Saved By The Supplements - Vydex Does Good

By Terry A Tuxford

Breeding exhibition type Budgerigars has never been easy - all you have to do is read articles of 5, 10, 15 and 20 years ago and more, and you will find fanciers writing about their concerns associated with poor fertility. Some fanciers understood that seed and water alone was not a sufficiently complete diet to ensure total fitness in their birds. To combat this, human vitamin supplements were added to their bird's drinking water and fish oil to the seed, very little mineral supplementation took place and probiotics were virtually unheard of. Conversely, other breeders refused to accept that there was nothing further required other than the seed and water they already fed.

Yes, there were various products around that were designated for cage birds but such was their range, there was just not enough days in a week to complete a weekly course of supplementation without creating 'supplement cocktails' whose effect on each other was certainly unknown to the layman.

Our story is not dissimilar to many other fanciers. We had tried the human vitamin route - trying to gauge how many drops of this and teaspoons of that was required in a litre of water. We had also tried many of the supplements available for cage birds, and with the exception of one, could not claim to have experienced any sort of improvement. Coupled with this our breeding seasons were going from bad to worse. From a stud that regularly produced 200+ chicks per season and finished by Easter, we were now struggling to get 50 youngsters on the perch over a 9 months period. Added to the problem of low numbers was a drop in quality because the better birds were not breeding at all and these individuals were getting older and really past their 'sell by date'.

It was at the BS Club Show in November 1997 that we approached Mervyn John of Vydex Avian Direct. Like all the other companies, Vydex had all sorts of claims that their products did this or improved that - an ad mans pipe dream we thought. Anyway, with nothing to lose an investment was made and a chance was taken. Anyone who has kept livestock for a few years will know what we were contemplating was risky. To suddenly change the diet of the birds so close to the start of the breeding season could ruin our chances totally - but this was a chance we were prepared to take.

With just two weeks to go and armed with a heap of Vydex products we set about boosting our birds. For the most part cocks and hens are run together in communal flights. The first job was to separate cocks and hens into individual flights to break any pair bonds that may have been made. The seed mix that the birds were fed was 60% White Millet, 40% Canadian Canary, 5% Clipped Oats and 5% Budgie Tonic. It was planned that this should remain unaltered.

Now for the supplementation. What we wanted was an idiot-proof combination that did not vary from day to day so mistakes would not be made. So, with the help of Vydex and some creative thinking on our part we came up with the following daily dosage to be used throughout the breeding season.

Water

To a litre of drinking water add:

Entrodex        1 teaspoon
Ascorbivite    1 teaspoon
Carbosol        2 dessertspoon (seems and awful lot but does the trick)

Softfood

Initially we established by weight how much was going to be needed per feed and then mixed at a proportion of the following ratios.

Growrite         1 pound
Dexol-E          1 teaspoon
MVS30           1 teaspoon
Cal-sure         ¼ teaspoon

Added to the above softfood was grated carrot and unsweetened soya milk to give a sticky consistency. The birds took to this softfood straight away.

We started pairing up some two weeks later and as a trip to Florida was planned for over the New Year we put down just 12 pairs as not to over burden my partner Brian while Yvonne and I were away. All birds went straight to nest with no problems and from these 12 pairs we reared 47 youngsters in the first round.

We have the capacity for 40 breeding cages and after our return from America chose to use a further 12 cages making a total of just 24. From these, by the end of May we eventually reared just over 200 chicks, including taking three rounds from a 1994 cock and a 1995 hen who successfully raised 15 chicks. The remarkable thing about this pair was that they had never bred before.

Our hobby has turned around for us. We enter the 1998 breeding season with a rejuvenated stud of birds and plenty of enthusiasm. Would we recommend Vydex products - why shouldn't we as they certainly worked for us.

Terry A Tuxford 1999

My Choice

Ten years after Terry's article on supplements we now have access to a range of supplements that can do everything we need to keep our birds healthy,so the manufactuers tell us,should we doubt them ? I don't see why not but at the end of the day it is our decision on what and when to use, but do follow the manufactuers dosage guidelines.

I use a selection of supplements , some are kept as a " first aid "product and others are used in the run up to breeding ,showing or in the event of any stressful situations.

 

Orego-Stim Avian Complete

 

Orego Stim Avian Complete has been specially formulated for use in cage and aviary birds of all types and ages.

100% natural supplement made from oregano essential oil, Orego Stim Avian Complete is used and recommended by many top breeders.

Orego Stim Avian Complete improves gut health and promotes drier droppings, silkier feather quality and improved breeding results.

It helps to reduce stress and improve the moult, to ensure health of the bird throughout the year.

