Chop for my parakeets

[Trey0316]

Hello, I am new here. I wanted to add some variety and nutrition to my parakeets diet. I have came up with a chop I think is good. Is it good, or should something change, also what should the mix ratio be(veg.% to grains%)?

Broccoli
Bell Pepper
Cauliflower
Carrots
Dill
Kale
Quinoa
Wild Rice

 

[wrench13]

Looks fine to me, just want to point 2 things out. Carrots have to be cooked in order for parrots to get any nutritional value or they can interfere with digestion. And I personally dont like to use grains in chop. You can add hot peppers, the hotter the better. Great source of Vit A. Parrots have 1 taste bud to 100 of ours, so what is scaldingly hot to us is only mildly tangy to parrots. I add a big handful of the hottest ones I can lay hands on. Jalapeno, chiles, Ghost peppers all of them. If they are reluctant to try the chop, try varying the size you present, going from big shunks, smaller chunks, all the way down to match head size pcs, and repeat until thay show signs of acceptance and eating.

 

[Trey0316]

Looks fine to me, just want to point 2 things out. Carrots have to be cooked in order for parrots to get any nutritional value or they can interfere with digestion. And I personally dont like to use grains in chop. You can add hot peppers, the hotter the better. Great source of Vit A. Parrots have 1 taste bud to 100 of ours, so what is scaldingly hot to us is only mildly tangy to parrots. I add a big handful of the hottest ones I can lay hands on. Jalapeno, chiles, Ghost peppers all of them. If they are reluctant to try the chop, try varying the size you present, going from big shunks, smaller chunks, all the way down to match head size pcs, and repeat until thay show signs of acceptance and eating.

Thanks for the advice, maybe Ill switch the carrot out for a hot pepper, I'll leave grains alone as well.

 

[fiddlejen]

Except of course, if no grains and only the lovely veg, you are still gonna give them some sort of pellets or seed mix or something to get their calories, right?

 

[chris-md]

Wrench, my good friend, if I may I’d like to...restate your sentiment about carrots. It’s not that it’s ONLY available when cooked, it’s just MORE available when cooked. They’d still get some of what they need. You also have to keep I mind what some birds are willing to eat and won’t. Some won’t eat raw, while others won’t eat cooked.

I’d highlight the sentiment about grains does come from the perspective of an Amazon owner who had differing eating requirements. Budgies are definitely granivores and benefit from grains in their diet. Grains can also absorb water, which helps extend the shelf life. I’m a big fan of grains as one component of a good, moisture controlled chop (ESPECIALLY if you are going to freeze the chop).

Trey, that looks great for a first go! The only comment I’d say is that when you have a limited recipe list (many take it up to 15-20 ingredients. I keep mine to about 12 or so), every ingredient has to serve a purpose with little duplication. As I look over your limited list of ingredients my eyes jump immediately to both quinoa and wild rice; I’d choose one or the other, and replace with something different. For example, you might replace the wild rice (which has less nutritional value) with perhaps a lentil or small bean.

I’m also eyeing the carrot and bell peppers. While not obvious, we tend to go for bell peppers for the same reason we go for carrots: beta carotene/vitamin a. Since budgies don’t have Uber vitamin a requirements like eclectus do, I might pick one over the other. The only hesitation I have in outright making this recommendation is that they are different parts of the plant (fruit vs root) so do bring slightly different things to the party.

Cauliflower and broccoli I have the same hesitancy/struggle. Fairly Different nutrients profiles (their different colors alone give this away = feed the rainbow!), but come from the same part of the plant: both are the flower buds. Ideally - though sometimes perhaps impractically - you not only feed the rainbow, but you want to feed all parts of the plant for optimal nutritional value.

Key here: optimize your small batches chop by providing different PARTS of the plant AND different nutrient profiles.

It becomes matters of personal preference as you begin learning what you are doing.

When you have chop with larger number of ingredients, this duplication becomes less of a concern.

 

[Laurasea]

Welcome to the forum!
Don't forget tge leafy greens! Swiss chard, dandelion greens, bok choy, romaine lettuce, celery leaves ect! Tho mine love them whole, and if I hang them up or weave in cage bars. Leafy greens actually have lots of nutrition!! And vitamins

And sprouts! The members here and all their sprout talk finally got me sprouting!

