Alternative Recipes

NOTE: Please be aware that the recipe listed on my first page is the best option from a nutrtional standpoint. I offer these alternatives because of the difficulties many have reported in finding all the ingredients for the MacLeod Passerine Diet. Please check carefully for the recipe that is most apprpriate for the species of bird you are raising.

house sparrows

2 parts high-protein dog chow 1 part cooked whole grain cereal   Add one whole chopped boiled egg, with shell for every 2 cups of fornula. The shell obviously needs to be crushed into a fine powder, and run through a sieve to remove any sharp pieces.   Add water to achieve a thick smooth consistency.   Mealworms(wax worms) or crickets may be occasionally supplemented with this diet.

robins

3 parts Purina high protein dog chow, soaked in water 1 part Roman Meal(TM) or high protein baby cereal   Add water to achieve a rather thicker, mushier consistency.   Then you must also add the following to the above:   1 tsp. sifted dark loam per 2 cups formula 1 whole egg, with shell, softboiled, per 2-3 cups formula 1 tsp. calcium supplement to 2 cups formula   The egg shell obviously has to be crushed and passed through a fine sieve before being added to the formula.   That's the staple diet for raising young robins. This should be supplemented with mealworms, earthworms, insect larvae, and assorted mushed fruit.   Once he is free feeding, he should be fed berries and fruit for the most part, with worms and insects as supplements.  

starlings

2 parts high protein dog chow 1 part cooked whole grain cereal (that's people food)   Add 1 whole finely chopped cooked egg, with shell, for every 2 cups of the above formula (Crush the shell seperately until it becomes powdery. Pass it through a fine sieve to remove any large, dangerous pieces. The egg shell is for the calcium the bird needs)   Add water as necesary to arrive at a thick but smooth paste.   You can supplement this with mealworms, crickets, and other insects

swallows

2 parts ground and sifted high protein dog chow 2 parts high protein yeast (I think it is high protein. my booklet just says high) 1 part high protein baby cereal.   Add water to achieve a thick, smooth consistency.   This must be supplemented with mealworms or crickets, or dried flies if you can find them at the pet store. These should make up about 50% of his diet. They will obviously have to be cut to size. An unpleasant but necessary step this is, but it is vital. Try to see if you can get the dried flies to make it easier on yourself.   It is also necessary to buy Richidophilus caplets (obtainable at most health food stores). Empty the contents of one of these caplets into each 2 cups of formula. This is a bacteria that is necessary for proper development and digestion, so it should not be overlooked either.

Kaytee's Exact and Hagen's handrearing formulas

There are many sources on the net that state that these commercial products have worked well for raising all sorts of wild birds. The fact is, these preperations were not designed for songbirds, doves, corvids, or any other North American bird. They were designed for parrots and parakeets. If you check out the description of Hagen's handrearing formula on their own page (www.hagen.com) they specifically mention that the formula is unsuitable for small seed eaters.

You may be tempted nonetheless to use them, since they are so available, and easy to use. In all likelihood, your bird will grow up in a seemingly normal fashion. But there are 2 key points that I should like you to note. First, these formulas contain soy as one of their constituents. I've been told that soy is indigestible by our N. A. birds by a rehabilitator. What this means is not only will it not be broken down in the bird's digestive system, but the gastric balance will be disturbed enough so that other nutrients will also not be absorbed properly. Secondly, because of the different percentages of protein, carbohydrates, etc., N. A birds will likely suffer symptoms of nutrional deficiencies. Lack of energy, low muscle tone, and even anemia can occur. These are serious problems for small birds, and it is never a good idea to to give a bad nutrional start to a baby.

Yes, I did use it myself, but upo retrospect, I believe it did affect my bird's development. My bird developped far slower than others of his kind, taking a full 3 weeks to fledge, instead of the 2 that it usually takes.Compared to the young I saw outside, and to the experiences I've heard from others, his flight skills also developped slowly.

In my opinion, these formulas cannot be recommended. Most of the above diets are not that complicated to prepare, and serve the needs of specific species far better.