Health Care Plan For Birds

Love the apron, Chet!! Thanks for the tips!

I admit… I do look beautiful in that apron, don’t I

Beautiful?? For you….that was not what I was thinking, but the baby sure is precious!! ;0) LOL!

OK, first of all, I do not use ANY processed foods with my macaws, i.e. canned food which has been heated and processed and had all the digestive enzymes killed, anything with dough conditioners, aluminum baking powder, EDTA, etc, and a huge turn off – refined SUGAR!! You should stress to those watching this that they should avoid sugar, hence processed mixes and foods, as the food industry has added it to so many of our foods. Foods in their natural state are always a better choice. When I make birdie buns, as I call them, I use wheat germ, ground Harrison’s, spelt, corn meal, whole wheat flour, flax meal, fresh pureed veggies and or fruits, and the only oil I use is from the organic peanut butter I put in the mix. Other processed oils if not cold pressed are not good. The theory behind this video is great, but people need to be absolutely aware of what they are putting into their birds (as well as themselves!) by eating processed foods. Please don’t think I’m a fanatic, but my motto is “If God made it, it’s OK; if man made it, don’t eat it” and I practice that with my birds as well. Love your videos, they really help alot of people who would otherwise give up on parrot ownership as they are not the easiest animals for novices to have as pets. I wouldn’t trade birds for any other critters! LOVE them and their crazy antics. Cheers!

Wow! What a great idea. We have four birds that need to have a better diet, but they have been very resistant to change. I think this will work. Thanks GUYS

Cheddar, the sun conure, refused avocado in the past. I since read that avocado has a toxin that kills birds by attacking heart muscles. However, he wants anything I eat so he was ready to attack an avocado, recently, just because I was eating it. So, now I don’t eat avocado in front of him.

He loves seeds and nuts. Doesn’t like his veggies. I make birdie cornbread with all sorts of veggies and crushed egg shell in it which he will eat. I’ll try adding the pellets. But what about his favorite seeds and nuts? Do I save those for just treats and trick rewards?

yep, keep the seeds and nuts out and use as treats only.

my parrot fell in love with the muffin i berly made it

Great video!
BUT…not meaning to insult you guys, what about budgies…I raise nothing but since I can’t have big birds in my place.
Thanks

You need to explain why you don’t use bleach to wash any utensils or cages around birds. You just said not to use bleach. An explanation is helpful because many people don’t realize how sensitive birds are to bleach. (fish, too).

Anna,

In response to “what about Budgies”, the answer is budgies love this. You just have to trick them by stuffing seeds in it to start off with typically. But many people have added several years to their Budgies lives, by using this strategy to help them eat healthier. I obviously can’t promise the same will happen for your budgies, but give it a try… it worked for all my brother’s budgies.

Anna–
Thanks for asking about the budgies!! I have one and wondered that too! My budgie will only eat seeds right now usually millet and canary seed. I would love to see him eat other things.

Cute! One thing I do know a little about – cooking. You want to mix until the muffin mix is just incorporated. Overmixed muffins might not rise and will be like hockey pucks – which a bird might like!

Hey Chet, Love your vidios I am coming along with Jaz, my umbrella cuckatoo. BUT… Your brother needs a mic too. Couldn’t here him. Keep up the good work!!!

Enjoyable watching you two prepare to bake.

I’ve been told that bleach is okay to use to clean bird cage. Someone wrote that you should not use bleach on cages or toys.

Please let me know which is correct. Thanks

Could substitute applesauce for the oil…love the video!!

Great !!! your now offically Parrot Chiefs,so when is the nex
cooking class

LOL – you guys are so crazy!! So beautifully crazy!!! Thanks so much for the tips. By the way, I live in the Orlando area!! Forest Gump loves watching the Bird Trick videos!!! He is amazingly crazy too!!

Thanks for all you do!!

EveLynn and Forest Gump
Sacred Haven
Kissimmee

Thanks for the great muffin mix idea. I already feed my 2 cockatiels your organic pellets, but they’d love this for a special treat. Think I’ll make my own muffin mix with pieces of apples and other fruits & nuts in it.

Clearly, Jaime is the birdy baker in your family…. lol! But, I got a big kick out of your video and lots of great ideas. Thanks guys!

Do you recommend this diet for nectar eating birds like our Rainbow Lori? What special additives do you recommend adding to the birdie muffins?

Be still my beating heart.

