YAY! Fresh veggie success! Also Bird Bread questions

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Sojourner
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YAY! Fresh veggie success! Also Bird Bread questions

Post by Sojourner » Mon Mar 13, 2017 8:37 pm

I actually got Thing One and Thing Two to eat plain chopped veggies today, without having to disguise them under a coating of wheat germ and wheat bran and coconut flour, and without having to dry them out!

In fact I gave them seconds this afternoon and they ate most of that as well.

Doin' the happy dance! :-BD \M/ \:D/ \:D/ \:D/ \M/ :-BD

I am still sprinkling some crumbled bird bread over the veggies, but they are eating the veggies as well. Currently that is finely chopped carrots plus what is called "Spring Kale Mix" and some arugula.

Right now I have oat groats stuck on a wedge of orange to see if I can get them to go for that as well. Currently the only fruits they get are the relatively tiny amount in the bird bread I made.

I haven't succeeded in getting Pye and Bambi to eat the bird bread, but they are so happy to eat their vegetables I'm not sure its all that important. They also eat lots of CeDe dry egg food (though they've been off that while sitting on the nest, just don't pay that much attention to it).

Anyway. This batch of bird bread had:

a baked yam, skinned
a handful of seedless red grapes
half a banana
Broccoli slaw
Kale Spring Mix
Arugula
hulled millet
2 or 3 T of hemp oil
5 grain rolled cereal - oats, barley, wheat, triticale, and rye
Spelt flour
Buckwheat flour
3 eggs with the shells

I ground everything wet up in my VitaMix, then stirred all the dry stuff in and baked until it looked done. It made a TON of bird bread which is now in my freezer. I take one piece at a time out (about 3" x 4") and crumble it up for them - they're not that enthused about trying to gnaw it off a bigger chunk. It starts out a bit softish, but quickly turns rock hard in the dry desert air.

How often can I give them this?

Can I add some of their regular seed mix with the hulls?

Maybe add some flax, hulled hemp, sesame seed, and/or chia?

Is there anything else I could add to it that would make it more nutritious?

No corn, honey or other sugars, or peanut butter. I want to keep it that-stuff free.

YAY! MY GUYS ARE EATIN' FRESH VEGGIES!
Molly Brown 11/22/15
Pyewacket 6/15/17
Trudy 2/24/18

Turn towards home, and go there. Many overs, over woods and fields, streams and hills, many overs. Just turn towards home. How else would one go there? Perhaps it was a dream, and you have awakened from it. May the earth rise up beneath you, with home in your heart, and your person waiting.

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lovezebs
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Re: YAY! Fresh veggie success! Also Bird Bread questions

Post by lovezebs » Tue Mar 14, 2017 12:08 am

Sojourner

Woo hoo...
Finally they've figured out that the green stuff is good.
That's wonderful news.
~Elana~

Linnies~ Canaries ~ Zebras ~ Societies ~ Gouldians ~ Orange Cheeks ~ Shaft Tails ~ Strawberries ~ Red Cheek Cordon Bleu ~ Goldbreasts ~ Red Brows ~ Owls ~ Budgies ~ Diamond Firetails ~ Javas ~ Forbes Parrot Finches ~

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Sojourner
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Re: YAY! Fresh veggie success! Also Bird Bread questions

Post by Sojourner » Tue Mar 14, 2017 2:50 am

lovezebs

I swear I was THAT close to giving up.

I'm less worried about future rescue birds as well now, because my guys can teach them to eat their veggies, making my life SOOO much easier.

The difference in their behavior is amazing, too. Once they started eating any veggies at all they became calmer, quieter, more active, and more interested in their toys. I knew they needed to break the seed addiction but I didn't expect such an obvious and fast improvement.
Molly Brown 11/22/15
Pyewacket 6/15/17
Trudy 2/24/18

Turn towards home, and go there. Many overs, over woods and fields, streams and hills, many overs. Just turn towards home. How else would one go there? Perhaps it was a dream, and you have awakened from it. May the earth rise up beneath you, with home in your heart, and your person waiting.

