HANDY  HINTS!!

                                                      Mike Fidler on
                                                        CLOVER

One of the biggest problems we face in aviculture is the complete lack of hard data on the nutritional requirements of our birds. One of the easiest solutions to this is to provide the birds with choice - given a choice, most will choose the correct diet - and to provide as much natural food as is practical. The reason for the latter is that most natural foods contain a large number of micro-nutrients which are not available in domestic diets and in a format which can be synthesised naturally by the birds, which avoids nutritionally based health and breeding problems.

 Artificial additives can cause more harm than good if given in incorrect dosages or in a format which cannot readily be absorbed. A classic of this is calcium additives. Unless calcium is provided with an accurate balance of phosphorous and other trace minerals together with vitamin D3, it can build up in the liver and actually cause death. In Australia, overdosing on calcium is a common cause of egg binding, the very thing it was supposed to stop!

One of the best and easiest ways of providing the trace minerals is to feed clover which provides many other trace nutrients too.
It does not matter whether it is red or white, both have slightly different values and have slightly different benefits. Red clover contains amongst its ingredients isoflavones, which is a rich source of estrogens and a free radical scavenger inhibiting disease whilst white clover is richer in amino acids, the protein builders. Both also contain carotenoids and vitamins A, B, C and E. Clover needs to be fed when it is between 4-6cms high which is when it is at its most nutritious. After this point, the taller it gets the less nutritious it becomes to the point where few birds will eat the fibrous fully grown plant.

We grow our clover in a small shade house. It is thickly sown in a standard plant pot and kept reasonably cool. Clover grows best in a shaded area and should not be over watered. Once the plants have grown to 4-6cms high, the whole plant pot is put in the aviary where it is quickly stripped.

During the breeding season clover is provided add lib and is a valuable contribution to nestling diet. In our experience all birds will take it with some species using it as a major portion of their nutritional requirements.