Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!iuvax!uxc.cso.uiuc.edu!garcon!herodotus.cs.uiuc.edu!mcclaren
From: mcclaren@herodotus.cs.uiuc.edu (Tim McClarren)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: Bird diets
Message-ID: <1556@garcon.cso.uiuc.edu>
Date: 25 Jul 89 06:39:18 GMT
References: <6514@cloud9.Stratus.COM> <1292@intercon.UUCP> <1295@intercon.UUCP> <6603@cloud9.Stratus.COM>
Sender: news@garcon.cso.uiuc.edu
Reply-To: mcclaren@herodotus.cs.uiuc.edu.UUCP (Tim McClarren)
Organization: University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Lines: 21

In article <6603@cloud9.Stratus.COM> mm@cloud9.Stratus.COM (Mike Mahler) writes:
> [lots of stuff regarding pellets vs. seed]

I'm a bit confused at this point as you are saying that seed is just as
nutritional as pellets.  That's all fine and dandy, but you seem awfully
hard set against people feeding pellets to their birds and haven't said
anything as to why.  I see nothing wrong with feeding a bird pellets.
You don't have to worry that it will eat only what it wants to...
By simple mathematics, if the seed contains less nutrients, then
the bird will be getting less nutrients if it eats the same amount of
seed as it would pellets, provided they go through similar digestive
processes.  Also, your argument about Nekton fed given in water doesn't
make sense.  If I put enough Nekton in the water (which is a VERY small
amount, incidentally), then it doesn't matter how much water the bird
drinks, he'll get enough in the first gulp.  Note however, that I don't
use this method nor recommend it.  I don't think 'over-vitamining' a 
bird is any healthier.  Just have to figure out how much water your
bird drinks, use a proportionate amount of Nekton.

Tim McClarren
mcclaren@herodotus.cs.uiuc.edu