www. pettradeworld. comPET TRADE WORLD OCTOBER 2009 33 Glee News and New Products Product - Way- to- Go Adventure Tunnel Product - Vets Best Natural Healthcare Company - What we liked - A puppy food off ering an organic option for owners who want to feed a healthy natural diet while reducing their pet's carbon pawprint. Manufacturer Statement - John Rice, Sales Director of OrganiPets, which was named the UK's number one Pet Food Company by the Good Shopping Guide 2007 and 2008, added: " We're delighted to be able to provide a high quality, healthy complete food for puppies off ering them all the goodness and nutritional requirements essential to the healthy growth and wellbeing of a young dog to give them the best start in life." Contact Details - Telephone: 0845 3880935 Email: info@ organipets. co. uk Web: www. organipets. co. uk ¦ YEAH A FEW SIDE EFFECTS. REDUCED SCRATCHING, SHINIER FUR, HAPPIER PETS, HAPPIER OWNERS NATURAL HEALTH CARE Company - SnuggleSafe What we liked - A great experience for guinea pigs and ferrets Manufacturer Statement - The new Way- to- Go tunnel has a smaller diameter than the Bunny Warren but extends to a longer 36" ( 915mm). It is entirely fl exible and each section can be joined together to make a variety of exciting runs. RRP £ 5.99 Contact Details - Telephone: 01903 730 811 Email Richard@ lenric. com ¦ Company - The Brampton Company What we liked - the idea of natural science for pets. Manufacturer Statement - Packed with vitamins, minerals and active natural ingredients, there is a wide range of products to support both cat and dog. The extensive range of products are fully supported with marketing materials and merchandising that run alongside the products, helping pet owners to quickly identify ailments and establish exactly how to treat them successfully. All without the help or cost of a vet! Contact Details - Telephone: 01480 492141 Website: www. vetsbest. com ¦ Product - Organic Puppy Food com Stateme w added quality a do

3 4 PET TRADE WORLD OCTOBER 2009www. pettradeworld. com Bird Food Focus Fine Feathered Food Winter can be a diffi cult time for birds as the foods they normally eat don't tend to be as readily available and may even be covered in snow! Wild birds have a relatively high metabolic rate that requires food on a regular and consistent basis. Many birds die during the winter, also during droughts, cold spells, prolonged rains, and any other conditions that reduce the availability of forage - leading to stress, weakness, reduced resistance to disease and parasites and starvation. Feeding wild birds can help sustain populations when natural food supplies are hard to fi nd. To the vast majority of people, feeding wild birds is primarily a part time activity involving off ering the birds treats and enjoying the benefi ts of having the birds visit their gardens. These types of people generally buy on impulse when something catches their eye and their knowledge about birds' nutritional needs is usually limited - but that doesn't mean to say that they're not willing to learn! In general, wild birds can be grouped together by the types of feed they eat. This does not necessarily mean that granivores ( seed- eaters), for example, eat only seed. Granivores prefer seed to other foods and specifi c types of seed to others. Since it is rare in nature to fi nd a food that is readily and always available, it is important to remember that most birds select food in order of their preferences. Birds can also be classed as Frugivores ( fruit feeders), Insectivores ( insect feeders) and Nectarivores ( nectar feeders). Many birds will happily fall into many diff erent categories depending on the type of food available. In addition to the importance of their feeding preferences when feeding wild birds, feeding behaviours of wild birds should be considered when selecting feeders. Some wild birds including robins and doves, forage on the ground. Others like woodpeckers and nuthatches, forage on the bark of trees. Goldfi nches and other granivores forage on the seed heads of grasses. Seed mixes are viewed - by some experts - as little more than ' bird candy'. Apparently birds are like children and they'll happily eat what they like, rather than what is nutritionally best for them. Seeds can though, provide the birds with much needed energy boosts during the winter. By keeping a high quality stock of specialist wild bird seeds, retailers can encourage customers from going to supermarkets where cheaper own brand mixed seeds tend to contain higher amounts of ' fi ller' seeds ( for example corn, milo, oats, wheat) which the majority of birds fi nd unpalatable and then tend to end up on the ground under the feeding station. I know of some communities that have tried to ban bird feeding because of the seed accumulation under the bird feeder and the pests that they attract. To avoid wastage - and attracting pests - here are some examples of birds' favourite seeds 1. Black sunfl ower seeds or black oil sunfl ower seeds will attract a wide range of birds. These look like a sunfl ower seed but they're smaller and totally black. They have a higher oil content and are softer and easier to open. 2. Saffl ower is a white seed and one of the few seeds that squirrels don't like. These seeds might attract Cardinals. The great thing is these can be left in a platform feeder and the squirrels won't even bother! 3. Nyger is a tiny black seed and is excellent for attracting goldfi nches. It can be costly compared to others but a great attraction if placed in the right type of feeder ( hanging with small holes). 4. White Millet can also be a little costly but is great for ground feeding and can scattered on the ground even in the snow to let the birds have a nice meal. Fat is a great source of energy and wild bird suet products are available in a variety of shapes and formulations. The shapes typically include the standard cake, plugs, balls or " berries" and bells. In addition to plain suet, formulations can consist of suet incorporating small amounts of attractants like berries, fruit, insects, nuts, and seeds to appeal to diff erent wild bird species. The primary nutritional component in wild bird suet products is beef fat. Wild birds are attracted to fat because of its high energy content. However it is in their best interests to consume fats that