Looks like a great idea, but I noticed that you used Fiber One brand.. I don’t know about the muffin mix they make, but since that is a high fiber/diet type of brand that normally has a lot of chemicals AND is normally sweetened with Nutrasweet (the blue packet of make believe sugar in restaurants).. I would lean more toward some more natural kind of mix. Just a thought.. I know how sensitive I am to all of those chemicals a our bird friends are a lot more sensitive to those toxins. Great idea, though and I will try it for sure..

Just watched your muffin making video. To save yourself some time and trouble, use an ice cream scoop (one that has the scraper inside). It is slick and one scoop is exactly 2/3 of a muffin tin!!!

can my cockatiels eat this? also, love the apron

My Chiquia is a double yellow headed amazon. She eats nothing but fresh fruits and vegetables.She is two years old and talks and sings. She has heard our friend play the trumpet and she sounds just like the trumpet. She looks just like this weeks pic of the week.

Nice video, but I’ve tried making birdie breads in a huge variety of ways, and it’s just not working! Wasted a lot or organic fruits, veggies, flour, eggs and pellets. I even made the muffins/bread from scratch… I guess my birds are much fussier

My bird believes spinach is vomit as well.

The little green parrot pictured on side of this page is drinking from a glass. Someone must be watching, since they took the pictures. But this should be discouraged, a bird can drown really easily if he should slip down in the glass head first.

Hmm – Disposable muffins tins? That seems like a very irresponsible purchase, knowing they’ll end in the constantly growing landfill. Sorry, but not the smartest thing to teach your viewers. Also, I would stay away from any artificial muffin mix! They are filled with tons of junk, and are really bad for both humans and animals. You may want to make them from scratch, it’s really not that difficult =)

That was cute. My cockatiel won’t eat fresh veggies, so I’ll try this. I think I’ll use MINIATURE muffins tho since he’s so small. Great feedback too. I’m also a “íf God made it, it’s okay” person.

Oh boys……I have never heard of using the shells when baking muffins…do birds like them? Are
they digestable? Fill me in please!

volume is never high enough on videos, could you both wear mikes or make the volume higher please

Cool! Thanks! We have an eclectus who is very picky. This will help him eat his veggies and fruits (I hope!).

WHAT A GREAT VIDEO YOU GUYS ARE HILARIOUS TOGETHER I WILL DEFINITELY TRY THIS I’M STILL LAUGHING

Hey guys! You were too funny. I have a Cockatoo that’s a picky eater and will definitely make these muffins! Thanks!

Omg….you guys are so funny,,,, I love the way you explain how to stir up the muffin mix,, this is so funny,…..I hope you don’t quit your day jobs hahahaha…….i loved it…..and I’m sure my birds will love this type of goody filled muffins, even though they are not picky eaters they will still like this treat…thanks so much for this funny but educated video…

Hi there
Just wanted to ask… I have a rainbow lorikeet, (female) who I am sure has PMS! he will come to me occasionally from her cage as long as my husband is not visible or she can’t hear my husband in the house. I handreared her which as you can imagine breaks my heart. I want to ask with her being a nectar eater are the “muffins” with added extas okay for her…. its not the added extras that concerns me its the actual muffin mixture and the flock food? Is there something I could use in replacement or is it okay for her?
kind regards
Elizabeth

funny video but does all this work for my parakeet??? he always stays in the same spot everyday and i hope changing his diet will help i feed seeds mostly but of course it isnt helping i tried to feed him this organic fruit stuff i bought but it didnt work!!

Kim Strong, do you think virgin coconut oil could be substituted for that unhealthy vegetable oil?

Is that muffin mix ok with the sugar and salt that has been added? Brilliant idea thanks.

you guys are tooooooooo funny with the video. thankyou very much for the baking lesson and yes, i will try the birdie bread. love the apron oh yes and the t-shirt.

Hi Chet
I will try the bread tomrrow. Great idea.
My African Grey, Ash( 9 years old)flies into the walls. He can’t stop himself. He doesn’t land very well at all. I’ve had him one year. I got him from previous owner. He’s really a sweet bird.
I had his wings clipped but when he gets scared he still flies into things.
Any suggestions???

