Making and Feeding Scrambled Eggs to Parrots

[Michael]

Making and Feeding Scrambled Eggs to Parrots

Cooking and feeding scrambled eggs to my parrots. Some tips about preparing them and a video of how much Kili and Truman enjoy them.

[TheNzJessie]

i just did this for Jango, he was unsure at first but hes digging in now! his nectar wet mix supplement has egg in it so this is going to be in moderation

[ginger]

I scramble up eggs for my guys too. I also include the shells. I get organic eggs from my backyard chickens. I found a great "green" non stick electric skillet made by Cuisinart. It was a bit pricey, but well worth it. I don't use any aerosal sprays because my parrots are located too close to the kitchen and I've read that the aerosal isn't safe for them. Instead I have a Gourmet Mist sprayer that is manually pumped up with air to expell the canola oil on my pan. I got that at the grocery store located right above the oil in the cooking aisle. It isn't very expensive and I feel much safer using it. Sometimes I even make them birdie french toast with whole grain bread using eggs and no milk or butter. I also hard boil eggs and once cooled I chop them up and add back the shells. It gives the birds a little different consistency. They love eggs no matter which way their fixed. Looks like your two are enjoying their home cooked eggs, too!

[Jenny]

I also hard boil eggs and once cooled I chop them up and add back the shells. It gives the birds a little different consistency.

Ginger, I'm curious, how often do you feed your birds hard boiled eggs?

[ginger]

I usually feed them boiled eggs crushed up with the shells once or twice a month.

[ldallas04]

Here's what I want to know: How does one season cast iron?! I guess I could google it, but I want your advice. We only have one non-stick pan in the house which has a very minor scratch on it, but I fear using it because it will get worse over time.

[Michael]

Parrot Safe Alternatives to Non-Stick Cookware is an article I wrote that explains just this

[ldallas04]

You think of everything. Thank you!

[entrancedbymyGCC]

There are also now on the market nonstick pans that are ceramic-coated rather than PTFE-coated. These are bird-safe and effective, but expensive. Cuisinart's Green Gourmet is one brand that claims to be bird-safe and I have two pieces of the material. I wrote a review (http://theparrotforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=1781) a while back, and most of that still applies after I've had the piece in use longer. The surface does require careful care and isn't an "only" skillet. You'd also want cast iron and/or stainless for high heat applications.

The scratch in the nonstick pan is bad mostly for y'all eating from it, but the coating is risky without the scratch. The coating will create dangerous fumes when heated to ~500°F, which sounds like a lot, but if you have an isolated egg in such a pan, especially with a lightweight pan, the parts of the pan around the egg may heat to much more than the temperature at which you think you are cooking the egg. So it is safest, indeed, to go for alternative materials.

I suggest buying cast iron pre-seasoned, it saves a lot of effort, and maintaining it meticulously. But if you are at all serious about cooking, cast iron alone won't fill all the niches you'll want. Braising in cast iron is just a no-no for example (well, unless it is enameled).

[Michael]

I've found that the "pre-seasoned" part about cast iron pans is a joke. They are still terrible at first and the pre-seasoning really is just a waxy coating to keep the iron looking good at the store until you get it.

A great way to preseason it yourself is to fill it with oil, rub it around, and bake it in the oven for a while (especially if you're using the oven for baking anyway). Then the real seasoning only comes through real use. Every once in a while you'll want to scrape off the grease build up and re-season it. After light use, don't wash the pan, just dab anything out with a paper towel. After messy use, wash it, dry it, and put on a burner lined with oil for a little while so that it is ready for next use. After about 6 months it is as good (if not better) than a non-stick pan. But unlike the ones containing PTFE, the cast iron will last a life time.