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Post by mizloco on Apr 14, 2013 19:51:57 GMT
I have just ordered a mini electric food chopper so that I can do some mixed veg/fruit for Bert & Ernie.
Other than broccoli and cress they haven't tried anything else veg/fruit wise so I am looking for ideas please.
Also I go out to work early and I am sure I have seen it on here that fresh veg/fruit can only be in the cage for a short while so is it ok to put a bowl in when I get home in the evening? I want them to eat fresh stuff as well as Trill especially after people saying how just seed is not good for them. I have offered them apple, celery and carrot before but they didn't go near it, hence getting the chopped so I can try it smaller for them. Any ideas welcome.
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Post by nat on Apr 14, 2013 20:39:02 GMT
They say to leave soft food in for no more than 6 hours before it starts building up bacteria, but I reckon that must depend a bit on temperature. I also think some foods turn quicker than others and also if grated/blended up they seem to turn quicker I presume because more oxygen can get to the plant cells. It would be ok to give them a bowl of veg in the evening, however be vigilant on whether they are eating it or not. Their evening feed is very important as they are about to go several hours through the night without eating, so if you feed them something they're not keen on theres a risk they'll go to bed with empty crops. Then its a catch 22 as if you put seed in as well, they'll probably just eat the seed  Would you get home in time enough to give them veg for say 2 or 3 hours and then before lights out, remove the veg and give them an oportunity to eat some seed incase they've not eaten the veg? If I'm feeding grated veg mix I use sweet corn bits, carrot mixed with hard boiled egg or shop bought eggfood as often as possible and once a week they would have brocoli or spinach mixed in. In the summer months I tend to go more for the wild growing plants such as dandylion (once a week, better not chopped as wilts quickly) and chickweed. Those seed sprouters are great as well :-) If I ever mix in apple none of my budgies will touch the mix! Another good thing to feed is the budgie seed grass. Just chuck some trill into some organic compost. Cover lightly with more compost and just watch it grow. If you want to feed them a veg food during the day that won't go off while you're at work, then hawthorn branches with the thorns removed are good and they love to eat the blossom and leaves. Apple and willow branches are great once they start to get leaves and even better is to have a eucalyptus which will give you leaves and twigs all year round :-) There are many more things you can add, but mine are so fussy if I add the wrong thing they turn their beaks up at the lot! So I just try to stick to stuff they like. I added beetroot once and one hen out of 30 loved it and had a pink face lol. The others were having none of it! |
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Post by mizloco on Apr 14, 2013 21:20:17 GMT
Thanks Nat some great ideas there. I can feed them when I get in and leave it there for a couple of hours and then they would have an hour with seed before going to bed, so will try that when it comes. I feel like Delia Smith for budgies.  |
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Post by nat on Apr 14, 2013 21:31:32 GMT
Lol, just wait till you start baking bird bread!
Another thing you can do if you are really busy is do all your veg in the blender once a week, mix with whole brown rice and then pop it into ice cube moulds in a air tight bag, then you can pop them out and defrost when you need them :-) Idea stolen from my avian vet ;-)
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Post by mizloco on Apr 14, 2013 21:33:43 GMT
Wow great idea thanks.
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Post by stace on Apr 15, 2013 3:06:20 GMT
Just to add to Nat's post. Budgies seem to have different fruit and veggies they'll eat. Nat says hers don't like apple, but mine loves apple. He also loves tomato, which I believe is odd for a budgie. He'll also turn his nose up at something like corn for weeks then he'll decide it's okay.
I find it easier to introduce new fresh foods by eating some myself first with him on my shoulder then giving him some. He trust me to only give him good things.
Even just a few nibbles is good, as they're not that big so they don't need to eat huge amounts.
He doesn't much like spinach, but he loves rainbow swiss chard. I can't figure it out, but there you go.
Having a few birds eating together seems to help, as they encourage each other to try. When one eats it's an instinctive thing for the others to follow suit.
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Post by stace on Apr 15, 2013 3:58:02 GMT
Sorry, tried to add a video from photobucket, but it won't work. Don't know why. Works fine when I post from YouTube. Grrr. |
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