Page 597 - Hand rearing birds second

598 Hand-Rearing Birds

their nutritional needs, however, and this is what most captive parrot diet recommendations are
based on.
Unlike the aviculture sector, parrot rehabilitators have other considerations to take into consid-
eration. Is the food we are presenting grown as people food? If a bird learns to recognize a com-
mercial crop such as corn, apples, citrus, or bananas as food, then you could put them at risk of
lethal deterrents should they encounter one of these crops post‐release. The fat content and caloric
value of foods should be higher for a wild bird than a pet bird, as their energetic requirements are
higher. These are not perch‐potatoes. They should be active in their large enclosures, flying (hope-
fully), but if they were clipped as babies and are awaiting a full molt, then they should be interact-
ing with their flock, working with foraging foods and enrichment that promotes active behavior,
such as climbing on swings, ropes, and hanging branches of berries and fruits.
BBR’s foundation diet is limited due to cost and seasonal availabilities. The staples at BBR are
cooked corn and beans, including kidney or pinto beans that are soaked overnight, washed, and
cooked. Ideally, we would use garbanzo beans (chickpeas) but they are prohibitively expensive. We
avoid peanuts because of the risk of aflatoxins; almonds would be perfect, but these and any other
nut is again prohibitively expensive. However, we grow coconuts and the birds get fresh coconut
meat every day. We use oranges as we have them for free, but these are a commercial crop and too
much vitamin C can cause issues with iron in some species – all tropical birds have a propensity to
store excessive iron, toucans especially, but is not usually an issue with most Psittacines. We have
access to a commercial pellet (Mazuri Parrot Maintenance) which the birds simply won’t eat easily,
so we use it as a base for “Birdy Bread.”

Birdy Bread Recipe

Warm 3 cups of apple juice
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Add 3 cups of any commercial parrot pellets
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Soak for 20+ minutes until soft (add more liquid if required). Mix the pellets to a paste, then add:
2 tbsp (30 ml) peanut butter
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3 eggs
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1 cup (237 ml) coconut oil
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1 cup (237 ml) wholewheat flour
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2 cups (474 ml) yellow cornmeal
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1 cup (237 ml) oats
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2 cups (474 ml) grated (unsweetened) coconut
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1/4 cup (60 ml) crushed red pepper
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1 large grated carrot
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Mix thoroughly to dough consistency. Add more liquid or more dry ingredients if required.
Spread to about 1 in. (2.5 cm) thickness in a shallow baking tin greased with coconut oil. Push
down firmly with your hands to limit cracking during cooking. Slow bake at 170 °C/325 °F for
1 hour. Cool completely before cutting into small cubes. Give three to six pieces per bird per day.
This recipe makes a large cake which can be frozen after cutting and will last one bird several
weeks. Scale down the ingredients to make a smaller cake if desired. Keep frozen or refrigerated.
Variation: add grated pumpkin or other veggies, banana, apples, ground nuts, and dried fruits.
Birdy quiche is simply a dozen beaten eggs. Mix in six of the shells, left‐over spaghetti or rice,
chopped spinach, chili peppers, or anything yummy, pour into a greased deep dish and bake in a
moderate oven until cooked through.