The basic diet for the Java Sparrow in captivity is a good quality foreign finch mix.

I have noticed that "standard" foreign finch mixes vary from different suppliers. Some suppliers add seeds that do not appear in another manufacturers mixes and vice versa.

I like to keep things simple when feeding my birds, the basic seed mix I use is from the Belgian company Versele Laga.

I use their 25KG bag of "Tropical Bird" mix. This mix comprises of:
Panicum Yellow 48%
Yellow Millet 35%
Canary 8.5%
Panicum Red 6%
Red Millet 3%
Niger 1.5%
 
 

I add more seeds to the above quantities to create my own mix, these are, 1KG Extra of Niger , 2KG Extra of Canary and 2KG of White Millet. My own 30KG now looks like this:

Panicum Yellow 12KG
Yellow Millet 8.25KG
Canary 4KG
Panicum Red 1.5KG
Red Millet 0.75KG
Niger 1.5KG
White Millet 2KG
The reason for adding these extra seeds??

Having tried different seed mixes in the past I discovered that my Java's seem to relish Canary, White Millet and Niger so I made the decision to increase these measures to the basic seed mix.

As mentioned above, "Foreign Finch" mixes from one supplier to another and these additional seeds are found in various mixes.
I am not an expert in avian diet (or bird keeping in general), but my Java's take this seed mix with no detrimental effects to their health.
 
 

Additional Seeds

This photo Versele-Laga's budgie tonic mix that I give my java's every 6 weeks. It contains seeds that are in my standard mix but it also contains additional seeds that the Java's take readily. I use it for one week then revert back to the standard mix.
 
 

Here is a breakdown of the Budgie Tonic Seed Mix that I give my birds:

Panicum Yellow 27%
Peeled Oats 27%
Japanese Millet 17%
Yellow Millet 10%
Red Millet 8%
Rape Seed 5%
Linseed 3%
Niger 2%
Canary 1%.

Giving Java's tonic seeds will help condition them for breeding and also offers an additional variety of vitamins and minerals that maintain general good health.
 
Treat Seeds

This photo shows a seed that my Java's devour....... Paddy Rice.

Paddy Rice is a seed that is in abundance in the Java Sparrow's natural habitat, in-fact the Java Sparrow is considered a pest in its native land as they are known to feed in the Paddy Fields and subsequently destroy rice crops

This seed has also influenced one of the alternative names for the Java Sparrow, that being the Rice Bird.

This seed is given to my birds once or twice a week.


Millet Sprays (Yellow Millet)

A big favourite with Java's are Millet Sprays. My Java's have access to them 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Breeding pairs are given 2 sprays which I change when fully stripped and the stock and flight cages will have a ratio of 4 sprays per 10 birds. Again, these are replaced when the sprays have been stripped.

Millet Sprays are also great for young fledglings, as this is one of the first seeds they will try for themselves just before becoming independent of their parents.

I have found it to be very economical to buy my millet in bulk. As I house around 100 Java's on average, I find that I get through quite a considerable amount so buying in bulk makes perfect sense.

Millet Sprays are usually supplied in 15kg boxes and I spend 2 to 3 hours trimming them down with scissors and bounding them together with tape....2 sprays at a time. Doing this is a tedious task but it cuts down on the time it takes to change the sprays in the cages. It also cuts down on storage space as around a third of the box it comes in is wasted due to the stems that are not required. Once I have prepared all the sprays I store them in plastic containers to keep them dry and fresh.

A good tip from my good friend Steve Nesbitt, of Just Java's, is to hang up the sprays on small plastic coated hooks. The will not corrode and are easy to clean. there is also no danger to the bird's injuring themselves on them or getting their closed rings caught on them.

Japanese Millet

This seed has the richest protein content of all the millets and is offered to my birds as a treat occasionally.

The main reason I hold stock of this seed is that I use it for rearing young Java's. I mix it in a 50/50 mix with dry eggfood, adult Java's will readily take this and successfully rear their young on this mix alone.

See more on this mix on the eggfood page.

I try different seed mixes as a treat!

Java Sparrow's love to try different seeds, so once in a while I give them a seed mix along side their staple foreign finch mix. I have tried several mixes but they always seem to enjoy Versele-Laga's "Wild Seed Mix".

This mix is also known by most seed suppliers as a "Meadow Seed Mix" and consists of many different grass seeds.

I also occasionally give my Java's a wild bird seed mix that I put in the feeders in my garden during the winter to feed the wild British birds...again, my Java's seem quite happy to take them.


On the whole, I tend to use Versele Laga seed products but I do use other brands from time-to-time. I purchase my Versele Laga seed from a supplier who is around a 45 minute drive from my house. It is not always practical for me to make this journey so I'll occasionally call in to a different supplier on the way home from work who sells Bucktons products.

I hope you have found this page useful but don't be led to believe that the seeds listed on this page are essential. Try various foreign finch mixes...you will soon get to know what your Java's enjoy.

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©Stuart Drury 2011.