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Looking for a few good writers!

Momma is looking for a few bird brains to write articles for her blog! 


The articles must be well written, about birds (nutrition, behavior, and care articles are especially welcome!), and original. 


Published authors will get birdie bread for their flock!

Post in the comments if you are interested.

Bird Recipe: Fruity 'Tiel Bars

A reader shared recipe:
“I have 4 very picky cockatiels. They will not eat anything but seed but these bars they will fight over. I hope your birds love them as mine do.”

Ingredients:
1/4 cup each:
- Crushed dried peas
- Dried apricots
- Nuts
- Crushed bananas (Dried or fresh)

3 Tbs Seed
3 Tbs Pellets
1 egg and shell (best if shell is dried and not damp)
1/4 cup + 1 Tbs Applesauce (I use 100% natural)
3 Tbs crunchy Peanut butter

Directions:

Mix dry ingredients in order. You can add anything else that your bird loves. It should mix very easy. I crushed everything, but you can do it according to your bird size. Fold in the applesauce and peanut butter. It should end up like a paste.

Cook in a square pan, (easier to cut later than a circle pan), at 350 F for 30 min. It smells bad when cooking, but the birds love it. Hope your feathered family will like these.

Now through 1/5, enter code "clearance" IN THE COMMENTS BOX (NOT THE COUPON BOX) to get a free holiday leftover item added to your order of $75 or more!

Bird Recipe: Birdie Quinoa

Did you know that quinoa is one of the few plant sources of perfect protein? You do not need to mix beans with quinoa to make a complimentary protein as you do with most grains! At Momma's Birdie Bread, we have known about quinoa for quite some time, which is why it has been in our mixes from the beginning.

Birdie Quinoa


1 cup Quinoa
2-3 cups Water
Corn kernels (or another veggie if your bird is corn sensitive)
Chopped carrots
Raisins and/or dried apples (unsulphured)
Cinnamon stick


Boil 2 cups of water, add quinoa.
Cook for 10 minutes, then add veggies and dried fruit.
Cook for another 5 minutes or until the quinoa grain is clearish and has a tiny tail sprouting from it.
You may have to add a little more water if it gets too dry too quickly.

Let cool.  Serve.  You can put almost any veggies or fruit in this recipe.

Now through 12/24, enter code gooseisgettingfat to get free shipping on orders that include holiday items!

Bird Recipe: Hanging Bird Treats

We’ve all seen how wild birds like hanging treats made with seed, but the ones that you buy at the pet store aren’t very healthy (and who knows how old it is!). The best solution to make friends with the birdies outside is to make one yourself!

In the winter, birds outside need more fat and calories, so the winter recipe reflects that.

Winter Bird Feeder Ingredients:
Peanut Butter
Seed Mix
Pine Cone

Spread peanut butter all over and into nooks and crannies of pinecone. The more area that is covered, the longer the bird feeder lasts. Once it is coated, roll the cone in seed, then sprinkle in the nooks nad crannies to get all surface areas covered.


Summer Bird Feeder Ingredients:
1 egg (including the shell)
Half a cup of seed &/or fine (or chopped) pellets
Chopped parsley or other greens, dried fruits, pellets or whatever other goodies you want to add to the treat - about a tablespoon or two worth.

Directions:

1. Break the egg into a bowl and save the shells. Beat the egg until fluffy.
2. Then add the remaining ingredients.
3. Mix well, then pour/spoon the mixture into small ramekins and use an aluminum twist tie or paper clip (bent into a wire) as an inserted hanger.
4. Set your oven on LOW (200 F) and bake the whole arrangement for about an hour to dry it out. Test forms- they are done when mixture is dried out and wire stays put.

Now through 12/17: enter code winterwonderland to get free shipping on orders that include holiday items!

Avian First Aid

For more information on specific symptoms and whether they need immediate vet care, read here. Always consult with a vet about your bird’s condition, especially if it appears sick or injured. This post is intended to help you do immediate care before actual medical treatment is administered.

Short Term First Aid Instructions:

You need to provide several things in order to stabilize your bird before taking it to a vet. Most of these things can be covered by basic care and a hospital tank or cage:

Great hospital tank for smaller birds.

Hospital Tank/Cage:This is a cage or flat bottomed tank that has no perches. The bird must save energy by sitting on the bottom, preferably on a soft towel. Food and water should be immediately accessible to the bird from where they sit, they should have to make no extra effort to nourish themselves. Give favorite foods that are never turned down at this time- the point is to make sure calories are being consumed!




Warmth:

Great tank to adapt for a larger bird.