Loved the video, and the idea. My Conure is still a baby, only 4 months old, but I’ve introduced LOTS of fresh vegetables and I’ve found he’s pretty good about eating a variety of fresh vegetables and fruits. When ever I’m making myself a salad I offer him “treats” by hand to try to introduce variety and see what he likes the most. I have a recipe for oatmeal muffins, was wondering if the oatmeal would be healther than the muffin mix?

i have an african grey is it ok to feed them meat? she loves to eat all kinds of meat and chichen and really anything and as well as sodas and coffee is it ok she doesent get sick and she seems to be very healthy

Loved the video, please can you come and visit us in Australia and bring theNatural Organic Parrot food with you. I have just bought a 3mth old galah x corrella and would like to feed him the correct food, at the moment he eats silverbate, corn, banksia trees, grevilla trees, porridge,brown rice, pasta, peanuts, zuccini, apple and only a bit of seed. Being my first parrot i would like to start of on the right foot. He learned to say is name in two days “Eco” and is saying a lot of other words now. He loves to fetch and drope the ball, he learns very fast. My husband bought him for me on Velentines Day, i am trying to teach Eco to sing, he tries, but i think he is tone death. Eco is a good dancer. I will have to go and buy a baking tray which is not made out of teflon before i attempt the muffins. The forum is not accepting my pass word again.

Love watching your informative clips. I have heard that spinach is not good for birds due to the iron content, is this true? I have a conure who is about 9 years old who unfortunately started his life with a previous owner who thought that all parrots eat sunflower seeds. I have tried to get him off of the sunflower seeds but he is very stubborn and would rather starve than eat the pelletised Avi Plus. Consequently he gets fits now and I have been told this is due to the collection of oil in his liver. He is not really a fussy eater as he will happily enjoy a meal with me every night and has his favorite like potatoes, peas, corn on the cob etc. He loves fish, meat and poultry and I give him this in small doses along with cheese, egg, yogart and his all time favorite is dried fruit. My vet has told me that once he gets these fits he will never be free of them. Can you help? I live in Cape Town South Africa and I am not sure, well I have never seen this Feed A Flock food, is it only distributed in the United States? I would appreciate any help I could get to help him onto a healthy lifestyle without the trauma.

Hi Chet,

I receive your mails & videos all the time. Thanks for sharing.
I have a congo african grey & a Sulphur Cockatoo
I live in Singapore and its a pity that I cannot give the organic food to my birds.
Please advise Hw I can ship your organic pallet food for my bird.

Hi, do you have any advise on diets for Loris. I’m feeding her a mixture of apple sauce and veg/fruit juice, treats are sunflower seeds. Since I’ve only just addopted her there have been a few changes. For one I’ve taken her off bread, which she used to dip in her juice, and I’m training her with the sunflower seeds to stop screaming whenever i do anything in the room of interest.She’s absolutely wonderful out of the cage but coming from an aviary i would expect there to be a few issues with the her new restrictions.Thank you!

I am having a difficult time getting my love birds to eat new foods. I finally got them to try rice mixed in with their regular food but anything else seems to be a “no go.” Will this work for them as well?

We have two amazon parrots… They dont eat fruit, veggies, have tried fresh, dried, ….. spits almost everything out…. seems to only want seeds…… I have watched videos, tried to work with them and reward them with food, alls that happens is I get bit!!!!!! one is 20 years old the other 5 ……any sugesstions?

my african grey will only eat people food. chili, spaghetti, veggie soup, loves pizza. but i will try muffins. great video but bad sound effects. you two brothers?

You guys are really funny together! I loved it!

I always learn so much from your videos. Thanks for the education – also many thanks to the other viewers for their comments. Keep up the good work guys. I now know why I started teaching my children to cook when they were young LOL

lolol you guys are sooooo funny together in the kitchen.

What a wonderful way to change over to a good food for our feathered friends. Thanks guys

your crap in the kitchen

Very good recipe , am going to make next week ,
I let you know if my Jenday Conure going to like at.
Thanks CHET

About budgies. I tried all kinds of different things with mine, here’s what finally worked. I use a seed base, then I dice up broccolli slaw and add a few pinches of Harrisons Organic mash. (Sorry guys got tired of grinding up the pellets you sell.) I stir it all up and he accidently eats everything along with the seed. He loves apple too. I think the secret is the tiny pieces.

Hi Chet & Dave, It’s obvious you never cook! Ha Ha
My cockatiels only like bird seed, grasses, broccoli, carrot and pumpkin oh and they LOVE corn. Is this a healthy enough diet? I live in Australia-yeah where the Kangaroos hop down the main street and everyone has a koala in their backyard-ha ha (well we actually do, cause we live in the bush) anyway I can’t buy your food here, but loved watching the video….keep them coming. Jenny from OZ

How do I access the recipe???

thank u very much but i d like to ask u that i have 2 casco african grey parrots they like to eat newspaper why?thanks

I have no hearing problems but I seem to have a problem with your videos, I have turned them up as loud as my computer will allow and I still can’t hear you, I have heard simular complaints and I feel that the problem is on your end. I hope you will please try to fix it.