This is a great article chop
Life From Scratch: Chop: all things good for birdie

 

[Trey0316]

Except of course, if no grains and only the lovely veg, you are still gonna give them some sort of pellets or seed mix or something to get their calories, right?

Yes I have a schedule of 4 tsp of chop in the morning (2 tsp for each of them), and their seed mix in the evening, the seed mix has pellets mixed in.

 

[Trey0316]

Wrench, my good friend, if I may I’d like to...restate your sentiment about carrots. It’s not that it’s ONLY available when cooked, it’s just MORE available when cooked. They’d still get some of what they need. You also have to keep I mind what some birds are willing to eat and won’t. Some won’t eat raw, while others won’t eat cooked.

I’d highlight the sentiment about grains does come from the perspective of an Amazon owner who had differing eating requirements. Budgies are definitely granivores and benefit from grains in their diet. Grains can also absorb water, which helps extend the shelf life. I’m a big fan of grains as one component of a good, moisture controlled chop (ESPECIALLY if you are going to freeze the chop).

Trey, that looks great for a first go! The only comment I’d say is that when you have a limited recipe list (many take it up to 15-20 ingredients. I keep mine to about 12 or so), every ingredient has to serve a purpose with little duplication. As I look over your limited list of ingredients my eyes jump immediately to both quinoa and wild rice; I’d choose one or the other, and replace with something different. For example, you might replace the wild rice (which has less nutritional value) with perhaps a lentil or small bean.

I’m also eyeing the carrot and bell peppers. While not obvious, we tend to go for bell peppers for the same reason we go for carrots: beta carotene/vitamin a. Since budgies don’t have Uber vitamin a requirements like eclectus do, I might pick one over the other. The only hesitation I have in outright making this recommendation is that they are different parts of the plant (fruit vs root) so do bring slightly different things to the party.

Cauliflower and broccoli I have the same hesitancy/struggle. Fairly Different nutrients profiles (their different colors alone give this away = feed the rainbow!), but come from the same part of the plant: both are the flower buds. Ideally - though sometimes perhaps impractically - you not only feed the rainbow, but you want to feed all parts of the plant for optimal nutritional value.

Key here: optimize your small batches chop by providing different PARTS of the plant AND different nutrient profiles.

It becomes matters of personal preference as you begin learning what you are doing.

When you have chop with larger number of ingredients, this duplication becomes less of a concern.

Thanks for all the advice! I am planning on making a big batch and freezing it to make it last for about a week or so. I will keep the bell pepper and forget the carrot, I will definitely add more things. I will keep the Quinoa, mostly for moisture control, should I cook the Quinoa? I am going to the grocery store tomorrow, I will keep in mind what you said about having a long list of variety. I was thinking about adding Asparagus, beet leaves, celery, Red Cabbage, and collard greens, I'm kinda worried that I won't cook the lentils/beans properly, I'll think about them. Any other recommendations?

 

[Trey0316]

Welcome to the forum!
Don't forget tge leafy greens! Swiss chard, dandelion greens, bok choy, romaine lettuce, celery leaves ect! Tho mine love them whole, and if I hang them up or weave in cage bars. Leafy greens actually have lots of nutrition!! And vitamins

And sprouts! The members here and all their sprout talk finally got me sprouting!

This is a great article chop
Life From Scratch: Chop: all things good for birdie

I will be adding more things to the list, I will have more than just kale, thanks for the advice!

 

[wrench13]

Trey, I bow to Chris superior experience with diets. Amazons, what I have, usually have fewer eating issues than most other species o parrots. Eclectus parrots, what Chris has, are more sensitive to diet and nutritional requirements, and he has really done a lot of research for the diet of his Ekkie, Parker. Laura also knows quite a bit about parrot diets, so I would give a lot of credence to their advice. In fact, I learned new stuff just in these responses.

As with so much in the world, there are always new things to learn in any field of study, and it's when you think you know all there is to know that you realize how little you actually know!