Food for Pod

[Pajarita]

I tried 'chop' but my birds don't like their food mushy or watery and that's what happens when chop is thawed so I went back to cooked (and very well drained) veggies. Also the reason why I stopped using beets in it, they release a lot of water when they thaw and they don't like it.

All parrots LOVE spicy. Parrots don't have that many taste buds and they are all located in their throat so they really love all real strong flavors. I use spices and other ingredients to flavor it, for example, a 'sweet' one would be what I call 'apple pie' flavor (I name the flavors I come up with, a bit stupid but indulge me on this) so I add organic and naturally dried apple chips, raisins and/or currants, a bit of honey, cinnamon and finely grated organic lemon peel. A 'spicy' one would be 'pizza': chopped organic sundried tomatoes, white pepper, paprika, oregano, and sliced black olives (very well rinsed with warm water to take as much as possible of the salt in them) - see what I mean? I use honey, pure maple syrup and a bit of all fruit low sugar marmalade with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, orange and lemon grind, naturally dried fruits like raisins, currants, figs, dates, and 'regular' fruit dried without sulfites like papaya, mango, pineapple, coconut (the unsweetened one), apples, etc for the 'sweet' days - and white and black pepper, chili powder, habaneros, jalapenos, Italian peppers, ground pepper, oregano, thyme, rosemary, etc for the 'spicy' days.

[marie83]

U can't freeze most veg raw you need to blanch it first so it doesn't go mushy. You don't need to cook everything first

[Wolf]

I cheat as I get all of the vegetables for my gloop from the frozen foods section and mix them, still frozen with the cooled down whole grain/ bean mixture and freeze that in the serving size that I desire. I then thaw this portion and heat it in the microwave to serve warm but not hot. My birds like it better when they get it warmed up a little bit.

[DanaandPod]

OMG, I am feeling stressed. Pod has eaten popcorn, blueberries, raspberries, mango, apple, birdi goop,,,,all the while whining and beeping and yelling.... this evening...I came home from the pet store with budgie seed mix thinking he is going to love this... well, he took two bites and flew back and forth wolf whistling and beeping... so I gave in and gave him some of his Dr. D's pellets. Especially with all this change...I dont want him having an upset stomach... well, he didn't want that. So, I gave in even further and threw a few zupreem fruit flavor pellets in. He ate them and literally picked up the bowl and tossed it out of its holder...he is so mad!!! Omg, so a gave in all the way and gave him zupreem...and he is now eating it, all the while he is consistently banging the bowl up and down while eating it to let me know that he doesn't want me to take his zupreem away. And, I literally...am taking a time out for myself by jumping on here.

Also, and I know all too well that pet stores are the worst for bird advice...but this guy there was telling me that if I got another bird or parrot that there is a possiblity that not only will Pod not like it...but it could cause him to scream all the time.... Oh lordy no! I cannot have that!
And, the thing is...I don't want another parrot if they are not going to be in the same cage and friends because it ultimately would mean me dividing up my time between both birds... (OMG I CANT BELIEVE HOW HE IS BANGING HIS BOWL AROUND!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LIKE A TOTAL TEMPER TANTRUM LOL!!!!!!!) Well, I haven't ruled out entirely taking in another bird...but it is on the back burner.

However, I have been putting ads out for someone to come here and give him his evening meal... Well, I think I am going to have to step in and make a "Parront" decision. I think I am going to keep the Zupreem and Dr. D's. The thing is if I have a couple late nights....and cant give him his meal... the Dr. D's can work because he really isnt thrilled about it but will eat it if he needs it... I could just simply monitor how much he gets so that he doesn't have too much protein. ? I think I'm taking this budgie mix back because...the seeds are so tiny it seems rediculous and i dont blame him for not liking it. Though, I dont know what is the huge deal around zupreem because i tasted it and it barely has a fruit flavor. I wonder if I could sprinkle something spicy on the Dr. D's Like Cayenne? Or is that too hot. Oh my gosh... I am driving myself crazy now.... I just think this has been too much change for him. NO, i know it has. So, maybe at least I will stick to the limited sunflower and his new morning goop and make any further changes from there.

