Toe-lickin' Good Birdie Recipes
We make various dishes for our feathered residents every Sunday to last the week. Upon popular request, I have gathered a few of my most popular bird food recipes. Normally when I make these foods, I do not measure, so consider these measurements to be estimates only; you may use your best judgment based upon your bird’s preference. I’m also known to substitute anything and everything — no meal that I make for them is the same twice—so use these recipes as just a base for your creativity!
Please remember that baking in non-stick pans can be dangerous for your birds. We only use glass pans and stainless muffin tins.
When any of these recipes give a choice between frozen or fresh, fresh is always the better option!
Please remember that baking in non-stick pans can be dangerous for your birds. We only use glass pans and stainless muffin tins.
When any of these recipes give a choice between frozen or fresh, fresh is always the better option!
Base Grain Bake Recipe:
This is the overall base that I use for most of my grain bakes. Of course, ingredients and measurements can change according to what I have available. Here's the instructions for this batch:
4 cups of mashed/food processed carrot (you can use any mixture of veggie/fruit mush combination. Great way to use up frozen chop that your fids didn't like)
1/3 cup of the following:
Coconut flour
Almond flour
Barely flour
1/2 cup of the following:
Almond Oil
Flax Oil (sometimes I replace with hemp oil)
Unsweetened apple juice
1 egg
1 cup of the following:
Brown flax seeds
Golden flax seeds
Seseame seeds
Hulled millet
Steel cut oats
Rye flakes
Wheat berries
Harrisons adult lifetime super fine (because I don't have anyone here that will eat it dry)
I combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix/smush together by hand. Then I greased a glass 13 x 9 pan with coconut oil and firmly pressed the mixture into the pan, evenly. I like to make it a thinner layer, hence the larger pan. I used the leftover mixture to make muffins, (I firmly pressed the mixture into the paper/tin).
This makes a rather large batch of grain bake for the rescue's fids, so you may want to cut the recipe. I also freeze a portion. Any grains can be substituted for what you have available in your area.
This is the overall base that I use for most of my grain bakes. Of course, ingredients and measurements can change according to what I have available. Here's the instructions for this batch:
4 cups of mashed/food processed carrot (you can use any mixture of veggie/fruit mush combination. Great way to use up frozen chop that your fids didn't like)
1/3 cup of the following:
Coconut flour
Almond flour
Barely flour
1/2 cup of the following:
Almond Oil
Flax Oil (sometimes I replace with hemp oil)
Unsweetened apple juice
1 egg
1 cup of the following:
Brown flax seeds
Golden flax seeds
Seseame seeds
Hulled millet
Steel cut oats
Rye flakes
Wheat berries
Harrisons adult lifetime super fine (because I don't have anyone here that will eat it dry)
I combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix/smush together by hand. Then I greased a glass 13 x 9 pan with coconut oil and firmly pressed the mixture into the pan, evenly. I like to make it a thinner layer, hence the larger pan. I used the leftover mixture to make muffins, (I firmly pressed the mixture into the paper/tin).
This makes a rather large batch of grain bake for the rescue's fids, so you may want to cut the recipe. I also freeze a portion. Any grains can be substituted for what you have available in your area.
Birdie Noodle Casserole:
16oz macaroni noodles, boiled.
2 cups brown or wild rice, cooked
1 cup chopped beans, frozen or fresh (raw)
1 cup frozen or fresh corn
1-2 chopped peppers
2 tablespoons chopped parsley (fresh preferred)
2 tablespoons chopped dill (fresh preferred)
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon bee pollen
¾ cup red palm oil
1/3 cup coconut oil
Boil the noodles until slightly firm and drain. Cook the two cups of rice. Mix in all ingredients. For leftovers, my birds will eat this mix cold or reheated. You may also use cooked Quinoa, amaranth and bulgur grains for variety along with lentils/beans.
16oz macaroni noodles, boiled.
2 cups brown or wild rice, cooked
1 cup chopped beans, frozen or fresh (raw)
1 cup frozen or fresh corn
1-2 chopped peppers
2 tablespoons chopped parsley (fresh preferred)
2 tablespoons chopped dill (fresh preferred)
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon bee pollen
¾ cup red palm oil
1/3 cup coconut oil
Boil the noodles until slightly firm and drain. Cook the two cups of rice. Mix in all ingredients. For leftovers, my birds will eat this mix cold or reheated. You may also use cooked Quinoa, amaranth and bulgur grains for variety along with lentils/beans.
