Living as I do in a place like Tasmania it is a huge challenge to keep and breed any bird species in such a variable, bird-hostile climate.

When you then factor in that the birds I keep are finches - most of them from tropical climes - then you know you are in for a hard time!!

Over the years the spectre of egg-binding has always been a constant companion to any that contemplate the breeding of finches here.
Despite the best efforts of experienced breeders it seemed that egg-binding was here to stay like an uninvited "guest"!

Well, that was until a couple of us got stuck into the problem and consulted a few avian vets about a solution to the problem a few short years back.

By using a blend of available pigeon products and a number of naturally occurring calcium sources we "put together" a mix that we fed to our birds that, so far, appears to have gone a long way to making egg-binding a thing of the past.

After a visit from one of Aussies finest finch breeders and his enquiry into "what the hell is the pink stuff in the bottle" the stuff now known as Polly's Calcium Mix has made the step onto the Mainland!

Apparently even Mainland breeders have some problems with egg-binding and my mate trialled my concoction and decided it was indeed the 'right stuff'!!
As he tends to have a 'few' bird keepers visit on a regular basis it was not long before others asked him what was in it or, better still, why didn't he make it up so they could all use it!!

Next thing I know I'm beachcombing Clifton Beach with pockets full of oyster shell or constantly looking for a fine shellgrit to go into this 'great' mix!!
So from the pristine unpolluted beaches of Southern Tasmania bags of oyster shell and shellgrit made its way up to the Hunter Valley.

The rest is that John Butler has now blended Polly's Calcium Mix into quantities that all your birds can benefit from!
Just drop him an email or a call on the numbers listed at the bottom of this piece and he should be able to help you out.

No before you start ripping it, or me, to pieces here is the truth and the reason why I have been using this stuff for years.
However, maybe prudent here to state that this is NOT meant to be a "cure" for egg-binding as there are a host of factors that influence egg-binding - the age and condition of the birds and the variability of the climate to name but two of them. This mix is meant as a source of calcium for aviary birds and nought else. Presented as it is the birds can select from it what they need and are not forced to consume calcium at times when it may not be as essential to their well-being.

After spending months trailing special seed mixes and live food techniques for finches it seemed a logical step to tackle the spectre of egg-binding here - especially when you consider one day over last summer was 38 degrees and the next day was only13 degrees!!
So after much reading, discussion and research I came up with this mix. I must admit experience has taught me to keep such research to myself until I was fully convinced that it actually "worked"!!!

All The Goodies!!	Ready to Go!	All That They Need!!

Must admit my own results suggest that this is a real goer and if John reckons the same then its good enough for me!!

If you have any concerns or require more information feel free to email me on the address below and I'll endeavour to answer your questions.

If you're a Taswegian then just email me at marcus_pollard@hotmail.com or call me on 03 62489539