Breeding and Feeding.

Lots of people have different Ideas on feeding during the breeding season.
The success of fertility and and the rearing of robust youngsters, does come down to having stockbirds that are full of vitality and health.
This is my breeding feeding system.

Picture one shows my own prepared mix. Lots of peas, safflower, paddy rice, barley, wheat ,maize, sunflower seeds,
dari, mixed pulses, crushed peanuts and oats. You can see how dusty it looks on the side of the tub.
This is caused by the oats and crushed peanuts.
Cold pressed organic, unrefined wheatgerm oil, this is the only oil I use throughout the breeding and rearing I would have to say that this is one of the additives that I swear by. You can tell it's a natural unrefined oil, by the bits it has in it. This makes it extremely concentrated and one teaspoon does a kilo of corn.
After the wheatgerm oil is added, you can see on the side of the tub, that all the bits of peanuts and oats now get bonded to the grains. Only thing you will see now on the side is some peanut skins.
Next you will see a new product that I used on the birds throughout the moult, which has proved to be a very valuable product to keep the birds in tip top condition throughout the moult. I still have continued to use during pairing up and breeding. I won't know the results until after the birds have been weaned. This is Yerba Mate extract, I usually use Yerba mate Tea, which I add to the drinker. But this seems like a better product because I can add it to the feed. I add a heaped teaspoon full to the mix and then mix it in thoroughly.
This makes sure that the birds get all the vitamins, minerals, irons and trace elements they need.
Just thought I'd share this little gem with you.

thanks for sharing that with us gary, found it very informative........theres not many would give info away like that. is this mix you feed every day, or just on certain days.....?

The feed they get now right through the breeding and weaning. The peanuts and oats make a good protein rich crop milk that really does make them youngsters in the nest grow. You never hear them squealing for food constantly. Once the squabs hatch, I do add some baby milk to the mixture twice a week.

thanks for sharing gary im a big beleaver in the baby milk also i like mine to have marmite once per week

dont know if it realy dose any good just something my old man told me to use

from his greyhound training days

No probs mate, I thought I would just a glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes and maybe give some people a bit of food for thought. Baby milk is something I have always used with much success.
The person who taught me about pigeons when I was a kid. Used to use treacle as it contained Iodine. I never ever used though.

Quality Gary top man with this kind of information

Everyone must know what Yerba mate is, because no one has asked what it is. This is what keeps my birds in tip top condition, strengthens their immune systems, supplies their diet with vitamins and minerals that they need. Helps them fight disease.
Another one for the .

never heard of it gary, is it a pigeon producy or something you have found out about which is of benefit to them ?

http://www.miyerbamate.com/content/Yerba_Mate_Wonder_Herb.htm
Here's a link for you that will make some good reading.

do you get yours fron us then gary which one you using not cheap is it

No mate, I get it from here mate. I have usually only ever used the tea, but I found this extract this year, which fits into my plans nicely. I'll PM you mate.

looks like a good product gary is this the only supplement you give your birds apart from the honey

The wheatgerm oil that's it mate.

what do you use to get a bit of selenium into the birds gaz

Is it like a sulphur compound mate. I don't really know much about it mate, sulphur I get from garlic.

its a mineral gary which not many products contain the only one i have found that contains the correct and adequate amount is provit made by stock nutrition

Yerba mate will probably have it.

no it does not contain it gary

Wheatgerm, barley oats.

not unless these crops are grown in soil very rich in selenium as i said its a mineral not a vitamin

Ive just been looking it up in one of me journals. .
My birds don't appear to have a deficiency anyhow. A good point.mate.

Just been looking through one of my sheets of origin on my wheatgerm oil. It could be a distinct possibility that it could contain traces. As it comes from the USA.

yes it would if the soil the wheat was grown in had a high level but you would not know to be honest ........as i said i have found it very hard to find supplements containing selenium but i think you use red cell and if so then that contains selenium

Sodium Selenite, in the red cell mate.
That's a good point mate and your right I wouldn't know.

Yerba mate contains:

• Vitamins: A, C, E, B1, B2, Niacin (B3), B5, B Complex

• Minerals: Calcium, Manganese, Iron, Selenium, Potassium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Zinc

• Additional Compounds: Carotene, Fatty Acids, Chlorophyll, Flavonols, Polyphenols, Inositol, Trace Minerals, Antioxidants, Tannins, Pantothenic Acid and 15 Amino Acids.

ah rite its just that the link you put up does not state some of the contents you have highlighted however it does state that different tests on its contents bring up different findings which would suggest variations in its contents at different times or from different sources where it is grown and that maybe its not a stable consistency but i am sure with future research all will be revealed,gary may i ask how you go about your dosage and why that specific amount as selenium is easily overdosed and with you using red cell also as a supplement do you think maybe us as pigeon fanciers would be better off sticking to things that are proven and tested for our pigeons as we surely cannot know how much of these things to use without prolonged testing .......gary i admire you for your honesty on telling us what you use and will be most interested in your findings on this product as i am sure it has good values but the correct dosage is the main factor especialy when using other supplements that may contain the same vitamins and minerals.