An Attempt at Bird Bread

[MiaCarter]

So, I made an attempt and cooking up some bird bread.

It went pretty well.



I did a tiny splash of milk, 5 eggs and shells, 1 box of Jiffy corn muffin mix.

It came out good, except all the egg shells sank to the bottom and ended up in the crust.
Is there a way to avoid that?
They were equally mixed in the batter.

I guess I could add them in at the end, after I've crumbled up the bread. (My guys would never eat a hunk of bread; only crumbled bits.)

I was surprised by how much 1 box made with the 5 eggs. Once crumbled, it filled two tupperwares, so I froze one.

The response is lukewarm. A few tried it. But it's new, so we'll see. Definitely need to make up some egg food as it's not popular enough to be a replacement.

If it's not a hit, it will be tossed in the yard and served as a nice treat for the raccoons and other fine forest folk. So someone will enjoy it.

[delray]

miacarter Wow, I would mistake that for a human cake. Good job! Looks great.

Maybe on April fools day ice that and serve it to all the people you love the most (cough* cough* people *cough you don't cough* like) lol! ;)

[MiaCarter]

LOL Great idea!

Actually, since the eggshells all sank to the bottom, it's pretty easy to find an eggshell-free bite!
I tried it; it's not bad. Like cornbread, but a bit eggier.

I also made a pan of actual cornbread for myself.
In doing so, I realized that this was the first time I've ever used the oven in this house! I won't tell you how long I've lived here. (A few years. LOL)

I'm not the cooking type! That's hubby's gig.

Actually....come to think of it, the last thing I baked was also for animals! Dog treats!
I can't ever recall baking something for humans. I've never made a cake or anything. This may have been a first!

[Sally]

Try the egg bread recipe on this site, my birds always love this one. It calls for 12 eggs to one box of Jiffy cornbread mix, but doesn't include the shells. I dry the shells and crush them up to add to my mineral mix. This freezes well, and it makes a great egg food to use when out of town, as it can stay in the cage till eaten.

http://www.finchaviary.com/Maintenance/ ... ecipes.htm

[cindy]

instead of milk you can add an extra egg or two

I try to stay away from the box mixes..sugar and salt

I came up with this one using pellets

1/2 cup pellets 1/4 cup wheat germ 1/4 cup cornmeal... 4 eggs and shells Mix well. Once mixed pour into a greased baking dish and bake at 350*. Bake until done and when a toothpick is inserted it comes out clean. Turn the oven off, leave the baked mix in the oven to dry it out more. Once cooled run it through a food processor then finely grind or serve as a slice .... :> chopped veggies can also be added

[MiaCarter]

That sounds great! I wonder if I could do a bit extra wheat and corn instead of pellets? (My guys dislike them.)

That's also a good idea to try more eggs. I think I'll definitely give that a go.

I'll just skip the milk next time. I just did a tiny splash (maybe 1/8 cup? Very small amount as i know they're lactose intolerant).
I included it because I didn't know if it was required to make the bread come out, like to effect some sort of chemical process? (Don't laugh. I know nothing about cooking! I literally know how to make eggs, baked potatoes, dog treats and sandwiches. Oh, and I make mean nachos.)

I think I'll need to make up some eggs, mash 'em up and mix them in.
They're not too hot on the bird bread thus far, so it's not a good substitute for egg food. Plus, they love eggs, so adding them in will make them try it!


Cindy - you said "chopped veggies" and I see green bits.
What are those green bits?
What types of chopped veggies? Are you using fresh stuff or dried?

[cindy]

I use a Ninja chopper...do one type of veggie at a time...it keeps the veggies from getting to soupy. I use kale, parsley, peas (I whirl these once or twice in the Ninja to loosen the skin making it easier to eat, same with corn. You can use shaved broccoli chopped carrots, etc. You can even use herbs that are safe for birds to eat. Try pumpkin puree!!! I will dig out some of my recipes and post a few.

You can try doing the bread without pellets but it takes little of the pellets ground and a way to sneak them in to a treat!!!!!

I was doing a lot of baking and freezing items for the birds and little "muffin" type treats for our hookbills... my husband came into the kitchen and went to eat one, I gave him a look that must have made him say "they are for the birds huh?"

[steve]

Hi all

With all the guys/girls showing off their egg breads, I got my Daughter to make me one Yesterday:

Bran Muffin mix
Peas and Corn
12 Eggs
Milk
Oil

[jebediah]

It came out good, except all the egg shells sank to the bottom and ended up in the crust.
Is there a way to avoid that?
They were equally mixed in the batter.

I guess I could add them in at the end, after I've crumbled up the bread. (My guys would never eat a hunk of bread; only crumbled bits.)

A tip a learned from cooking class: dust the eggshells with flour and fold into the mix at the end. The flour should help suspend the eggshells bits in the batter.

I don't think flour is toxic to birdies? I suppose you could substitute jiffy mix if you need to.

[ranchnanny]

When I make my egg bread I use 1 1/2 cups corn meal, 12 eggs, grate carrot, chopped broccoli and any other additions. I also mix in the egg shells. Cook for 25 to 30 minutes let cool. I break it up in chunks and put in food processor to grind up that mixes up the shells. Put in container and refrigerate.

[Sally]

ranchnanny That looks good! What are the little dark bits in it?

[ranchnanny]

Sally the darks bits are Tonic Seed from Lady Gouldians. You can add anything you like veggies, seeds etc.

[Colt]

That does look good ranchnanny. Almost like Miracle Meal.

And I keep saying you need to publish an avian cookbook cindy. We'd have all your recipes at our fingertips then... ;)

[ranchnanny]

That's a great idea put it right on Finch Forum in a special topic...

[Sally]

Don't forget, we have a subforum in the Diet and Nutrition forum for Birdfood Recipes, it is right at the top of this forum. Everyone can post their recipes there if they would like. It can be egg food, birdie bread, or any other homemade food you prepare for your birds.