Some healthy greens suggestions please

Can i get some suggestions for that kinds of greens to give to my goffins cockatoo? What are your birds favorite greens?

Thanks!

my amazon loves Spanish and lettuce

My birds love brocolli , sweet potatoes , carrots , 15 bean mash , cauliflower , butternut squash .

I live in So California so fruits and greens are easy to come by all year. I also sprinkle with different stuff to change it up a bit ( paprika, bee pollen, flax seed )
It takes time to introduce new fresh foods to birds. Always try them in front of them making a big deal over how good it is.

My U2 and other birds love the following
Bell peppers- every color
Snap peas, green beans, Asparagus.....
Spring mix -dandilon greens, arugala, *frisee*,beet tops ect.....
Green chard, mustard greens, collard, baby bok choy.....

other then greens
carrots, Corn, pumpkin ( love cooked sweet potatoe & yams )
Berries -mine love black berries and strawberries BANNANAS
Melons, guava, papya, mango

Here is an Idea for a birdie bon bon

Filling -use enough for immediate use
Sweet potatoe or yam- cooked and mashed
ripe bannana-mashed
almond butter
roudy bush pellets-crushed

Crumb topping
Bee pollen, flax seed, canary seed, sesame seeds

Combine all (filling) ingredients add more pellets to make a soft dough consistancy
roll into appropriate size balls.

roll balls into combined crumb topping to cover

serve immediatly

Anything really can be used for bon bons. For a more savory option use red potates with skins and greens like spinich or kale and roll in paprika and flax

Peas, lima beans, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, squash (I buy frozen and put what I'm feeding in the microwave with water for 30 seconds or so to thaw). Also fresh kale and various fruits.

I use the same method as rio mom does except i buy my broc and cauliflower fresh because i prefer the fresh stuff over frozen - I like some snap in my broc and cauli and i find freezing gets rid of that in it.

i don't cook MY veggies but i own a steamer for carrots peas etc and my broc and cauli. get steamed and cooled before i give them to birds.

For my own eating, I prefer fresh broc and cauli too. But since the hubby doesn't care much for it, I don't buy it often. I would never eat an entire head of cauliflower by myself before it went bad! Lol

Greens Highest vitamin content is in Kale. Second runner up is close to first Dandelion greens. organic if possible. Not cooked or steamed.

Spiritbird said:

Greens Highest vitamin content is in Kale. Second runner up is close to first Dandelion greens. organicif possible. Not cooked or steamed.

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i forgot about these LOL i have a big pot of dandelions that i planted for salads LOL

Netty said:

Spiritbird said:

Greens Highest vitamin content is in Kale. Second runner up is close to first Dandelion greens. organicif possible. Not cooked or steamed.

Click to expand...

i forgot about these LOL i have a big pot of dandelions that i planted for salads LOL

Click to expand...

OHH i like that idea, planting a dandelion pot! Def gonna try that... once i figure out where i can find the seeds. I live in an apartment with no yard, haha.

Spiritbird said:

Greens Highest vitamin content is in Kale. Second runner up is close to first Dandelion greens. organicif possible. Not cooked or steamed.

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l
I weave kale inbetween the bars of River's cage. Dandelion greens I've never tried. Can you buy those at a grocery store? Or do you use the ones growing in the yard? (we don't use any chemicals on our yard)

If you use no chemicals or no runoff from a neighbor, if you would eat them I would think it would be OK.

FROM THE KITCHEN PHYSICIAN:

"Dandelion is a member of the sunflower family. The leaves have irregular and jagged edges and a yellow flower grows from the hollow stem in the center of the rosette of leaves. The leaves have a rich and slightly bitter flavor. They should be harvested only from pesticide free areas when the tender young leaves are less than six inches long. Recent research has shown the dandelion to be nature's richest vegetable source of cancer-fighting beta-carotene. Dandelion greens are richer in potassium than bananas, and the flowers are richer in lecithin than soybeans. Dandelions contain many trace minerals. Commercial growing of dandelion greens is a ten million-dollar annual business so parrot owners should be able to find them in many stores. Many birds enjoy the yellow dandelion flowers as well as the greens. Both are excellent sources of vitamin A, calcium, and other nutrients. Medicinal benefits: Useful as a digestive stimulant and as a treatment for gout, skin problems, and liver disorders."


Weaving the greens in the cage bars is a very good idea. Try wrapping a treat in the greens. There are green clips you can purchase to hold them in a cage. Little birds like that.
Have the greens dripping wet and hang them from the cage top. None organic greens are pretty well depleted of the nourishment.

Here are a few more greens you can mix and put in a forage basket or toy: beet, Purslane, collard, broccoli, mustard, turnip, kale, chard, romaine, chicory, parsley, fennel and cabbage. I have a wonderful recipe for apple slaw for birds. Most of what I have comes from the Phoenix Landing cookbook which is fantastic and it can be found on their web site.

Max enjoys:

Snap Peas, Green beans, Asparagus, Bell Peppers, Sweet Potatoes, Celery, Tomato

He will try broccoli only if it is steamed. He despises raw broccoli.


Fruits that he adores:
Mango, Plum

Other foods he enjoys:
Rice

What about nasturtium blossums? I know I sometimes put them in a salad for us. They have a peppery taste that birds would probably like.

Leahzebelle said:

OHH i like that idea, planting a dandelion pot! Def gonna try that... once i figure out where i can find the seeds. I live in an apartment with no yard, haha.

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Easiest way i have found? take a walk around a park and find some gone to seed or when driving if you see some gone to seed stop and grab em (i have a multitude of little ziplock baggies in my purse for gathering seeds while i am out LMAO!)

I may have to give growing some inside myself. (even though I don't exacactly have a green thumb) Although we don't treat our yard at all with chemicals, who knows what critters have "visited" the outside dandelions lol.

At one of the classes I attended given by PL they had a container as a door prize. It was fairly large and growing kale and other greens and yes some herbs. What a great idea and easy to plant in organic soil.

Yep it is really easy. I'm from a "gardening" family lol

if i cant have potted plants i loose it because i feel lost without them around me LOL

Right now i am undertaking an experiment to grow my own bonsai tree...
Hopefully it works

i have a 10 gallon pot that is real fancy that is full of herbs that get put into individual pots for the winter and i think a bonsai would look fabulous in it with rocks all at the base, there is even room for a little water feature

Anyways BACK to "normal" plants. I keep a good store of all kinds of herbs on hand in my gardens, savory, rosemary, thyme, lemon balm, yarrow, cinnamon basil, oregano, chives, parsley, 2 kinds of sage, mint, and marjoram.... and that's just in the pots! LOL At my moms house i planted all kinds of dill (we did it the space saver way strawberries and dill are intermixed in the same patch) 3 kinds of mint, 2 kinds of basil, 2 kinds of oregano, lemon grass, AND 50 bazillion kinds of edible flowers.

oh and the veggies garden! we plant some things we don't even eat in it just so we can make things for gifts. then there is also the raspberry and blackberry patch, currants, the HUGE asparagus patch, an Apple tree, and a bunch of rose bushes (I love rose tea!)

I'm glad my mom lives in the middle of no where with 3 acres because we can garden all the time and get a good store of food for winter so groceries don't cost so much!