Just one last thing...I mean, I had planned on food processing his goop so that it is all mixed this way...he gets a little of everytrhing in each mouth full and cant decide to be picky. With all the flavors already in it...how then do you add sweet on top of all the vegetables? (now, I've probablly made all of your heads spin....)

Well, I love the idea of certain

[DanaandPod]

I cheat as I get all of the vegetables for my gloop from the frozen foods section and mix them, still frozen with the cooled down whole grain/ bean mixture and freeze that in the serving size that I desire. I then thaw this portion and heat it in the microwave to serve warm but not hot. My birds like it better when they get it warmed up a little bit.

I plan on doing this but putting it all in the food processor for an end result.

[DanaandPod]

I just thought of something else...The guy who makes/sells Dr. D's told me not to feed the bird anything but that.. so then maybe its not good to keep it. He said the bird could get too much vitamins this way.

[DanaandPod]

I know I've gone on and on and back and forth with all of this... but just wanted to share since I am in the moment cooking up his food, what ingredients I'm using. BTW, I am cooking from dried beans...I know now that they are poisonous dried... but nobody said otherwise to not use them cooked. So here goes his true first birdie goop, mash, hash or whatever:

quinoa, hulled barley, wheat bulgar, wild rice, white beans, mixed beans, butternut squash, carrots, green beans, peas, broccoli, and kale.

I meant to include peppers but forgot to go to the food store. And, I also have flax seed that I may sprinkle in...

I had planned to put it all in one big bin and use an ice cream scooper daily. I hope this will be okay...otherwise, this is all for waste. I dont have the proper bags...and it just seemed too overwhelming.

Cheers!

[Wolf]

Relax Dana you are doing great and I know that this is all a lot of information and I know how much outdated information there is. I know that a lot of that outdated information is in conflict with all that we have learned in the past twenty years or so and that some people have not even learned of the newer information because there are just not that many people sharing that information with each other or with new people. So it all gets rather confusing when you don't know otherwise, and that is why we provide links to our information and encourage you to look up these things too instead of just taking our word for it. We really want you to have the right information backed up by scientific research so that you can decide for yourself what is best for you and your bird. Believe it or not but not a single one of us is an expert, none of us know enough, but we can all research and share our research and ask questions and if there is any scientific answer to be found we can find it most of the time and we can all reach out and give each other our support and share out thoughts and opinions with each other.
Back to the gloop and Pod picking out stull, it is alright for this , it doesn't hurt a thing he will pick and choose his way through it all in time. The more he is served it the better he will eat it.

[DanaandPod]

Thanks Wolf. But, I yet again made a new decision. I know that parrot keeping is not perfect for any wild animal...therefor, I want him to be happy. And, I want to just take a small step toward better health for him. Like I said, I've limited his peanut and sunflower tremendously which I am grateful to have learned on here. But, I already gave up on the gloop/mash/etc. This morning...I was like...why am I trying right now to get him to eat what he doesn't like and making all these rapid changes at once? So, I decided to keep his zupreme in his foragers....and his Dr.D's in his food bowl...though just enough and not too much... But, what is new is that I have small foraging cups in his cage of which I have and will add some of the real food he is willing to eat. Which are, peas, green beans, blueberries, mango, butternut squash, raspberries..., beans/grains... All of which I am grateful he will at least eat. He will not touch anything in leaf form...tho that could change as Pajorita pointed out. So, in the end... we have compromised for at least a healthier living, tho not perfect. Thanks for all your help!

[Wolf]

Don't write any of the healthier dietary changes off yet. You don't have to make any of them all at once. Take your time and just keep offering him some of the different things that go into the gloop until he is eating them and then try a small batch after he is already eating most of the items in it. With the items that he already eats, it seems to me that his largest hurdle to eating the gloop is the cooked whole grains. You could offer him a different one of them in addition to what you are currently feeding him until he is eating most of them. It really does not need to be all at once nor does it need to be stressful to either you or Pod, just a gradual addition of healthier foods than he eats now. Many times small steps will prove to be the best way to proceed.
Where you are having difficulties and getting stressed is that you are learning a lot on new information all at once and then trying to make all of the changes in the same way, all at once. You don't have to do it that way, small steps and a gradual change which allows both of you to get used to them will work and for you, will work much better. Birds don't usually like large changes any way, just take your time and go slow.