The zinkdough recipe specifies UNmedicated chick starter. Pretty much ALL
soy, maize, canola products should be considered GMO. The ones that AREN'T
are careful to advertise the fact. So much wheat is exported that PNW wheat
farmers at least are very averse to GMO seeds anywhere near their fields.
Millet is such a low value crop l didn't expect it to be GMO. But Wayne
Hoffman raised the question in relation to human targeted millet. If this
food were the sole source of food to a bird it would be a concern. But
presumably it's a supplement. What about parents run ragged trying to catch
enough bugs for their nestlings? A free snack might give the parent a boost
during a frantic 16 hour day.
On Friday, March 5, 2021, Elise W <ewolf97@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I am obviously biased as a songbird rehabber, lol. I am prone to thinking
about nutrition. It *is *costlier to feed a nut/seed-based suet, true.
And true suet is a PIA. All birds love fat, and if you add high-glycemic
carbs (ground grains, corn), then you've basically added sugar. Who doesn't
love *that*! My mind goes to Sister's Bakery, lol. I have never liked
this recipe. It concerns me for many reasons (as do many of her other
protocols and tmt of baby birds).
*Perhaps for Spring we might ask, what will help our feeder visitors get
through the physically demanding breeding season?*
Food type has everything to do with digestibility. High fiber slows
digestion. The longer the belly is full of empty-calory foods (due to high
fiber, low kcal foods, or poorly digested foods), the less time that bird
will have that day to fill up on more beneficial, nutritious food.
So, for you nerdy folks like me. Here's a nutritional analysis, just for
fun and giggles.
- PB (23% protein, 50% fat, 21% carb, kcal/g 5.85); (1 cup)
- Lard (100% fat), (1 cup)
- Chick starter - 18-22% protein, 3+/-% fat, carbs 80% or so, (made
from soybean & canola meals, corn, wheat middling) (6 cups total grains)
- Quick oats 17% protein, 7% fat, 66% carbs, kcal/g 3.89
- Corn - 9% protein, 5% fat, 74% carbs, Kcal/g 3.65 (cornmeal assumed
to be similar)
- Wheat (13% protein, 2.5% fat, 71% carbs, kcal/g 3.4
Note that birds' digestive tracts will determine which of these foods they
will get the most nutrition from.
In contrast to this recipe, the birds eating a cake made up mostly of
peanut butter, suet, and mixed seeds is getting this nutrition: PB (23%
protein, 50% fat, 21% carb, kcal/g 5.85); Suet (100% fat), Sunflower seed
(23% protein, 50% fat, 19% carb, kcal/g 5.7, Millet (is a seed) 11%
protein, 4% fat, 72% carbs, kcal/g 3.78. With this recipe, woodies,
nuthatches, and other winter seed eaters are pounding down very high k/cals
per gram of food, that is highly digestible for them and fills their
bellies with quality nutrition.
Overall, this is a high fat (why they like it), low protein (grains bring
the total protein down), risky (soybean, fibers), and high carb food. The
meager cup of peanut butter is the only quality food in it. ***Unless we
are feeding finches - then rock on! (minus the chick starter, granivores
require less protein, at least adults in winter).
If you reverse this recipe to 6 cups nut/suet (50:50) 1 cup grain, you
wind up with more nutritious food. PS: leave out chick starter! Or any
poultry foods. First, they're meant for, well, poultry. Often they are
medicated, usually GMO, with grains laced with pesticide/herbicides,
usually with soybeans (lots of new research calling into question soy).
Even if organic, this is not something to put in cakes.
Grains make a cake hard for sure, and many commercial cakes are not using
true suet.
(Nutritional data sources: International Wildlife Rehabilitation
Association Nutritional Guidebook).
Elise Wolf
Native Bird Care
Sisters, OR
541-728-8208
