Bake A Nutritious, No-waste Bread For Your Budgies & Other Pet Birds

Why buy bird treats when you can bake your own from fresh, wholesome ingredients? Nothing beats homemade. If you have fine, feathered, fussy eaters, this will change their mind. Here's an easy, healthy recipe that your budgerigars and other birds are sure to love.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup yellow corn meal
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup apple sauce
• 1/2 cup apple juice
• 1/2 cup peas, broccoli, zucchini or other bird-safe, green vegetable
• 1/3 cup grated carrot
• 1/3 cup cooked white or brown rice
• 1/3 cup bird pellets or seeds

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Combine and mix well all of the ingredients above, in the order listed. Spread the mixture evenly into an 8-inch x 8-inch glass baking pan. Bake for 35 minutes or until done. Cool and serve. For budgies, cutting the bread into small cubes of about 1-inch square is recommended. However, the bread can be cut to any size desired.


Tips & Warnings:

1. DO NOT use Teflon nor other nonstick baking pans. Nonstick coatings can be toxic to birds. Tempered glass (such as Pyrex) is preferred.
2. Thaw and drain thoroughly any frozen vegetables before baking. For budgies, chop vegetables first, so they are bite-size.
3. Save the crumbs from the bottom of your bird pellet container. The crumbs can be added to the recipe.
4. Hulled millet, rice, corn meal and other grains are available for purchase by the pound at Sprouts and some other dry grocers.
5. Bird bread cubes can be frozen until ready to use. Store them in a freezer bag or container. Thaw the desired number of cubes separately by simply setting them out at room temperature or heating them in a microwave oven for 30 seconds.