Dehydrated food mix (to sprinkle over regular hard bird food):
3 handfuls kale leaves (we loaded our entire food dehydrator with only kale leaves for the first round)
6 small sweet peppers (yellow, red, green)
3 small red hot peppers
3 small carrots
2 apples (no core)
Handful of dill
Handful of parsley
Handful of basil
Handful of rosemary
Handful of thyme
Handful of red clover blossoms
**ALL of these ingredients were taken out of my garden, chopped up, dehydrated in our food dehydrator, then mixed/crushed together in a storage container for use. Other fruits and veggies can also be used. Dehydrating times and temperatures depend on the sepcific item and how thick it is cut. Once dehydrated, store in a airtight container in a cool, dry place. This is especially popular with our African greys.
3 handfuls kale leaves (we loaded our entire food dehydrator with only kale leaves for the first round)
6 small sweet peppers (yellow, red, green)
3 small red hot peppers
3 small carrots
2 apples (no core)
Handful of dill
Handful of parsley
Handful of basil
Handful of rosemary
Handful of thyme
Handful of red clover blossoms
**ALL of these ingredients were taken out of my garden, chopped up, dehydrated in our food dehydrator, then mixed/crushed together in a storage container for use. Other fruits and veggies can also be used. Dehydrating times and temperatures depend on the sepcific item and how thick it is cut. Once dehydrated, store in a airtight container in a cool, dry place. This is especially popular with our African greys.
Birdie muffins/Bird bread:
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup spelt flour
½ cup barely flakes
½ cup rolled oats
1 cup applesauce
1 apple sliced into chunks
4 cups boiled/mashed sweet potato
3 eggs (With or without shell. My birds like without)
1 tablespoon bee pollen
1 tablespoon hemp powder
2 tablespoon olive oil
You may also add a 16 oz. box of cooked noodles to make a birdie bread/casserole to provide varying textures.
Spelt flour may be substituted with unbleached flour, but spelt has more nutritional value. Barely flakes can be substituted for any other dry oat-like product. I have also been known to add any leftover millet seeds, or grind up pellets that the birds otherwise do not eat and add to the mix. If you have a food processor, you can also try running various veggies and fruits through and adding that instead of just the cooked sweet potato. Use your best judgment when it comes to moisture — my birds like their breads moist or they won’t eat them. This can be baked using mini-muffin wrappers and/or tins OR a normal pan. Bake mixture for 40 minutes at 380 degrees.
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup spelt flour
½ cup barely flakes
½ cup rolled oats
1 cup applesauce
1 apple sliced into chunks
4 cups boiled/mashed sweet potato
3 eggs (With or without shell. My birds like without)
1 tablespoon bee pollen
1 tablespoon hemp powder
2 tablespoon olive oil
You may also add a 16 oz. box of cooked noodles to make a birdie bread/casserole to provide varying textures.
Spelt flour may be substituted with unbleached flour, but spelt has more nutritional value. Barely flakes can be substituted for any other dry oat-like product. I have also been known to add any leftover millet seeds, or grind up pellets that the birds otherwise do not eat and add to the mix. If you have a food processor, you can also try running various veggies and fruits through and adding that instead of just the cooked sweet potato. Use your best judgment when it comes to moisture — my birds like their breads moist or they won’t eat them. This can be baked using mini-muffin wrappers and/or tins OR a normal pan. Bake mixture for 40 minutes at 380 degrees.
Bird muffins (no corn meal):
4 cups boiled and mashed pumpkin, sweet potato, or canned pumpkin
2 cups uncooked cream of wheat
2 cups uncooked grits
1 cup oats
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1 cored and diced apple
1 egg (with or without shell)
2 tablespoon baking powder
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1/2 cup raisins or dried cherries
1 tablespoon olive/vegetable oil
Adjust consistency with applesauce, water, or grits. Spoon into cupcake paper lined muffin tins and bake 20-35 minutes at 400 degrees
4 cups boiled and mashed pumpkin, sweet potato, or canned pumpkin
2 cups uncooked cream of wheat
2 cups uncooked grits
1 cup oats
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1 cored and diced apple
1 egg (with or without shell)
2 tablespoon baking powder
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1/2 cup raisins or dried cherries
1 tablespoon olive/vegetable oil
Adjust consistency with applesauce, water, or grits. Spoon into cupcake paper lined muffin tins and bake 20-35 minutes at 400 degrees
Birdie Cookies
1 cup ground bird pellets (I use Harrison's, since my birds wont eat it otherwise!)
1/2 cup corn meal (or wheat germ is a good alternative)
1/2 cup whole wheat flour or spelt flour
1 cup finely ground almonds
4 whole eggs
1/4 cup carrot ran through food processor until smooth (or a jar of organic carrot baby food)
Organic Apple baby juice or water
Mix bird pellets, corn/wheat germ, wheat/spelt flour, almonds, eggs, and carrot. Add the apple juice/water and mix into a firm dough. You really want this pretty firm!
Roll into small balls, place on a lightly greased cookie sheet (I use coconut oil to grease all pans)
Bake at 325 for 20-30 minutes. Cool, refrigerate or freeze.
