Go ahead and Preheat your oven as directed on the box.

You will need the following ingredients:

1 package of Cornbread mix + ingredients needed stated on the box (usually milk and an egg)
1 additional egg  (use the shell as well)
1 cup of fresh or frozen vegetables

Birdie Bread Ingredients - Click to Enlarge

Mix the cornbread mix as directed on the package
Add an extra egg plus the shell along with the mixed vegetables (I usually chop them up in the chopper)

Vegetables for the Birdie Bread in the Blender - Click to Enlarge

All the Ingredients in the Mixing Bowl - Click to Enlarge

Grease your pan and add mixture. Cook as directed. Let it cool and then cut into serving size pieces.

Greased Eight by Eight Pan - Click to Enlarge

Baked Birdie Bread - Click to Enlarge

Maggie Enjoying the Birdie Bread - Click to Enlarge

**You can also freeze birdie bread and serve at a later time.

Hand feeding a baby Parrot is an excellent way to bond with them for life. Just like a mother breast-feeding a child. However, it’s also an extremely quick way to kill them if you don’t know what you’re doing. You can easily aspirate the bird or burn their crop. Aspiration is where you force liquid into their lungs and they die on the spot. Burning their crop happens when you have your formula to hot. If you’ve never had it demonstrated or done it under supervision I’d highly recommend against trying it by yourself. With that said here’s the steps to follow.

First start with a high quality powder formula

Dry Formula - Click to Enlarge

Then add water to the formula

Adding Water to the Parrot Formula - Click to Enlarge

The easiest way to heat the Parrot formula is in the microwave

Parrot Formula in the Microwave - Click to Enlarge

The next thing you want to make sure of is you have the right consistency. If you don’t the Parrot will refuse to eat. The proper consistency can best be described as a slightly runny poridge.

Parrrot Formula Consistency - Click to Enlarge

And now for something VERY important! Let me repeat that again. This is VERY important! You MUST make sure you have the tempature of the bird formula the right temperature. If it’s too hot you will burn your Parrots crop and he or she is as good as dead. The proper temperature is around 105 degrees Fahrenheit or 40 degrees Celcius. In one of the pictures below you’ll see Kiril testing the temperature on his wrist. He is a professional and has hand raised thousands of birds. You should NEVER attempt this. I use a digital food thermometer which you’ll also see below.

Kiril Testing the Parrot Formula Temperature - Click to Enlarge

Robert Testing the Parrot Formula Temperature - Click to Enlarge

Now once you have your formula ready you basically have two methods of feeding to choose from. Kiril prefers the syringe method and I prefer the spoon method. And if you’re new to hand feeding a baby bird I highly suggest you use the spoon method for the simple fact that it’s much harder to aspirate and kill the parrot using the spoon method. There is also another advantage to the spoon method and that is cleanup is a breeze. You ALWAYS have to make sure your equipment is sterile. If you’re using syringes you’ll need to scrub them and sterilize them in something like a baby bottle sterilizer. With the spoon method you can just buy a 100 pack of plastic spoons and trash the one you used when done.  Here’s a couple pictures of both methods being used.

Three Day Old Macaw Being Hand Fed with a Syringe - Click to Enlarge

Seven Week Old Eclectus Being Hand Fed with a Syringe - Click to Enlarge

Seven Week Old Eclectus Being Hand Fed with a Spoon - Click to Enlarge

And after it’s all said and done be prepared to have one messy Parrot on your hands. Staying clean is not their strong suit

Eclectus After Hand Feeding - Click to Enlarge

Sprouts aren’t just super-foods for humans. They are also super-foods for birds. Not to mention the Parrots love them. So here’s a quick post showing you how to make your own el-cheapo sprouter.

All you’ll need is:

• An empty 2-liter plastic bottle
• Dried beans
• Scissors
• Old stockings or panty hose

Materials Needed to Make a Sprouter - Click to Enlarge

Simply cut the top off the plastic bottle, dump the beans in and cover them with water. You’re going to want to leave them submerged in water for the first 24 hours. Please remember to cover them with enough water to accommodate for the absorption of the water by the beans and the swelling. Then cut the stocking and place it over the top.

