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Reprinted with permission of Carla
Thornton Bon
appe-tweet! Is your bird bored with pellets? Sick of seed? Punch up his diet with these home-cooked treats. _____________
Text
and photos by Carla Thornton
IF HE WERE LIVING WILD in Australia, your cockatiel might be dining on casuaina nuts. Your pionus, a South American native, might have pico pico berries for lunch or a few seed pods from an Inga tree. And your macaw would be munching on the leaves and bark of the Costa Rican gallinazo tree. In the wild, parrots feast on a banquet of plants, seeds, fruits and small insects. In captivity, our birds depend on us to keep them well fed, and that's not always easy. We can't exactly reach out the window and grab a handful of Inga pods. On the other hand, there's no avian equivalent of Alpo we can dump in a bowl every morning before rushing off to work. What to do? The all-natural diet Exceptions to this rule include lories and lorikeets, nectar-eating parrots that require a special liquid diet. And there are some seemingly ordinary people foods you should never feed your bird, such as avocado. (For further details, see ParrotChronicles.com's FAQs). So how do you go about upgrading your parrot's diet? You can toss a broccoli spear or noodle into his food dish off your own plate whenever you think about it. However, meals made just for him will result in a more consistent diet and, ultimately, less hassle for you. A handful of companies sell prepackaged dishes for parrots. These heat-and-serve meals are convenient for owners but can be a little pricey. For instance, Beak Appetit sells six pounds of mash for $41, including shipping. If you're on a budget or want more control over the ingredients, it's easy to make your own wholesome bird meals. Recipe roundup You don't have to be an executive sous chef to make these dishes. Many require little more than dicing and mixing and bagging the results for the freezer. Some are baked items you won't mind nibbling on yourself. Others are flock-size mashes that will keep your bird in healthful nummies for weeks. All are valuable time savers that will spare you the trouble of hand-cutting or cooking food for your bird every day. A few caveats: If you intend to continue feeding your bird pellets, omit any vitamins called for in these recipes to avoid overdosing. You may also want to use non- or low-lactose products for any dairy that's called for, as lactose may bother some birds. Scrub all fresh vegetables to remove pesticides. And if you heat portions of a dish before serving, be careful not to make the food too hot for your bird to eat. So roll up your sleeves, head for the kitchen, and prepare to whip
up some beak-smacking fare your bird will love. Before you know
it, you'll be the Julia Child of psittacine cuisine. Most important,
your parrot will be eating a well-rounded diet - one he may enjoy
almost as much as tree bark.
3 eggs Mix all ingredients in large bowl; bake in muffin tins or cake pans at 450 degrees for about 25 minutes. Can be frozen. Courtesy of Clyde Keeney and the American Cockatiel Society.
2/3 cups oatmeal (not instant) Bring water to a boil, add all ingredients, and stir for 1 minute. Remove from heat, cover and let stand until cool. Courtesy of the American Cockatiel Society
1 1/2 cups mixed beans Soak beans overnight in water, drain and rinse. Cover with water again, turn on heat and boil for 2 minutes. Let stand and cool for 1 hour. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently, until water is absorbed, or about 1 hour. Cool and keep refrigerated or freeze in baggies. Courtesy of the American Cockatiel Society
2 eggs Mix all ingredients except bread. Dip bread in mixture and pan fry until golden brown. They love it! Frank Dillin, fdillin@aol.com
1 cup small macaroni shells or elbows, preferably
whole wheat Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cover macaroni and corn with water in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil and cook until al dente (semi firm). Drain and pour in a greased 9" x 4" loaf pan (or similar size). Add remaining ingredients, mixing well. Bake approximately 40 minutes or until consistency is no longer "wet". Sprinkle top with optional sesame seeds. Cher. Angelo, Byrdwise@aol.com
1 cup ground bird pellets Combine ingredients, using enough fruit juice to form a firm dough. Roll into balls measuring one-half inch to three-quarter inches in diameter. Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake at 325 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes. Cool on a rack and keep in the refrigerator. Also freezes well. Makes 90 to 100 balls. My umbrella cockatoo and African grey both love these and will do just about anything to get one! I think they're much healthier than many of the bird treats in the pet stores. Catherine Dobbins, mcat@brella-grey.com
1 whole lettuce leaf Blend ingredients together until a fine paste. Pound paste into a shape such as a circle or heart and microwave for two minutes. Let cool for two more minutes before serving. Brittany Adkison, tropictango@hotmail.com
2 cups corn meal Mix and pour in greased 9" x 12" pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. Cut in bars, cool and serve. Misty Kent, byrdhaus@netins.net
1/2 cup whole milk Combine ingredients and pour into a greased 8" x 8" pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Cool and cut into squares. Freeze until ready to use. Courtesy of the American Cockatiel Society