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Babs _Owner
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Re: YAY! Fresh veggie success! Also Bird Bread questions

Post by Babs _Owner » Tue Mar 14, 2017 8:06 am

Sojourner

Congrats! =D> I know you were working hard at getting them to try new things! Woo hoo!

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lovezebs
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Re: YAY! Fresh veggie success! Also Bird Bread questions

Post by lovezebs » Tue Mar 14, 2017 8:07 am

Sojourner

Once they discover other foods, it makes life better for them on different levels. I mean, there is no doubt that it makes them healthier, but also it opens up a whole new world of different flavours and textures to look forward to.

You can also try things like pulverised freeze dried mealworms, which are a wonderful source of protein for them.

Don't be surprised if you will see somewhat softer poopies with the intro of different foods, that's normal.
~Elana~

Linnies~ Canaries ~ Zebras ~ Societies ~ Gouldians ~ Orange Cheeks ~ Shaft Tails ~ Strawberries ~ Red Cheek Cordon Bleu ~ Goldbreasts ~ Red Brows ~ Owls ~ Budgies ~ Diamond Firetails ~ Javas ~ Forbes Parrot Finches ~

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Sojourner
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Re: YAY! Fresh veggie success! Also Bird Bread questions

Post by Sojourner » Fri Mar 17, 2017 5:35 pm

lovezebs

Yeah, their poops were sort of like hard little rocks before. Softer would be better.

They're so much more active now, they actually get tired, LOL! They will nap for a few minutes from time to time during the day now, which they never did before (but is perfectly normal in budgies).
Molly Brown 11/22/15
Pyewacket 6/15/17
Trudy 2/24/18

Turn towards home, and go there. Many overs, over woods and fields, streams and hills, many overs. Just turn towards home. How else would one go there? Perhaps it was a dream, and you have awakened from it. May the earth rise up beneath you, with home in your heart, and your person waiting.

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lovezebs
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Re: YAY! Fresh veggie success! Also Bird Bread questions

Post by lovezebs » Fri Mar 17, 2017 6:30 pm

Sojourner

Nobody wants to have little rock poopies, ouch!!!
~Elana~

Linnies~ Canaries ~ Zebras ~ Societies ~ Gouldians ~ Orange Cheeks ~ Shaft Tails ~ Strawberries ~ Red Cheek Cordon Bleu ~ Goldbreasts ~ Red Brows ~ Owls ~ Budgies ~ Diamond Firetails ~ Javas ~ Forbes Parrot Finches ~

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Re: YAY! Fresh veggie success! Also Bird Bread questions

Post by MisterGribs » Fri Mar 17, 2017 6:37 pm

Nice!! Congrats. Isn't it hard to get a bird to do (or not do) something??
2 black cheek zebras and 5 CFW zebras, one A&M pied coturnix hen, my darling cream/lavender coturnix roo, and his attitude.

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Sojourner
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Re: YAY! Fresh veggie success! Also Bird Bread questions

Post by Sojourner » Fri Mar 17, 2017 7:32 pm

MisterGribs

It is that!

One unfortunate side effect of their enhanced dietary techniques has been ... :YMSICK:

Well. Budgies have this habit of regurgitating for their mates, if they have them, and on their mirrors if they don't, you know? And now that there is softer food in their diet - there is more YUCK on their mirrors. I have to clean them EVERY day now.

Ewwww! Icky icky icky btang PYEW!

Rotten little narcissists!
Molly Brown 11/22/15
Pyewacket 6/15/17
Trudy 2/24/18

Turn towards home, and go there. Many overs, over woods and fields, streams and hills, many overs. Just turn towards home. How else would one go there? Perhaps it was a dream, and you have awakened from it. May the earth rise up beneath you, with home in your heart, and your person waiting.