I have an alexandrian parrot. do I need to cut the nails??
What are the best foods.
It like sunflower seeds,

Can you only use veg oil because i ususally only use olive oil? I have received my food from harrison’s and am having problems with him eating it.

Yeah works great my greys love the muffins.One Question being the muffin mix itself has sugar how often do you recomend I give the muffins to the birs? Thanks for all you do for us bird people I got my training video in mail last weak it is wonderful cant wait till can get second one

great i’ll be try :thanks so much for this video wating for next

Robert Parker
You should not feed your bird coffee,soda,sugar…ever

nice trick
i like it , but dont think will work with my green parrot ,he is too clever

Great video…I also have a “Rainbow Lori”
I would like to see her eat anything other than fruit, and sunflower seeds.
Should I try this recipe for her, would it be healthy?

Hey Guys great video Betty Crocker has nothing on you

Hey, loved the video. Glad you guys can bake….my ringneck will eat anything and everything..he’s a real pig…loves icecream, tapioca pudding and anything that we eat he eats. Good luck guys..love your web pages.

im wondering if i can keep different breedz of birds in one cage?

Hi
I was really impressed by your feed your flock video as I have an african grey who just loves my food and his sunflower seed based diet.I am having a real problem trying to get him to change and I know that it is really my fault. Anyway I bought Muffin mix and followed your video instructions and made my muffins but my guy will not look at the. I have tried eating them myself to get him interested ( not easy as I dont really like muffins laced with spinach green beans and parrot pellets) but he just looks at me like I am stupid and will not touch the muffins. What now?

Hi Chet My blue and gold macaws have become v clucky. Love their new wine barrel accom. So much so they laid three eggs and promp. tossed them out! They prob wondered where they came from. They spend most of their time in their barrel – partic the female. She is being fed by the male bird all the time.
Does this normally happen with new potential parents?
Any suggestions?
The muffins are a great idea – I make a similar one for my deliqu. macaws
Cheers Nola

I agree about the needing to use natural foods/unprocessed, organic/non gmo if possible… the other thing is no ALUMINUM baking pans! The aluminum can leach- for people and birds the only safe metal is stainless steel- so use glass, ceramic, stoneware, stainless- even silicone muffin pans to make your healthy birdie food really healthy- perhaps even good quality paper muffin tin liners in a pinch. They can’t get aluminum out of their bodies any more then we can.

I’ve made homemade birdie bread for ages- just using (organic) cornmeal, assorted veg and yummies, pellet “flour” from the blender, whole eggs… mix it up to be thick and gloppy (come to think of it, about muffin mix consistency), put into a low oven until its dry in the middle. Cool and cut into “squares” and put servings in the freezer. I make it about once a month and they LOVE it. Everything here from canaries, budgies, tiels, quakers, lbs and conures. I do some rescue, this is a great way to “convert” seed only eaters to pellets and real fruit/veg. I also sprinkle the top with pellets and goodies- like millet or whatever the bird I am working on is fond of like the pine nut example in the video.

Here is my recipe that I use for my flock.

BIRDIE BREAD
2 cup oatmeal
2 cups whole wheat flour
8 tsp baking powder
4 eggs
1-1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce
4 tbsp organic peanut butter
2 cups Zupreme pellets (1 substitute 1/2 cup for seeds)
2 cups mixed veggies, fresh cooked or frozen
1 can “no sugar added” fruit cocktail

Mix well. Pour into 9×12 well greased baking pan. Bake in 350 deg oven for 40-45 minutes.
Cool thoroughly. Cut into squares and keep in fridge what can be used in a weeks time. The rest can be frozen till needed.

My conure, cockatiels, and cockatoos love this for dinner.

my hahn’s will eat “anything” that he can put his beak on
thanx 4 the hints any ways, ur doin a good job.. so Gooood Birrrd

So where in the United Kingdom can I get organic African Grey food and what brands are good and safe please

thnaks for that i have them peelets and my african grey congo boris will not eat them so i will be trying your recipe and will let you know how it goes and i will be using a mixing bowl
as i have no plant pots in my home as its not safe to have plants around my parrot
it was entertaining watching you both cook though thanks

Olive oil is healthier. And remember, this is just something to do a time or two to switchyour birds over to pellets, not something you need to feed all the time.