Orego-Stim Avian Complete is also suitable for garden flocks of poultry (up to approximately 40 hens).

It should be used continuously in the drinking water to cleanse and replenish the gut lining.

 

Usage Instructions:

Orego-Stim Avian Complete is for continuous administration at an inclusion rate of 10ml per 2.5 Litres of fresh drinking water.Orego-Stim Avian Complete should not be used undiluted.

 

 

 

Calciboost

 

Liquid Calcium. Calcium, D3 and magnesium. Add to water or soft foods. Do NOT use every day! Use twice a week all year round and four to five times a week during breeding season.

Liquid calcium supplement for breeding and growing birds .

Has been found to be very effective as an emergency product for egg bound hens.

                                                                                                                                    

HOW CAN YOU ACHIEVE FANTASTIC STRONG HEALTHY YOUNGSTERS TIME AFTER TIME?

With feathering that any showman would be proud of:

 

.......BY USING CARR'S breeding programme

 

The aims of the programme

1.To achieve as near 100% fully hatched and reared youngsters

 

2.To bring those youngsters on with no health problems at all.

3.To produce strong, weaned youngsters that are visibly superior than in previous years.

4.To keep those youngsters healthy and growing steadily

5.To keep the program as simple as possible.

6.To breed youngsters that will win shows and be the envy of others.

 

Lets have a look at how we can achieve these aims.

 

1,To achieve near 100% hatch. Starts with the fertility of the parents. Many breeders know that building the fertility near to breeding is essential, but many only concentrate on the hens and donít give the cocks a second thought, This is totally wrong ,both parents need to be in excellent breeding condition both on the outside and on the inside to produce healthy eggs and sperm.

This is simply achieved by using Carrs AVIHERB on the feed of the birds or alternatively in their water supply, the active natural plant extract in AVIHERB clears the gut of harmful pathogens, including coccidiosis,E.Coli , Salmonella and even intestinal worms. The intestine of the bird has an intestinal mucosa, this is,in healthy birds pink,but in a bird that is infested with pathogens it can be a grey sticky layer, that the pathogens live in, feed off and breed in, it is a perfect habitat for them to thrive, and once they start to multiply in great numbers the result is that they will drag the bird down ,to point where their own immune system cannot cope and the bird will eventually die,

AVIHERB lifts this layer away and it is passed out with the facaes,flushing with it the pathogens, over time with continued use the gut is cleared of these harmful pathogens and the birds natural immune system is restored,

This part of the program has now sorted out the inside problems of the bird, and this will now lead to improved outside appearance i.e. better feather quality, clear eyes, warm feet due to improved circulation. The droppings of the bird will now take on a firm consistency a tell tale sign that everything in the gut is as it should be,

At around six weeks before breeding FERTILITY GOLD should be added to ,a good seed mix and feed two or three times a week, This is very high in natural vitamin E and this will heighten the fertility levels in the birds. ,this should be used during breeding and rearing with the AVIHERB,and can be mixed with the AVIHERB,

Adding NATRAVIT at this stage will also increase the vitamin levels within the bird and this can also be mixed with the AVIHERB and, Fertility Gold and should be given three times a week, this should also be used after the hatch and during the rearing period. When the benefits will be passed to the youngsters

.Once the youngsters have weaned themselves they must be kept on the same regime for two weeks and then the Fertility Gold can be halted, and then continue with the AVIHERB and the Natravit.grits and minerals should always be on offer and the birds will take these as and when they need them. The youngsters will now grow very strong and you may notice that their pectoral muscles look and feel larger, it has been proved that birds reared using AVIHERB have pectoral muscle development that can be 10% larger than birds reared on a normal diet, the pectoral muscles are the chest muscles,

You will also notice that during they youngsters life so far the droppings will have remained solid this shows that everything is fine in the gut and that the food you are feeding is being utilized or converted to muscle in an efficient way.

Keeping the youngsters in top condition and growing steadily is now of utmost importance, do not stress them unduly ,keep feeding times constant ,

This system of breeding and rearing is a very simple one that takes the minimum of effort and memory.

I am sure that you will be very pleased with the system.

To simplify the system;

1,Give your birds AVIHERB either in the feed or alternatively in the water to clear the gut of harmful pathogens .

2,Administer AVIHERB +Natravit + Fertility Gold, both in the feed to both cocks and hens

to bring them into breeding condition prior to pairing. AVIHERB everyday and Natravit and Supreme fertility gold three times a week. This is best done six week prior to pairing

3.Continue to use this combination until the youngsters are two weeks weaned. Then stop using the Fertility gold and carry on with the AVIHERB and Natravit.

This system will produce youngsters that look and feel like yearlings!! and you will have used all totally natural plant extracts.