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MisterGribs
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Re: YAY! Fresh veggie success! Also Bird Bread questions

Post by MisterGribs » Sat Mar 18, 2017 12:25 am

Sojourner I've been vomited on so many times by various hookbills and even a pigeon once. It's supposed to be a compliment but.. No thanks. :x
2 black cheek zebras and 5 CFW zebras, one A&M pied coturnix hen, my darling cream/lavender coturnix roo, and his attitude.

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Re: YAY! Fresh veggie success! Also Bird Bread questions

Post by babynachos » Thu Mar 23, 2017 4:58 pm

would you mind sharing the full recipe? i'd like to make this for my babies!
Sojourner wrote: I actually got Thing One and Thing Two to eat plain chopped veggies today, without having to disguise them under a coating of wheat germ and wheat bran and coconut flour, and without having to dry them out!

In fact I gave them seconds this afternoon and they ate most of that as well.

Doin' the happy dance! :-BD \M/ \:D/ \:D/ \:D/ \M/ :-BD

I am still sprinkling some crumbled bird bread over the veggies, but they are eating the veggies as well. Currently that is finely chopped carrots plus what is called "Spring Kale Mix" and some arugula.

Right now I have oat groats stuck on a wedge of orange to see if I can get them to go for that as well. Currently the only fruits they get are the relatively tiny amount in the bird bread I made.

I haven't succeeded in getting Pye and Bambi to eat the bird bread, but they are so happy to eat their vegetables I'm not sure its all that important. They also eat lots of CeDe dry egg food (though they've been off that while sitting on the nest, just don't pay that much attention to it).

Anyway. This batch of bird bread had:

a baked yam, skinned
a handful of seedless red grapes
half a banana
Broccoli slaw
Kale Spring Mix
Arugula
hulled millet
2 or 3 T of hemp oil
5 grain rolled cereal - oats, barley, wheat, triticale, and rye
Spelt flour
Buckwheat flour
3 eggs with the shells

I ground everything wet up in my VitaMix, then stirred all the dry stuff in and baked until it looked done. It made a TON of bird bread which is now in my freezer. I take one piece at a time out (about 3" x 4") and crumble it up for them - they're not that enthused about trying to gnaw it off a bigger chunk. It starts out a bit softish, but quickly turns rock hard in the dry desert air.

How often can I give them this?

Can I add some of their regular seed mix with the hulls?

Maybe add some flax, hulled hemp, sesame seed, and/or chia?

Is there anything else I could add to it that would make it more nutritious?

No corn, honey or other sugars, or peanut butter. I want to keep it that-stuff free.

YAY! MY GUYS ARE EATIN' FRESH VEGGIES!

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Sojourner
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Re: YAY! Fresh veggie success! Also Bird Bread questions

Post by Sojourner » Fri Mar 24, 2017 3:33 pm

babynachos

Full recipe for ... ?

What I listed for the bird bread actually was the full recipe. I didn't measure anything, I just sort of glopped it together until I had a stiff dough - about the consistency of Play-Doh, then pressed that into a flat cookie sheet that has edges. I lined the pan first with teflon foil. I baked at 300F I think - might have been 250F now that I think of it. I let it bake away until I thought it looked "done" - no idea how long that was.

The veggies are just veggies that I chopped up fairly finely for them. I had a "Spring Kale" mix, some broccoli slaw, some parsley, some carrots, some kale, and some arugula. I don't always have that all at once but I did this time because - making bird bread.

Anyway I just chop the veggies up fairly finely for the budgies, give it whole to the finches because they nibble.

What else can I tell you to help?
Molly Brown 11/22/15
Pyewacket 6/15/17
Trudy 2/24/18

Turn towards home, and go there. Many overs, over woods and fields, streams and hills, many overs. Just turn towards home. How else would one go there? Perhaps it was a dream, and you have awakened from it. May the earth rise up beneath you, with home in your heart, and your person waiting.

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