Has anyone ever heard of this bird food?

[Earthchild]

This is the food that Irwin came with. The man told me its made by a lady somewhere in north texas. I can't find it at any store, but he said I can get more at bird fair coming up in April. It seems to be pretty well balanced, maybe too much seeds? The only problem I have with it is that it smells old, does bird food expire?

[Greywings]

Yes Volkman makes excellent products and has been since the 1890's, very clean & dust free. I use some of their products as does the Exotic Bird Sanctuary I volunteer at. You can order on line or ask about distributors in you area. Do add fresh foods like Kale, Broccoli, Sweet Potato, Carrots and a little fruit as well. Some cooked Salmon, Tuna, or Egg scrambled will add some extra protein and variety. You can get adventurous and make him a veggie omlette.

Volkman - Bird and Parrot seed, feed, and treats

 

http://www.finefeatheredfriends.net/volk.htm

[SRSeedBurners]

Effective January 1, 2009 we will once again be offering free local delivery

 

Nowhere on their site can I find where 'local' could possibly be.

[danmcq]

I buy Volkmans as well, and as Greywings says, it is an excellent product. I get mine at a local supermax petstore. You can also find it online at various websites like windy city parrot : http://www.windycityparrot.com/Volkman-Bird-Seed_bymfg_91-0-1.html

[Jayd]

Wonderful reply's, We've been using this for years, when you order this product, order it, "Safflower blend", [no sunflower seeds].....Thanks Jayd

[kins2321@yahoo.com]

You guys are awesome! Great wealth of knowledge. Nancy

[Timbersmom]

Greywinds, Dan or Jay, is this the one you use? Volkman Avian Science Super Hookbill NO Sunflower Seeds 4 lb "Great Amazon Food"

 

Read more: http://www.windycityparrot.com/Volkman-Bird-Seed_bymfg_91-0-1.html#ixzz2O7x44wNV

 

I don't see anything else on Windy City that says "no sunflower."

[Jayd]

Greywinds, Dan or Jay, is this the one you use? Volkman Avian Science Super Hookbill NO Sunflower Seeds 4 lb "Great Amazon Food"

 

Read more: http://www.windycityparrot.com/Volkman-Bird-Seed_bymfg_91-0-1.html#ixzz2O7x44wNV

 

I don't see anything else on Windy City that says "no sunflower."

Yes, that's what we use, except no one likes the Nanas.........lol

[Timbersmom]

Thanks! Timber isn't a fruit eater so he probably won't eat any of the dried fruit.

[Earthchild]

Ok thanks guys if I run out before bird fair I'll be sure to order some from that website. Irwin loves the bananas too btw we use them as treats. Does it usually smell?

[murfchck]

Um, mine didn't smell... Birdfair in Richardson on the 30th. Holding my breath i make it there before running out.lol. My guys love it but one bag was moth filled, i learned from that to freeze it!

[danmcq]

I get it with sunflower seeds. I must say, dayo is not a sunflower seed junky like some greys. When he was a baby to around a year and a half old he would eat all the sunflower seeds first, then the other items mixed in. Now most the time he will only eat a few sunflower seeds, but eats most the safflower and other items first. Most the sunflower seeds have remained untouched.

 

I have never worried about sunflower seeds and how my birds eat. Why? Because they are nutritious and my birds eat a well rounded diet like everyone elses here do as well. I have posted this before years ago on this forum, but here it is again:

 

Health benefits of sunflower seeds

 

 

• Delicious, nutty, and crunchy sunflower seeds are widely considered healthful foods. They are high in energy, 100 g seeds consist of 584 calories. Nonetheless, they are incredible sources of health benefiting nutrients, minerals, antioxidants and vitamins.
  
• Much of their calories come from fatty acids. The seeds are especially rich in poly-unsaturated fatty acid linoleic acid, which comprise more 50% fatty acids in them. They are also good in mono-unsaturated oleic acid that helps lower LDL or "bad cholesterol" and increases HDL or "good-cholesterol" in the blood. Research studies suggest that Mediterranean diet which is rich in monounsaturated fats help to prevent coronary artery disease and stroke by favoring healthy lipid profile.
  
• Like other nuts, they are also a very good source of proteins with fine quality amino acids such as tryptophan that are essential for growth, especially in children. Just 100 g of seeds provide about 21 g of protein (37% of daily-recommended values).
  
• In addition, the sunflower seeds contain health benefiting poly-phenol compounds such as chlorogenic acid, quinic acid, and caffeic acids. These are natural anti-oxidants, which help remove harmful oxidant molecules from the body. Further, chlorogenic acid helps reduce blood sugar levels by limiting glycogen breakdown in the liver.
  