24 Hour Soak - Click to Enlarge

After the 24 hour soak is finished drain the water and place it near a window. A couple times a day pour water over the beans, give them a good gentle stir and drain it again. Then replace the stocking. And within a couple days you’ll have sprouts ready for your birds and family to eat.

Here’s the nutritional content of some different types of sprouts:

Alfalfa

• Protein: 35%
• Vitamins: A, B, C, E, K
• Minerals: Calcium,Magnesium, Potassium, Iron, Zinc
• Additional Benefits: Beta-Carotene, Chlorophyll

Buckwheat

• Protein: 15%
• Vitamins: A, C, E
• Minerals: Calcium
• Additional Benefits: Lecithin

Clover

• Protein: 3o%
• Vitamins: A, B, C, E
• Minerals: Calcium,Magnesium, Potassium, Iron, Zinc
• Additional Benefits: Trace Elements

Fenugreek

• Protein: 3o%
• Vitamins: A
• Minerals: Iron, Niacin, Calcium
• Additional Benefits: Excellent Digestive Aid

Garbanzo

• Protein: 20%
• Vitamins: A, C, E
• Minerals: Iron, Calcium,Magnesium

Lentil

• Protein: 25%
• Vitamins: A, B, C, E
• Minerals: Iron, Calcium, Phosphorus

Mung Beans

• Protein: 20%
• Vitamins: A, C, E
• Minerals: Iron, Potassium

Pea

• Protein: 2o%
• Vitamins: A, B, C
• Additional Benefits: Contains All Essential Amino Acids

If you’ve got kids this is a great opportunity to teach them biology along with animal husbandry. Here’s a low cost way to grow leafy greens for your bird(s).

What you’ll need:

• Some sort of cut and come again lettuce/mesclun mix. Cut and come again simply means you can cut the lettuce leaves while leaving about and inch and they will grow right back. I’ve got over ten cuttings out of some tries before the plants decided to bolt (send up seed shoots and get bitter). One packet for $1.25 will do.
• Dirt of some kind. Miracle Grow makes a organic vegetable potting soil. However I must admit I’ve never tried it. The dirt you see below is actually vermi-compost. We have a thing called a can-o-worms that we raise worms by simply feeding them our table scraps. They turn it into black gold. Growing in this stuff solves tons of problems. It’s organic. It reduces pests, reduces plant stress, reduces plant disease and the taste just can’t be beat. People who’ve eaten something grown organically in vermi-compost can attest to this and so will your birds. The pickiest of avian critics will love it.
• Light source. The one pictured below is a 400 watt electronic ballast. I just happen to have one because hydroponics is a hobby of mine. However I realize most people won’t. The good news about lettuce and herbs is they can be grown in low light condition year round in-doors. If you have a south facing window that’s best. If not get it as close to one as you can and then supplement with a florescent light. The aquarium and plant ones work the best but if you can’t access those a normal florescent will work fine. Just try to get it 6 inches from the plants.

Start by putting your dirt in to your grow container

Pot Filled With Dirt - Click to Enlarge

Mesclun Mix - Click to Enlarge

Now lightly sprinkle your seeds over the top of the dirt. You don’t have to bury them as lettuce prefers to be  barely worked into the soil. You can sprinkle them pretty thickly.

Seeds Sprinkled on Dirt - Click to Enlarge

Now under the light they go. In a couple weeks we’ll have Mesclun mix that will last for quite a while using the cut and come again method. The beauty is that lettuce is not a huge nutrient hog so you can use the same dirt over and over for quite a while providing you don’t get diseased plant.

Mesclun Seeds Under a 400W Grow Light - Click to Enlarge

If you don’t have a grow light or a south facing window with a lot of sun a simple light like this found at Lowes/Home Depot and most pet stores will work.

Alternative Light to a Grow Light - Click to Enlarge

Here’s a quick post I tossed together to show the optimal nutrition pyramid for Parrots. Some Parrots may need more or less of certain categories than others. However if you’re coming close to following this you’re doing best than most. Click the image to enlarge it.

Bird and Parrot Food Pyramid - Click to Enlarge