wild bird grass seeds?

[tasha]

Has anyone tried these and are they good for the gerbs? I was looking for the 'wild bird seed' that everyone mentions, but I don't really know what i'm looking for...
Is it a mix of different types of seed? The only things offered in the pet shop were bags of just sunflower seeds and bags of just these wild grass seeds.

[Ritzie/Admin]

Bird seed mixes contain a lot of different small seeds, for the larger birds, also some larger ones.

You can indeed give them grass seeds!

Here some on the food of wild gerbils:

The clawed gerbils eat seeds and green parts of many plants. In summer they prefer to eat green parts and in winter seeds and fruits. The composition of plant species, consumed by these animals, is found to be different for different regions. In the agricultural fields in Zabaikalie and Tuva mostly the seeds of crop plants are eaten. In fallowlands their food comprise cereals, wormwoods and plants of Chenopodiaceae, Compositae, Leguminosae and other families. In the food stores inside their burrows seeds of buckwheat (upto 20,5 kg), wheat, millet, oats, Setaria, Chenopodium, Caragana (upto 1.4 kg) and branches of wormwood have been found. Oats are preferred to wheat as a feed (LAVRINENKO & TARASOV, 1967). Usually the stores contain only one type of food. Storing of food begins in the middle of August and continues upto the middle of autumn and sometimes even upto winter. All animals of this species take part in the storing; very often adult animals are seen collecting food items with the help of their juvenile offspring. All members of a family group spend the winter together in the same burrow (FETISOV & MOSKOVSKIKH, 1948).

The most important items of summer food are the green parts of hemp, Chenopodium, buckwheat, Atriplex, Artaphaxis scoparia and other plants (LEONTJEV, 1954).

home.wtal.de/ehr/gerbils/wild.htm

[sweetie]

Thanks Peter!!

You are a scholar indeed!!

I would make sure the any seeds given are free of chemical agents like fertilizer that are often found in grass seeds.

[Ritzie/Admin]

I've studied Animal Care & Veterinary Nursing before I started with the study Animal Management. That included also the food and care of birds. ;D

[sweetie]

If you can get paid for doing something you love (a job) you have succeeded in life!

I am glad that you have studied and done what you have done and are doing! Many people, especially all the members, are better for it. Thank you!

[Ritzie/Admin]

Now I still have to find a job after I graduate! Hopefully after a halve year! ;D

[sweetie]

Yes that is the hardest part of all!! Have you applied at any of the places that you interned for? They will have first hand knowledge of your excellent, skill, knowledge, and work ethic.

[Ritzie/Admin]

No, I hope to graduate over 6 months. After that I take some vacation. Than I'm not really sure what I want. Start working in a zoo (education) or study one year more. I can become a teacher by studying one more year. That is always helpfull when you apply for a job in zoo / nature education.

I need to make a decision soon! ;D

[Veronick]

Hello Peter,

I thought you said before that you wanted to work/study abroad?
Here in the UK, Bristol Zoo has a very good reputation with their research and conservation programme:
www.bristolzoo.org.uk/
www.bristolzoo.org.uk/about/jobs

Best wishes for 2005

[Ritzie/Admin]

Yes, that is one option! I want to stay in Europe. So the UK is option, and not far from the Netherlands. But I want first to try it in the Netherlands or the Vlamish part of Belgium (the Northern Dutch speaking part of Belgium). And I'm going to learn French, so the rest of Belgium and even France could be an option too. My German is very bad, so probably not an option, or first learning that too.

The Netherlands have a lot of zoos, especially for such a small country! Probably because it is so dense populated.