Q: What do you suggest for a winter feeding program?
I don't think anybody has a magic formula for winter feeding. You will need to adjust when it gets very cold and give them some extra corn in our part of the country. Basically use a low-protein inexpensive healthy feed with as much variety as possible.
Do not worry about the birds getting too fat. That is a real misconception on the part of many fanciers. You do not want to keep an animal too light in a cold climate. The extra weight is the way a bird protects itself during the cold weather. Nor is it necessary to get the weight down on birds before mating. When you mate the birds, they almost totally stop eating and get their weight where it belongs very quickly. This all happens without any complicated dieting program.
Wintertime is also an excellent time to get rid of any feed from the previous year. Simply take your special grains or flying mix and add barley, wheat, and corn to them. A little sunflower will not hurt either. Use everything up. This way you are ready to start your breeding and flying season with all new feed.
