Market Place Ingredients

Goldenfeast shops the world for the finest available ingredients!  We offer to you the highest grade Treats, Supplements, Fruits, Grains and Seeds, Herbs and Spices, Nuts and Vegetables.    These “Market Place Ingredients” are available to Retailers and Distributors.

Goldenfeast® is a producer of gourmet foods for exotic birds, other pets and wild birds.  Since 1991, Goldenfeast® has strived to provide only the finest ingredients and formulas.  Our growth is attributed to offering excellent service and our unwavering philosophy, which is as true as the day the company was founded. “We will change our formulas only to improve, never to cheapen”.

We add no artificial ingredients or preservatives to our formulas. A sampling of the many ingredients used in the Goldenfeast® formulas include spices such as whole cinnamon and star anise seed, herbs, assorted shelled nuts and in-shell nuts to include cedar nuts and macadamia nuts, dehydrated vegetables, our spicy pasta formula, spirulina, sterile hemp seed, flax seed, dehydrated eggs, more than 15 types of fruits, bee pollen, and so much more.

Market Place Ingredient Pricing is subject to change without notice.

The Goldenfeast Chatter

The Goldenfeast Chatter by E. Schmitt

A Chatter Ingredient Focus

Welcome to the Goldenfeast Chatter. Our website publication will be ongoing. We will offer information to include the beneficial components as well as the misconceptions concerning ingredients. Since the knowledge of many ingredients used in animal products has not been researched for animal nutrition we will state  the virtues of those foods as they impact humans. We will publish a regular “Did You Know” feature regarding pet care, research and anecdotes gathered from articles as well as from readers of our column. The focus of the Goldenfeast Chatter will be on exotic birds, however, we welcome your experiences regarding both their feeding and care as well as your interaction with them and other pet types. If you have something to share regarding your dog, gecko, sugar glider or the koi in your pond, let us know. Eventually we will be producing foods for many creatures besides exotic birds.

Exotic birds make wonderful pets. They are amusing and good company.  A good starter bird or 2 may be a pair of finches, a parakeet, or a cockatiel. Unfortunately, some new bird owner’s start off with a bird that surprises them with the amount of noise they can make, the required care as well as the birds psychological needs. As an example of a birds psychological needs, a bird needs to feel safe and secure. The higher the position the bird is in their cage or a perch outside a cage, the more secure they feel. It is extremely important to learn all that you can before becoming a pet owner regardless of the pet you hope to own.

Sanitation & Exotic Birds A pet bird can weigh from 1 once for a finch to 4 pounds for a large macaw.  The fractional weight for these creatures when compared to humans, dogs and cats, when exposed to all of our viruses & other contaminants make these creatures more prone to illnesses. The lack of good hygiene when added to the mix can further endanger your pet. Sanitation and the obvious: The same hygiene applied to the preparation of the family dinner should apply to the care of exotics, whether they be birds, snakes or sugar gliders. Dogs and cats, as examples, can be great carriers of germs either on their coats, their feet and quite naturally their mouth. Always wash your hands before (and after) handling a pet-particularly a pet bird, and before preparing their food. (naturally, you would first wash your hands when preparing a meal for the family). Unsanitary practices contribute greatly to food contamination and can impact a bird’s health with devastating consequences. The affection an animal, such as a dog/cat exhibits by licking your face can transmit harmful bacteria. If the bacteria are harmful, you then become a carrier. The transmission of these germs is a distinct possibility. Vacuum Cleaners: Unless it has a water or hep filter, a vacuum cleaner can be a great transmitter of germs. If the air leaving a vacuum cleaner has an odor, then the filter, correct one or not, is not functioning properly. Other considerations: (a) Do not wear shoes in the house and polish them only in the garage or outside) (b) wash your hands immediately after entering the house. (c) vacuum and dust regularly using a static cloth or brush (d) add a quality room filter to the environment (e) feed bowls should be cleaned daily using hot soapy water; for large birds, fill the feed bowl with only 1” of food in the AM and 1” in the PM. Discard any remaining food when refilling the dish; sanitize the banisters and other common contact areas with sanitation wipes or diluted bleach (add 2 oz. per gallon of water). Wipe regularly the cages of exotics with the diluted bleach. Medical experts concur that the vast majority of “24 hour illnesses” are attributed to the lack of good hygiene to include unsanitary practices, which can lead to the contamination of food. This can cause upset stomachs, headaches, diarrhea and other symptoms.

DID YOU KNOW……that research was conducted on the nutritional components of sunflower seeds and their relationship to animal health more than 25 years past by the Univ. of California-Davis. The now deceased Dr. Grau, who headed the research, spoke with me at length about his work. He addressed the many misconceptions about feeding sunflower seeds and their effect on animal nutrition, particularly when fed to exotic birds. In his studies, Dr.Grau’s research on the cockatiels used in his study, which were fed sunflower seeds exclusively, for one year, showed no evidence of fatty tissue, clogged arteries or tumors. The cockatiels, upon completion of the 1year study, were in perfect health! His research further showed that sunflowers when compared to other foods, offer the most complete vegetable protein known. Why then the many misconceptions regarding sunflowers and their purported delirious effects on birds? Well, even a good thing can be overdone. A caged bird placed on too high a protein diet can get “stair crazy” pretty quickly. Birds need exercise. They need to flap their wings, climb around, and socialize with humans and other birds. In some cases, socialize with non-avian pets as well. The bottom line is the same with all pets, do not overfeed. Suppose you were confined to a room, fed 3 squares a day and not allowed to exercise? You would get fat, lazy and become very irritable. Animals are no different.

More to follow on sunflower and feeding habits

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