Path: utzoo!utgpu!cunews!cognos!stewartw
From: stewartw@cognos.UUCP (Stewart Winter)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: INDOOR:  Need advice for the purchase of bird supplies.
Message-ID: <9054@cognos.UUCP>
Date: 16 Nov 90 18:28:43 GMT
References: <962@babcock.cerc.wvu.wvnet.edu> <9003@cognos.UUCP> <273716A3.4683@intercon.com> <9033@cognos.UUCP> <2741C060.5FA1@intercon.com> <3102@lectroid.sw.stratus.com>
Reply-To: stewartw@cognos.UUCP (Stewart Winter)
Organization: Cognos Inc., Ottawa, Canada
Lines: 28

In article <3102@lectroid.sw.stratus.com> mm@lectroid.sw.stratus.com (Mike Mahler) writes:
>	Mikki's got a good point here.  The are some seed diets that
>	are great for SOME birds.  My folks have always had parakeets
>	that live to 12 years feeding ONLY Hartz Mountain seed mix
>	and lettuce.  I doubt my nape would do well on this, in fact
>	he hasn't

   I will assume that you are talking about budgies when you say parakeets
(please correct me if I am wrong).  I think you must keep in mind that
the budgie has been a domesticated 'parrot' for a very long time (centuries).
It has been 'tuned' to live off a simple diet.  While I'll bet that they
can get some benefit from a 'more than just seed' diet, the difference
isn't going to be great.  The caged budgie comes from generations of seed
eaters and has become quite hardy.  In addition, budgies are desert birds
to begin with.  These two factors, I believe, make them somewhat unusual
for a caged bird ... I don't think they can be used very effectively to
tell us much about other caged birds.

   Summary:  I think some seed diets are great for budgies - probably
almost no other birds though.

  Stewart

-- 
Stewart Winter                Cognos Incorporated   S-mail: P.O. Box 9707
VOICE: (613) 738-1338 x3830   FAX: (613) 738-0002           3755 Riverside Drive
UUCP: uunet!cognos!stewartw                                 Ottawa, Ontario
The bird of the day is .... Barraband's Parakeet            CANADA  K1G 3Z4