1 cup ground bird pellets (I use Harrison's, since my birds wont eat it otherwise!)
1/2 cup corn meal (or wheat germ is a good alternative)
1/2 cup whole wheat flour or spelt flour
1 cup finely ground almonds
4 whole eggs
1/4 cup carrot ran through food processor until smooth (or a jar of organic carrot baby food)
Organic Apple baby juice or water
Mix bird pellets, corn/wheat germ, wheat/spelt flour, almonds, eggs, and carrot. Add the apple juice/water and mix into a firm dough. You really want this pretty firm!
Roll into small balls, place on a lightly greased cookie sheet (I use coconut oil to grease all pans)
Bake at 325 for 20-30 minutes. Cool, refrigerate or freeze.
Chop:
Chop is an excellent source of nutrition and allows a variety of veggies, fruits, lentils and grains into your bird’s diet. It is also something that can be frozen, then thawed for later use, although my birds like fresh the best. Prep time for chop can be lengthy because of the amount of ingredients involved. Chop mixes vary, but here is a good base to use. Where there is no measurements, I used full bags of product.
Adzuki beans
Orca beans
Amaranth
Kamut
Mung beans
**All of the grains and beans above must be soaked for 6-8 hours before cooking. This is essential to the digestibility for the birds. Keep items separate while soaking. After soaking , rinse well in a strainer to get rid of excess starches and sugars.
Cook beans and grains separately from each other since cooking times differ. Cover beans and grains with water plus two inches. Orca bean cooking time: 45 minutes, Adzuki bean cooking time: 35 minutes, Kamut cooking time: 30 minutes, Amaranth cooking time: 20 minutes or until porridge consistency. Drain and rinse, and then combine into one bowl.
Cook the following fast grains without soaking first, use a 2:1 water to grain ratio.
Lentils
Quinoa Brown rice couscous
Black sweet rice
Chop the following ingredients to pinky-nail size. Sizes may vary to add variety.
Spinach
Swiss chard
Summer squash
Snap peas
Mango
Pink pomelo
Strawberries
Banana
Apricots
Apple
Combine all chopped ingredients with all lentils, beans, and grains. (I use a 5 gallon bucket to combine) Then, to absorb moisture from the chop, add the following ingredients. Be your own best judge on how much to add. To avoid freezer burn, it is important to make the chop as dry as possible.
Rolled oats
Kamut flakes
Quinoa flakes
Chia seed
For added nutrition, add the following to the mix:
Dried coconut
Pecan pieces
ennel seed
Almond slices
Flax seed
Blend well by hand, and serve! For freezing, I put servings into quart sized freezer bags, and put those bags into larger gallon-sized bags for extra insulation. I take a quart size bag out of the freezer and put it in the fridge to thaw overnight before use.
Chop is an excellent source of nutrition and allows a variety of veggies, fruits, lentils and grains into your bird’s diet. It is also something that can be frozen, then thawed for later use, although my birds like fresh the best. Prep time for chop can be lengthy because of the amount of ingredients involved. Chop mixes vary, but here is a good base to use. Where there is no measurements, I used full bags of product.
Adzuki beans
Orca beans
Amaranth
Kamut
Mung beans
**All of the grains and beans above must be soaked for 6-8 hours before cooking. This is essential to the digestibility for the birds. Keep items separate while soaking. After soaking , rinse well in a strainer to get rid of excess starches and sugars.
Cook beans and grains separately from each other since cooking times differ. Cover beans and grains with water plus two inches. Orca bean cooking time: 45 minutes, Adzuki bean cooking time: 35 minutes, Kamut cooking time: 30 minutes, Amaranth cooking time: 20 minutes or until porridge consistency. Drain and rinse, and then combine into one bowl.
Cook the following fast grains without soaking first, use a 2:1 water to grain ratio.
Lentils
Quinoa Brown rice couscous
Black sweet rice
Chop the following ingredients to pinky-nail size. Sizes may vary to add variety.
Spinach
Swiss chard
Summer squash
Snap peas
Mango
Pink pomelo
Strawberries
Banana
Apricots
Apple
Combine all chopped ingredients with all lentils, beans, and grains. (I use a 5 gallon bucket to combine) Then, to absorb moisture from the chop, add the following ingredients. Be your own best judge on how much to add. To avoid freezer burn, it is important to make the chop as dry as possible.
Rolled oats
Kamut flakes
Quinoa flakes
Chia seed
For added nutrition, add the following to the mix:
Dried coconut
Pecan pieces
ennel seed
Almond slices
Flax seed
Blend well by hand, and serve! For freezing, I put servings into quart sized freezer bags, and put those bags into larger gallon-sized bags for extra insulation. I take a quart size bag out of the freezer and put it in the fridge to thaw overnight before use.