Thank you so much for all your helpful hints, Chet, although nothing seems to work with his eating habits. I made the muffins for my ‘picky eater’ African Grey, but being a picky eater he was less than enthusiastic. Some time ago I managed to buy a bag of the product you mention from a vet, but the pellets were thrown out of his seed bowl! I have had a bad feeling about store bought seed for a long time (all that bright coloured food). One food he does love is mashed cooked vegetables with no salt, sugar, or fat, which I get him to eat every day.

You 2 are amazing, never laughed so much watching you bake..I’m off to the shops for the ingredients..will be back soon..thanx for making my day..

i need help …………..i have a sun conuer( parrot ) abut 1 year old. about three weeks earlier she fall in boiling water when she was flying.now she has two legs swelled we tried so many medicines, 1 leg is healed but the other still swelled.please i need a medicine or an idea please help she cant stand cant eat, i cant watch her like that. please HELP

I greatly agree with KIMS Strong’s message.Home made muffins are really easy don’t need no mix with all the sugars and preservatives. And Also think Frozen veges are better then caned or fresh veggies if you can get them. Prefer to use regular muffin panes AND NOT TEFLON COATED.

What the difference between Harrison’s Bird food yous ones recommended and now the Feed your flock food? Cause as is I have to make special arrangements to obtain the food to my Country Israel

Nice to see yous all working togetter,
Nice appren

You guys are great. I have learned so many things from you site and ordering your DVD, etc. We have an African Grey, his name is Jacob. Jacob is a fantastic bird. He is funny, comical, loving and talks up a blue streak. People tell me all the time that birds can not speak words with “b”, “p” or “v” sounds. I know this false, because Jacob calls himself, “Jacob-a-poo”. We have had jacob since he was only 6 months old. He was hand fed, so they said. But Jacob has NEVER ate anything but a certain kind of Kibble, No salt peanuts in the shell and sunflower seeds. We have tried to get him to eat everything. I am going to make this mix that is on your video, but do you have any other suggestions. The doctors says, he is really healthy.

chet I love your aporn I would like to ask if you can pass on a word are to for me about feather plucking I have a mc call she pulls out all of her feathers I was wondering if you could ask around for me to see if I could help my parrot. thanks shirley

Awesome! I can’t wait to try this! My bird was in a shelter where he was only fed a certain type of seed that is really small (like millet and canary seed), so he doesn’t like any seed bigger than that. It was hard enough to get him to eat other seeds of the same size, but now I can’t get him to eat any bigger seeds that are also healthier, even if they are all together in the same food. He doesn’t like eating fruits or veggies either. I think this will be a big breakthrough for him. Thanks a bunch!!!

haha you boys are so cute!! XD great ideas!

I have a African grey and a umbrella cockatoo. I only got the cockatoo called sparky at Christmas he is 8. The Grey called Annie I have had 9 years she is12. Annie will eat anything but is very scruffy she doesn’t pluck her feathers, but she looks a mess anyway. she loves fruit and veg. she used to have seed dried fruit to eat i have just started her on pellets. she throws this every everywhere but will also eat it.
Sparky, will not eat any fruit or veg at all. I give her the same food as Annie. but I am worried that she will become scruffy too. if she doesn’t and veg.n’t eat the fresh fruit. I also know why the last owner want to sell her she is so noisy., If someone laughs or the dogs bark she squalks on and on and will not stop. can you help me

great video, I will try this for my finicky grey, Thanks, Carolyn P

Chet and Dave: Coco and I sit and watch your video’s. She apparently finds them very interesting as she gets very intent. Something about your voice, Chet. Coco loves fruits and some veggies. Never tried cooked spinach though. I,too enjoy all the time and trouble you folks go to when preparing these videos. I have learned a lot. Coco is a quaker parrot, but we also have a Myers Parrot who loves anyone else but me. Guess it’s cause she and Coco don’t get along. Gidget will provoke a fight. Coco does not look for trouble but will not back-down. I’d love for them to get along but not sure how to do it.

Anyway, I LOVED the cooking demo. I too would use the applesauce in place of the oil as I understand birds cannot digest fats. They both get lots and lots of veggies fresh and cooked. I do watch the salt, but they do get a salted peanut now and then. I slos give them a small amount of peanut butter on a cracker. I make sure it is very thinly spread as I don’t want them chocking.

Please keep doing what you do best. I love carrying for my birds and have lots of bird-rasing friends rearing a variety of feathered-friends. God Bless.

i ? birds!!! lol

oops my bad i mean i ? birds!

okay i just relized you can’t make hearts on this lol. what i wanted to say that i heart (love) birds. oh well. wait maybe i can! lets see.. i <3 birds!