• Further, the seeds are indeed a very rich source of vitamin E; contain about 35.17 g per100 g (about 234% of RDA). Vitamin E is a powerful lipid soluble antioxidant, required for maintaining the integrity of cell membrane of mucus membranes and skin by protecting it from harmful oxygen-free radicals.
  
• Sunflower kernels among is one of the finest sources of B-complex group of vitamins. They are very good sources of B-complex vitamins such as niacin, folic acid, thiamin (vitamin B1), pyridoxine (vitamin B6), pantothenic acid, and riboflavin.
  
• Sunflowers are incredible sources of folic acid. 100 g of kernels contains 227 µg of folic acid,which is about 37% of recommended daily intake. Folic acid is essential for DNA synthesis. When given to an expectant mother during the peri-conception period, it may prevent neural tube defects in the baby.
  
• Niacin and pyridoxine are other B-complex vitamins found abundantly in sunflower seeds. About 8.35 mg or 52% of daily-required levels of niacin is provided by just 100 g of seeds. Niacin helps reduce LDL-cholesterol levels in the blood. In addition, it enhances GABA activity inside the brain, which in turn helps reduce anxiety and neurosis.
  
• The seeds are incredibly rich sources of many essential minerals. Calcium, iron, manganese, zinc, magnesium, selenium, and copper are especially concentrated in sunflower. Many of these minerals have a vital role in bone mineralization, red blood cell production, enzyme synthesis, hormone production, as well as regulation of cardiac and skeletal muscle activities.
  

[Greywings]

Yep, I use the with Sunflower most of the time but also order with out just to offer variety as they are sight feeders I want them to eat what is offered with out balking at something new in case of difficulty in availability. This morning they also got Butternut squash cubes and last night Purple cabbage shreds.

[Jayd]

Dan's post says it all, 100% correct. A Grey should have about 3 tbsp a day of sunflower seeds a day, we feed them as treats. The reason we use Safflower seed base mix's is because it has less of saturated fat then sunflower seed. We like to supply our parrots their daily E.F.A. [Essential Fatty Acid's] in almonds, walnuts etc which are better than sunflower seeds. Another reason for low sat fat is because our Greys are prone to high Cholesterol, our Zon's are prone to Fatty tumors. Jay

[danmcq]

Good post Jay. I purchase Volkmans seed that are 100% safflower and also roasted pin nuts in the shell by the bag when I can find them. Walnuts, Almonds etc, are wonderful nuts!

 

I must say though, the roasted pine nuts I give only 3 to 4 a day. They are his "Addiction". I swear if I filled a bowl with them, he would "Hurt" himself trying to eat them all. I don't know if anyone elses greys like roasted pine nuts in the shell, but most seem to really enjoy them. Whats funny, is he does not like shelled pine nuts whatsoever!

[Timbersmom]

I've never seen the roasted pine nuts in the shell. However, they are Timber's favorite treat shelled. Just my luck, he wouldn't like them in the shell! Ha.

[judygram]

Josey hardly touches sunflower seeds but loves the safflower seeds, my sun conure is the one who eats sunflower seeds and my tiel will eat a few. I tried the pine nuts in the shell and Josey turned her head up at them so I gave them to Julie, a former member when she came over to visit as her grey loves pine nuts.

[Timbersmom]

I'm wondering if Timber would like the safflower seeds. He isn't big on sunflower seed either. He will eat them, but not very enthusiastically. Greys (and other birds I'm sure) are so individual in their tastes! Timber likes walnuts and almonds, but won't touch pecans, hazelnuts or brazil nuts.

[Talon]

Well...I went to Windycity to buy 4 lbs. The shipping was the same price as the food. I won't pay that much for shipping..looking for a cheaper way somewhere else.

[Jayd]

Check out Amazon.com Volkman hook bill....good price and low shipping price.....

[Timbersmom]

Thanks! Got it ordered. Cheaper there with shipping than anywhere else I've found it.

[Earthchild]

Can he eat the kind that's made for macaws? He usually just leaves all of the small stuff at the bottom anyways.

[Earthchild]

Wow, that's so much cheaper than Petsmart!

[Jayd]

Can he eat the kind that's made for macaws? He usually just leaves all of the small stuff at the bottom anyways.

Believe it or not, GOOD seed mix's are balanced for each group of bird. A Macaw requires higher fat content than a Grey or a Zon, if you notice a Macaw mix is loaded with nuts and high fat ingredients, so no, you shouldn't feed your Grey Macaw mix, they eat more of the small seed then you might think, they also waste a lot lol.....As a reminder, no mater how good the mix if it has peanuts in the shell, discard them unless they state that they are "Roasted and human safe"........