Keeping Your Bird Healthy and Happy!
First I know most will say I don't have time to cook for my birds, but really all it takes is a few hours a month, the ingredients, freezer bags and a freezer, and a microwave (in case you forget to take it out of the freezer). I feed all of my birds a mixture of fresh fruits and vegetables daily, along with my homemade birdie bread, and seed of course. I also provide them with a treat mixture and millet. Their diet can not be just seed, they need more than what seed can provide them with. My mixture consists of fresh fruits and vegetables, like broccoli, spinach, carrots, boiled and mashed egg, shell and all, pasta, whole wheat bread, petimine powder, fresh parsley, oatmeal, and hot pepper flakes, sometimes I add applesauce (unsweetened), when out of apples, and use frozen vegetables when I don't have fresh ones. I feed it to them in a separate dish every morning, As a treat mix my guys love a mixture of dried fruits, honey nut cheerios, dry oatmeal, raisins, dates, nuts, and, plain pasta with crushed red peppers, they just love their hot pepper flakes! I also give them very little amounts of unsalted crackers, graham crackers, and romaine lettuce. It took them a while to start eating both mixtures, because they weren't used to being feed anything but seed when I purchased them. They, well most of them got used to it and just love it, while others just stick to their seed diet, but I keep trying. I make the fresh fruit/vegetable mixture ahead of time and portion it into freezer bags, I take it out the night before I'm going to use it and put it in the refrigerator, normally it's thawed out by morning, if not, that's where the microwave comes in handy. I also make birdie bread which consists of various fruits and vegetables, the base being cornbread muffin mix. You can add just about anything to birdie bread, I have added the recipe below if you happen to be interested. My birds just love it. Of course my birds have access to seed all the time, but seem to eat less of it since I started feeding them the fruit/vegetable mixture and birdie bread. PLEASE when making anything for you birds, remember to wash your fruits and vegetables well before giving them to your birds, the pesticides that are used in gardening will harm your bird. PLEASE read the list below of foods that ARE and ARE NOT safe to feed your birds BEFORE you make any mixture up to feed them! I also add a vitamin supplement to their water silo or tube, which is changed every other day. They are also provided with a separate water dish which is changed daily, they tend to drink and bathe in the dish , that's why I supply them with two. All my cages are supplied with a cuttle bone, mineral block, various sized perches, and, plenty of toys to keep them busy, and it’s also good idea to have a perch that will aid in the care of their nails and beak. Having various perches is important to help with exercise of their legs and feet. Being cages, they need plenty of toys, change them out now and then, you can even change them around. Face it, you'd get bored doing the same thing day after day, they do too! And..... Last but not least..... They need lots of love and attention....Let them out to play, they need to be handled everyday to keep them sweet, and people friendly.... A HAPPY BIRD IS A SWEET BIRD!
Feeding Do's & Don'ts:
PLEASE when making anything for you birds, remember to wash your fruits and vegetables well before giving them to your birds, the pesticides that are used in gardening will harm your bird. PLEASE read the list below of foods that ARE and ARE NOT safe to feed your birds BEFORE you make any mixture up to feed them!
DO PROVIDE YOUR BIRD WITH
Alfalfa, apples, Apricots, Bananas, beets, blackberries, blueberries, broccoli, brussels sprouts, carrots, celery, cooked (dried) beans, cooked eggs, cooked pasta (don't cook the pasta in oil or salt), corn on the cob, cucumbers, darker lettuce (in small amounts), kale, mango, peas, sprouts, spinach (in small amounts), whole grain breads.
DO NOT PROVIDE YOUR BIRD ANY OF THE ITEMS LISTED BELOW
DO NOT GIVE - Alcohol DO NOT GIVE -Garlic
DO NOT GIVE - Avocado DO NOT GIVE - Hot dogs
DO NOT GIVE - Caned foods DO NOT GIVE - Milk
DO NOT GIVE - Candy DO NOT GIVE - Onions
DO NOT GIVE - Cheese DO NOT GIVE - Pickles
DO NOT GIVE - Chocolate DO NOT GIVE - Potatoes
DO NOT GIVE - Chips DO NOT GIVE - Rhubarb
DO NOT GIVE - Coffee DO NOT GIVE - Soda
DO NOT GIVE - Dairy products (of any kind) DO NOT GIVE - Eggplant
DO NOT GIVE - French fries DO NOT GIVE - Fried food
*If you have any doubt about feeding your bird an item, do not feed it to him.
Debbie's Birdie Bread Recipe
1 pkg. Jiffy corn bread/muffin mix (any corn muffin mix will due)
NO SUGAR ADDED TO PREMIXES!
1 C oats
1/2 C fresh cherries (chopped fine, no pits, they will poison your bird)
1/2 to 1 C seed mix
2 TBS crushed red pepper flakes
1 ripe banana (smashed)
3 tsp petimine (can be made without)
1 C fresh broccoli (chopped fine)
1 C mixed unsweetened tropical fruit (chopped fine) (save juice) NOT IN SYRUP!
1 graded carrot
3 eggs shells and all
1/2C fruit juice (this is where the set aside juice come in)
1/4 C water
**Wash all fresh fruits and vegetables well before using them, pesticides can kill your bird!
(I run all my ingredients through a food processor)
Mix all ingredients together except the seed, mix well. Stir in seed, again, mix well. Spray both sides and bottom of 8x10 pan, with olive oil spray, add mixture, bake at 375 for approximately 30 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
*You may substitute any fruits or vegetables that your bird is partial to, or, add more of one thing and eliminate the other. Just check to make sure the ingredient is safe for your bird to eat before adding it. If your mixture seems to runny add more oats, to thicken. If to thick add more unsweetened juice or plain water, the consistency should be rather thick.
When I first made this , this recipe was enough to feed my birds for a month, but my flock has grown so, that I have to use 4 times the ingredients in order for it to last a month. But they are so worth it!
I feed all my birds a homemade seed mixture consisting of Blue Seal Cockatiel seed ,Zupreem fuit flavored pellets, and Zupreem Breeders Choice Natural Cockatiel pellets. I also provide various fresh fruits, vegetables, and pasta, in a seperate food dish (once a day), if fresh are not available, I use frozen..Remember to remove the fresh foods you provide before they spoil, we don't want our feathered friends getting sick. Of corse they do get other treats too!
** PLEASE TAKE NOTE: All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. The information on this site is provided for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for professional advice of any kind. Debbie's Birdhouse assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. Any material found on this website was gathered from what I consider informative sources, as well as my own opinion. Keep in mind I am not an expert ! Please contact your nearest Avian Vet if you have a problem, don't take any chances!
Powered by WebRing
This page last updated:
07/02/11
| 
.jpg)
