitamin A, C, B1, B2, D3, Calcium, Nicotinamide, Zinc, Magnesium, Iron, Cobalt, Biotin, Licin, Folic Acids.
Only give vitamins & minerals recommended by the VET with ingredients stated on the label. Another good brand is SERA from Germany which can be obtained in most established pet shops. Do NOT use any other brand of vitamins/medication that has no ingredients on the label. Always get a recommendation from the vet first.
Expenses of Food
A) Millet
- RM80 per pack
1 month, we use 12 packs (10 packets for haven and 2 packets for Ladrang aviary)
(12 x 80) = RM960
B) Sunflower seeds
- RM12.90 per packet
1 month, we use 25 packets
(12.90 x 25) = RM322.50
C) Fresh Food For Aviary (Weekly)
RM70-80 weekly
TOTAL EXPENSES FOR BIRDS & TORTOISES FEED PER MONTH
RM (960+322.50+320) = RM1,602.50
Other costs:
1. Multivitamins for birds - RM50 (2 months once).
Estimated Total Cost per year = RM 300 a year
2. Maintenance (bird toys/bird houses/perches/special snacks. Every 3-4 months)
Estimated Total Cost per year = RM4000 a year.
3. Medical* (*when necessary). Estimated Cost each visit RM100 - 200
Estimated Total Cost per year = RM2000 (this is a very conservative budget for a year, it is normally less).
