Colin Percival's Diets
(The Avicultural Review July 1985 Vol 7 No 7)
(Printable Version - PDF file - Free Adobe Reader download)
Nectar Mix
Suitable for Blue-faced Honeyeaters, Silvereye, Lorikeets, etc.
Dry Mix (stored in airtight container)
1/2 tin malt powder (450gm tin)
600gm Hi-protein baby cereal (4 packets)
100gm skim milk powder
2kg raw sugar
DCP calcium powder
Add to blender:
4 Weet-Bix
2 medium apples
1/2 carrot
1 cup dry mix (as above)
Make up to 1500ml with water.
PLUS : 'Insect Cake' and Live food.
Nectar Mix
Suitable for small Honeyeaters, Silvereyes, etc.
5 parts water
1 part honey
Add 1 Beef extract cube per quart of Honey/water mix.
OR 7 rounded teaspoons of both Complan and Honey mixed with 20 ounces of warm water - plus Pentavite every second day.
PLUS : 'Insect Cake' and Live food (fruit fly excellent).
Softbill Diet
2 parts grower crumbles
1 part meat mix (dry powdered dog food)
1 part minced beef
Sprinkle with dry powdered egg.
'Insect Cake' and live food added daily.
This diet is fed to Banded Landrails, Pied Stilts, Banded Plover, Sacred Kingfishers, Noisy Pittas, Blue Wrens, Eastern Whipbirds, Black-breasted Quail.
ADD : Layer pellets and a container of diced fruit for Satin, Regent and Spottted Bowerbirds, Catbirds, Figbirds, etc.
Insect Cake
500gm cottage cheese
750gm S/R flour
250gm raw sugar
250gm cooking margarine
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
7 eggs
Melt margarine and pour into blender with eggs (plus shells), sugar and oil. Blend then add the flour and mix. Add cottage cheese and mix. Pour into a 12" square tin and bake at 320oF for 1 1/2 hours.