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MattCoonDAWG Profile
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Exchangeable grains


 
 Ok I have been going over my feed options. My last batch of of feed was a mix of very clean milo,millet, small sunflower, white wheat bag of wildbird feed, plus popcorn ($16 50lb at Sam's club) plus lentils (96cents a pound at Walmart). Would it be worth buying shell corn at $5 dollars a 50lb bag instead of popcorn? And when I get my flying loft stocked would buckwheat and milo be the best mix. I dont seem to be able to get wheat other than soft white wheat.
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MarcheneroMike Profile
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Re: Exchangeable grains


Hi Matt -
In my opinion buying whole corn instead of popcorn for your Catalonians is a waste. They won't eat it. I feel the same way about the white wheat, pigeons prefer hard red wheat. The rest of your mix sounds fine. I mix my feed and it contains both red and white milo, red and white millet, HARD red wheat, safflower, popcorn and Austrian peas. The Austrian peas are small enough the Cat's do eat them and they seem to enjoy them. I also have a mix (not necessary) I call pigeon candy it contains flax seed, hemp, canary seed, canola and rape seed. My thinking is that all these oil seeds help to make the Catalonians feathers more glossy. The Pouters enjoy a treat of this mix as well served in a seperate dish.
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MattCoonDAWG Profile
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Re: Exchangeable grains


 The good thing about popcorn from Sam's club is its very clean since its for humans. The only wheat I have found is "winter crop cover wheat". I am not sure if its hard or not. I think the wheat in the wild bird food is soft? not sure how to tell. I wonder if the oil in soybeans is good for their feathers? The guy from Spain mentions them.
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Re: Exchangeable grains


Safflower will raise the protein level and has a lot of oil in it for the feathers.

A simple and inexpensive mix I make is one part milo, one part wheat, one part millet and one part safflower. Since it don't get cold here I don't need corn, but I hear corn is needed in cold country.

---

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MarcheneroMike Profile
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Re: Exchangeable grains


When I bought Kay Tee- Baymore feed, the price was $24.00 per 50# Mixing my own grains dropped the price to $14.00 per 50#. That is not counting the pigeon candy mix, those grains are expensive. I buy grains 4 times per year and I am lucky, I can buy all the grains individually in Michigan or in Canada (I live close to the border). I like to buy grains from different parts of the country because all of the different soil types produce different minerals. Alan - you should try popcorn, its inexpensive and a great source of Vitamin A.
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Re: Exchangeable grains


Matt - This is the price I pay for grains up here in Michigan.
Popcorn - $15.00 PER 50#
Hard Red Wheat - $14.00 PER 50#
Red Milo - $11.00 PER 50#
White Milo (Kafir Corn) $$18.00 PER 50#
Red or White Millet - $13.00 PER 50#
Safflower - $28.00 PER 50#
This is what I paid the last order which was in October. I don't know if grain prices went up or not.
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2pouter Profile
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Re: Exchangeable grains


One of these days I will be mixing my own ration. No space right now. All my birds eat what is placed in front of them before they get more. I feed a mix that contains the whole yellow corn. I mix in some pigeon pellets more or less depending on what the birds are doing ( raising babies, flying, just maintaining etc.). I like all my birds to be exposed to pellets. Once the babies are pumped with grain and pellets it seems easier to get the young to eat pellets. I know the pellets are not necessary, but I like to feed them when I have individual pens of breeders. Without competition the birds tend to select certain grains and throw the rest out. Pellets are the same to the bottom of the feeder, therefor I can keep feed in front of them at all times.
 This is what is working for me and your mileage may vary.

  Joel
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Gaditano Profile
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Re: Exchangeable grains


I love pellets too. All my breeders get pellets. It seems to make the babies fat and sassy.

This is the pellet mix I use:

3/4 of the mix is Kruse's pigeon pellets. This is the most inexpensive Pigeon pellet in town. It's the best staple type pellet. I like it on it's own but the following additives enhance the diet.

1/8 Purina green and gold. This is a very rich pellet. It costs twice as much as the other and has a lot of nutrients, so many it causes wet droppings.

1/8 equal mix of the cereal grains of wheat, milo and millet. By adding these it keeps the dropping firm and the price down.

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MattCoonDAWG Profile
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Re: Exchangeable grains


 Now that I have just catalonian tumblers (still got 6 odd birds not breeding though, indian fantails and cruzados) I have the option to look into pellets. My problem is Kentucky is humid and wet, soupy droppings are more of a problem. Plus I only have 21 birds so my feed hangs around for a while. Pests and mold are much more a problem. For example, I started the beginning of Nov. with 90 lbs of feed. I now have 25 lbs or so still left. Most of you guys might use 90 lbs a week lol. Plus whole grains just look prettier haha
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