I've kept and bred finches, doves, canaries and small hookbills since obtaining my first pair of red-cheeked cordon blues in 1973. I am a member of NFSS, AFA and ADA and am currently breeding about a dozen different species, mostly African waxbills. I'm always on the lookout for anything new & improved and have tried several different bird herb products offered in the avian catalogs.
My herb mix differs from these in several unique ways... Each herb has been chosen for its healing and preventative properties. Our captive birds are not able to self-medicate like birds in the wild and I'm trying to remedy this with my Twin Beaks Aviary's Herb Salad. With the help from a nutritionist and several years of research, I came up with my current blend. I've chosen only herbs that are organically certified and cultivated for human consumption.
All 22 herbs in my mix have been tested, each individually, on hundreds of birds. If it went untouched I took it out of my mix. I then chose those herbs that the birds found most palatable, yet targeted various functions, e.g. antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, liver and kidney function, blood cleanser, digestion, fertility, immune system, respiratory, etc. The final step was to observe which herbs were being consumed at a faster rate and I adjusted the ratios accordingly.
I've supplied dozens of aviaries with my herb mix and the response has been tremendous! 22 different herbs each in its own dish is impractical, so I've chosen to offer it mixed, in shallow dishes, so that the bird may pick around and find what it needs. I've had dishes that have gone untouched and then suddenly it's empty! This tells me that the birds in that cage were fighting off an illness that I never even saw signs of! When I bring in new birds, it's the first dish they go for!
I purchase my herbs in bulk quantities from several different herb suppliers to get the best selection and lowest prices. I didn't start out with the intention of turning this into a business, but the interest and demand generated by word of mouth has prompted me to offer my bird herb mix to fellow avian enthusiasts. Twin Beaks Aviary's Herb Salad works so well, I want to share it with anyone looking to improve the health of their birds, naturally and as a preventative to disease and illnesses. Cathy J. DeHaan - Twin Beaks Aviary
