Eggfood Recipe that I am working on

[ldupuis44]

Using a recommendation of a Java bird site, I have been making my own eggfood from the following recipe

4 hardboiled eggs
1.5 tbs oil
1-2 cups fresh, steamed veggies
Bread crumbs

I put the eggs, shell and all in a food processor and grind until fine and fluffy, then I add the oil (it is extra virgin olive oil), then I mix in enough bread crumbs (organic bread crumbs from Whole Foods) to absorb the oil and make a dry crumbly mixture, then I mix in chopped fresh veggies. Sometimes I drizzle with some organic honey as a special treat. And sometimes I mix in seed or sprouted seed.
I feed this every other day and refrigerate enough for 6 days, then freeze any extra, but usually only make enough for 6 days or less so its always close to fresh.

Any suggestions or tips to make this better? What do you think of the oil, should I be using a different kind?

[DanteD716]

I have never heard of using oil. What does it do? I suggest cornmeal though (the powder) i add a table spoon and it eorks very well to dry tge eggfood! I got the idea from somebody else on the forum

[Jodi]

Hi! I think that's too much oil for 4 eggs. I use about 1 teaspoon cod liver oil for 4 eggs. I don't think you need to cook the veggies; just chop them up. I also add cornmeal or miracle meal, and boiled or chitted seed.

Just my two cents

[cindy]

Bear in mind with oils and eggs in a warm environment...it will go rancid quickly. I don't add the oil to the eggs but you can offer a little wheat germ oil mixed in the seed, leave it down for two hours then remove it. Wheat Germ oil needs to be stored in the fridge when not using it.

I would not use the oil everyday when feeding parent birds with young. The babies need the protein and grated egg with veggies lie shaded broccoli heads and carrots, cornmeal added does nicely.

[L in Ontario]

I've never heard of using EVO and I have to agree that 1.5 tbs is way too much. Here's my eggfood recipe for finches year round -

This recipe is what I use for 100 birds BUT it can be cut down to 1 cup soakseed, 1 tsp CLO, 1 tsp WGO, 4 eggs and ½ cup dry commercial eggfood. Follow recipe as below.

Pour 4 cups soakseed in a pitch, cover with water and add about 1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar. Stir and soak for about 24 – 30 hours. Stir periodically.

At the same time, put 16 large eggs in pot of water (enough water to cover the eggs). Heat to a full boil. Turn off heat and cover – let sit on the heat for 15 minutes. Drain, cool and put in fridge overnight.

The next day (after 24 hours of soaking the soakseed), rinse and drain the seeds really well in a sieve (can let stand overnight in a towel to drain further). This makes about 8 cups of soakseed (it just about doubles in volume). Pour the seeds into a large bowl or pot. Add 4 tsp CLO and 4 tsp WGO to the soakseed. Stir well.

Pour 2 cups of soakseed into a bowl and set aside. Take 4 hardboiled eggs from the fridge and run through a food processor with the shell for a few seconds – just enough to break it down and make it fluffy. Pour the egg/shell mixture into the bowl with the 2 cups of soakseed. Add about ¾ - 1 cup dry commercial eggfood (Orlux Tropical Finch or Quicko). Mix gently until the eggs and soakseed are of a crumbly consistency. Ensure even consistency and then fill sandwich ZipLok bags (I stuff them FULL), squeeze out the air as you zip the bag closed and freeze until needed. Take one baggie out of the freezer and it's ready for the finches almost immediately. It doesn't freeze solid like water to ice - you can immediately crumble it into the finch dishes and serve.

When vegetables are cheapest (in the fall), get a few bunches of brocolli and chop them up. Run through the food processor to mince into finch beak size pieces. Then mix with the eggfood/soakseed. Finches LOVE broccoli! You can also add carrots (also run through the food processor until minced). Both broccoli and carrots can be frozen (minced). Then chop a large piece off to thaw and mix with the eggfood/soakseed as needed.

Give 1 tablespoon every morning per pair when breeding. Remove any excess in the evening (dinner time). Refill in the evening for breeders with hatchlings or for those just weaned and moved to their own cage. I use cleaned jam jar lids or peanut butter lids. Turn upsidedown and fill with eggfood/soakseed. Place on the floor of cages. All the finches flock to this every time it’s put in the cages.

Hope that helps!

CLO = Cod Liver Oil
WGO = Wheat Germ Oil

[ldupuis44]

Thanks for the tips everyone. I was mostly using EVO because I do not CLO or WGO, I plan to get some on my next trip to the store and switch over to that, but I will reduce the amount of oil that I use over all.

You both suggested some different dry ingredients to be mixed in (miracle meal/dry eggfood) should I use that instead of the bread crumbs? All of my birds just seem to LOVE the bread crumbs being mixed in.

I plan on adding soaked seed, but I have to get in the habit of soaking seed, I haven't really done it before.

[Jodi]

Wow Liz, thanks for taking the time with all the details. Your recipe sounds perfect!

[L in Ontario]

You both suggested some different dry ingredients to be mixed in (miracle meal/dry eggfood) should I use that instead of the bread crumbs? All of my birds just seem to LOVE the bread crumbs being mixed in.

Commercial dry eggfood will have much more beneficial ingredients for birds than bread for human consumption.

[L in Ontario]

Wow Liz, thanks for taking the time with all the details. Your recipe sounds perfect!

You're most welcome. A lot of my customers have seen my birds at the food dishes and they ask what the finches are eating and then they ask if I would share my eggfood recipe. Voila!

[PrettyBird]

Ive heard of EVOO for making dog and cat treats cause the oil is good for their coats...never heard for making egg food though.

I would just skip the oil part if it was me.