Keep bird in warm environment (unless indicated otherwise in the chart above) of 85-90 F (29- 32 C). A heating pad or water bottle under or clipped to a corner the cage (with a perch or nesting area there in the corner), a reptile heater or lamp (75-100 watts, away from where bird can come into contact), or an incubator specifically for this purpose can be used. Be careful not to overheat. Monitor the bird every so often to ensure this. Too hot would be panting, holding wings out away from the body. Too cold would be feathers fluffed up for an extended period.

Food and Water:
Keep favorite foods and water close to sleeping area, so little effort is exerted on looking for food. Millet spray or nuts are usually treats for birds and eaten.

Also a great hospital tank, without the perch.

Sleeping/Resting area:
Birds who are too weak to perch, have paralysis, or fractures should have perches removed from the cage & given a soft clean place to sleep (paper towels are insulation & can be easily cleaned up & replaced and make a good sleeping area) at the bottom of the cage.

Energy:
Small birds become debilitated faster than larger birds. A few drops of warm (not hot), strong coffee solution (That’s right! We said coffee! We KNOW it’s toxic in frequent doses, but it will not hurt your bird in this small, one-time amount) with a high concentration of sugar, administered with a syringe or eye dropper can provide a burst of energy in order to get the bird to a vet if they are on their last legs. Gatorade or Pedialyte can also be given at any point during this time for hydration.

Medications:
Do NOT give the bird over-the-counter medications from the pet shop, especially antibiotics. These are too weak to work & may skew vet lab results, delaying proper treatment.

Now through 12/11, enter code holidaze to get a free bag birdie bread when you order three!

Guest Post: Feeding a Large Flock Without Going Insane

I have had seven birds or more in my house at any given time, between flock members and foster birds. All this, and a busy life taking care of other people’s birds too! Feeding a healthy diet to my birds is important to me, but I just don’t have all day (who does?). As many of us know, feeding a fresh diet requires thinking first thing in the morning before we leave for work, and this is something I am not very good at. I also don’t have tons of money. So buying lots of the “instant” bird mixes and cooking them up isn’t always an option. So how do I balance the time and money issue?

I got organized! I created a feeding schedule/calendar that helps me ensure that I am feeding a balanced diet to my flock. This way, I buy all the right groceries when I’m at the market, and my plan gives me a weekly and daily task list of what I need to do, and when. (Since much of the prep for a fresh bird diet happens in the wee hours of the
morning before work, I needed to tell myself what needs to get done in advance. I’m just not adept at thinking on my feet early in the morning.) I found that bird care for a larger flock can get overwhelming unless you plan in advance.

Below are sample make-ahead recipes of a bird balanced diet. You can set aside 30-60 minutes a week to make bird food and freeze and store your work for fresh food-on-the-run! I tend to do my weekly prep on Sundays, when I have the time.

Making bird recipes is often easier than people ones, and
kids love to help in the kitchen!

I often set one day aside a week to offer seed and nuts and treats above and beyond the ordinary daily nutrition. This gives me a prepping break, as pleasing to the birds, and makes time when you just want to hang out and not do work (or you have chores to do and want little distraction!) doable. We call this day “Seed-ter-day” in my house. “Seed-ter-day” allows the birds to have a treat while we are out during the day, having fun together, or doing chores. The rest of the mornings, we eat as a flock, but it’s all easy food that doesn’t need prep (or is prepped on Sunday and pulled out of the fridge).

I feed 100% organic, and animal products (like eggs) are also free range. I am lucky since in the Bay Area, I can get an organic “box” delivery: produce, cereals, nuts, and juices delivered every Wednesday! I also love Trader Joe’s supermarket- they carry tons of organic stuff- from pine nuts to eggs!

As far as processed bird products, I use a variety of pellets (all human grade, preferably organic).

Every week, set aside 30 minutes or so on one day (usually Sunday) to do bird food prep. Here are things you might want to make in advance that would make your week easier:

Hard boil eggs in advance. Serve these chopped, with the shell included.

Sweet Potato Balls (recipe has appeared on this blog)

Rice Mix with veggies (Steam veggies of choice while rice is cooking; mix together until blended. I have a rice cooker with a steamer basket and highly recommend one- and it’s great for making human food, too. It is self contained, has automatic shutoff, and takes up very little space while you are working.)


Birdie Bread Mini Muffins

Veggie ravioli with healthy veggie-laden marinara (humans eat this too!)

Make 7 layer salad  (recipe has appeared on this blog)

Make Spicy Ricey Glop  (recipe has appeared on this blog)

Prep a sprout mix

When you do your bird feeding chores once a week, it really saves time and energy- leaving your spare time to socialize and spend quality time with your flock-not your food processor!

Now through 12/5, enter code largeflock to get free shipping on orders over $100!