1 2/3 cup water Bring water to a boil, stirring in couscous. Remove from heat, cover, and allow to sit for five minutes. While couscous soaks, dice tomatoes, onion, and peppers. Combine with remaining ingredients and saute lightly (adding a little butter, margarine, or olive oil, if neccessary). When couscous has absorbed all water, combine thoroughly with sauteed veggie mixture and serve. Freezes well and may be served hot or cold. Jessica Roberts, kusine@yahoo.com
1 package Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix Combine ingredients except milk. Add milk until batter reaches desired consistency and pour in 1/8 cup amounts on a hot griddle. Flip cakes when dry around the edges and bubbly on top. Stephanie Williamson, arwen@full-moon.com
Waffle batter Mix together, cook, and freeze in single servings for popping in the toaster later. Vary batches with substitute ingredients such as frozen vegetables (peas, corn, carrots) or crumbled pellets. Use your imagination! Jayne Nelson, birdjayne@aol.com
2 packages Mexican-style cornbread or muffin mix Bake in muffin tins until done. Freeze halves in baggies and thaw in refrigerator for serving every day. Richelle Porter, PorterSMRA@aol.com
1/2 cup dry black-eyed peas Rinse the beans, grains and rice. Soak overnight (at least 8 hours) in a large pot. In the morning add or remove water as needed to cover beans with about one inch of water. Boil beans for 10 minutes. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes more. By this time there should just be enough water left to keep beans moist. Scrub, quarter and slice potatoes into 1/8 inch pieces. Steam lightly, stirring every few minutes, and add to cooked beans. Add corn, peas, carrots and green beans to bean and potato mixture. This helps cool the mixture and thaw the frozen vegetables. Hand chop or lightly food process the next 11 ingredients (parsley, zucchini, tomatoes, mustard greens, bananas, apples, oranges, cranberries, mango, papayas and grapes). Don't process too finely; birds prefer chunky food. Add the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. Freeze in sandwich bags in daily serving portions. Defrost servings in refrigerator for 24 hours. Warm food by placing the bag in warm water. Mike Burton, www.birdsense.com
1 box of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix Blend ingredients thoroughly and bake as Jiffy package directs at 400 degrees in a muffin pan greased with corn oil. For the vegetables in this recipe you can substitute a stalk of broccoli, a handful of washed dandelion greens, and a handful green beans or peas. For the baby food, substitute a piece of banana and 1/3 cup milk or fruit juice. Birds seem to love the slightly green color! Norma Goldberger, ngoldber@neo.lrun.com
2 cups of cooked organic vegetable (orzo) pasta Cook pasta and rice, and thaw spinach, corn and broccoli by boiling for a few minutes. Chop broccoli and mash brussel sprouts. Mix ingredients thoroughly and freeze serving portions in baggies. Courtesy of Michelle Cushman and the American Cockatiel Society.
1 packet instant grits or oatmeal Bring apple juice to a boil and add remaining ingredients. Let cool and the cereal and dried fruit absorb the juice. Freeze in ice cube trays. Great on cold mornings, especially for weaning babies. Jamie Hullenbaugh, birdmom@spydee.net
1 cup brown rice Bring water to a boil and add all ingredients. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently, until water is absorbed (about 45 minutes). Allow to cool before serving. Courtesy of the American Cockatiel Society
1 cup brown rice Cook rice according to the directions on the box. Cool and add corn and eggs. Mix and serve. Courtesy of the American Cockatiel Society and the Missouri Cage Bird Association's "Recipes Are For The Birds."
2 boxes Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix Pour into a 9" x 13" pan greased with olive oil. Place on middle rack of 450-degree oven for 45 minutes or when a toothpick comes out clean. Cut into small squares and freeze in baggies. Reheat in microwave for 30 seconds and crumble into food dishes. Sue Turner, sturner@mediaone.net
Pasta The amount of each ingredient is up to the cook, but I suggest making half pasta and spaghetti and the rest equal portions of the remaining ingredients. Cook pasta and spaghetti and drain. Add carrots, broccoli, frozen vegetables, and beans while the pasta is cooling, then any optional ingredients (chopped nuts, hard-boiled eggs, etc.) Save for last the chopped fruits, baby bird handfeeding formula, and baby food. Mix well, using your hands to break the pasta and sphagetti into smaller pieces. Or, alternately, process the mixture in a blender to make a mash. Roll into 1-inch balls, adding more handfeeding formula if it gets too sticky to handle. Freezes well. Serve one or two balls daily, depending on your bird's size. Mengyao Aghamohseni, kaghamohse@aol.com
1 cup wheat flour Mix dry ingredients and add remaining. Grease and flour 9" x 13" pan with Crisco and wheat flour. Bake at 400 for 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean. Tracy Bockenhauer, avianrescue@aol.com
Tu-Ki is a greencheek conure who has no lower mandible. This easy-to-chew recipe helps satisfy her nutritional needs. Mix ingredients well and pour into a large, greased baking dish. Mixture will be lumpy and sticky. If too thick, add a little fruit juice or applesauce. Spread about 3/4" thick and bake 30 minutes or until golden and knife comes out clean when inserted in center. Cut into squares while still hot. Freeze squares in serving portions. Defrost a section overnight in the refrigerator and warm in microwave for 6 seconds. I also give her Tu-Ki soaked Zupreem pellets, chopped vegetables and fruit. I give the bread to my friends' birds and they all love it, too. Marlena Juniman, marlenaj@prima-soft.com |
