Fresh smoothies & juices

Moderator: Mods

Post Reply
lola13
Posts: 91
Joined: Tue Feb 12, 2013 3:43 pm

Fresh smoothies & juices

Post by lola13 »

Can I give my IRN freshly homemade with parrot safe fruit and vegatable smoothies and juices?

Just thinking as it would be a great way to get more healthy food into them in a way it is fun.

I'm having a hard time giving both my IRN and macaw fruit and vegetables anyway I know my macaw would love it.

Any ideas or thoughts?
ellieelectrons
Posts: 2708
Joined: Mon Jul 19, 2010 1:17 am
Location: Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia

Re: Fresh smoothies & juices

Post by ellieelectrons »

I would recommend smoothies over juices and by smoothies I mean the whole vegetable/fruit in a food processor (and with no milk, ice cream, sugar, etc.). Juice tends to give you just the sugary parts of the fruit and not the extra good stuff. In order to get my birds a big variety of veges I feed them a chop mix. It contains grains, beans and veges and some other good stuff. The veges area all food processed but they're not smoothie consistency. I make up a big batch and freeze it. It lasts for up to 3 months. I pull a little out at a time. I also feed my birds pellets.


When you say:
lola13 wrote:I'm having a hard time giving both my IRN and macaw fruit and vegetables anyway I know my macaw would love it.
what do you mean by that? Do you mean they won't eat it or you don't have enough in the house? I'm not quite sure what you mean.

Ellie.
ellieelectrons
Posts: 2708
Joined: Mon Jul 19, 2010 1:17 am
Location: Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia

Re: Fresh smoothies & juices

Post by ellieelectrons »

Other ideas for feeding birds veges are:
- putting them on a birdy vege kabob
- getting frozen veges and cook them and put them in a coop cup or foraging toy
- make a vege mash with all sorts of veges mixed through
- use a food processor to cut the veges up finely and mix them with other foods
- make a chop mix (as mentioned in my previous post)
- wrap some veges in a thin layer of newsprint and have them chew through the newsprint to get their food.

I'm sure others will have more ideas to add.

Ellie.
lola13
Posts: 91
Joined: Tue Feb 12, 2013 3:43 pm

Re: Fresh smoothies & juices

Post by lola13 »

My juices always turn out to be smoothies. My own I never add milk just a bit of natural yogurt. It would be all safe bird food.
I have been doing a chop for 3 months now pellets (3 kinds),seed,veg and fruit with some cooked brown rice or pasta. My IRN will pick the seeds out eat a bit of veg/fruit and leave the rest. I also give some seeds for supper. With her wasting so much vegetables and not eating any pellets I have stopped and give her seeds with a few new pellets(see how this brand goes) and hang skewers up with fruit and vegatables and she's now eating them as I think its more fun for her.

The smoothies are just a way to get more healthy food into my birds. As I don't feel they eat enough of it.

I thought making smoothies/juices it would create sugar but its only the fruit/veg mushed down none of the nutrients has gone.
lola13
Posts: 91
Joined: Tue Feb 12, 2013 3:43 pm

Re: Fresh smoothies & juices

Post by lola13 »

I've made birdie bread a few times never got ate not even touched and I've made mashes before and still never touched.

Lolas not a great forager to be fair I made a toy for her while she was watching put her fave nuts in. Leaving the top of so she could smell the nuts even poked a few and had them hanging out,toy is still in her cage gets moved around but never touched it.

I got the idea from seeing Jelly cups for parrots which I thought was bad the jelly would be full of sugar so thought changing it from them to fresh fruit and veg smoothies.
InTheAir
Posts: 2040
Joined: Sat Jan 12, 2013 4:24 pm

Re: Fresh smoothies & juices

Post by InTheAir »

Sprouts are nice and easy.
Home sprouting is the way to go, the shop bought ones are usually too far sprouted. You can get sprouting seed mixes from a well stocked pet store and been sprout mixes from the health food store. I get both. The pet store ones are a seed mix like what your bird is probably use to already, so she will probably try them....
Introducing new foods can take time, just keep making them available. You never know, one day she may decide it is her favourite food.
lola13
Posts: 91
Joined: Tue Feb 12, 2013 3:43 pm

Re: Fresh smoothies & juices

Post by lola13 »

I tried sprouting nothing happened ha I'm crap at it!
I still give her veg and fruit on a skewer as she does eat it when its on there so she's got two and I alternate. Today its corn,apple,blueberries and broccoli,carrot.
InTheAir
Posts: 2040
Joined: Sat Jan 12, 2013 4:24 pm

Re: Fresh smoothies & juices

Post by InTheAir »

I'm sure I've posted a link for someone on here which explains the method of sprouting I use successfully. Missk has made a great thread about how to use the search function which may help too
Skyes_crew
Posts: 1946
Joined: Thu Feb 28, 2013 12:49 pm
Location: Hawaii

Re: Fresh smoothies & juices

Post by Skyes_crew »

I'm pretty sure sprouting is as simple as add water and watch it grow :wink:

Seriously though...I use a racing pigeon mix from the feed and grain. Soak for a whole day and then lay out on wet paper towels. Usually sprouts by day three.
I am owned by my birds...and I wouldn't have it any other way :D

Image
lola13
Posts: 91
Joined: Tue Feb 12, 2013 3:43 pm

Re: Fresh smoothies & juices

Post by lola13 »

Haha! I can't even grow vegetables at work! But ill have a look on here for sprouting. I think Lola might like it and I have a foraging toy in mind to use.
This is the idea I took from:http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=parrot ... CAYQ_AUoAQ

Its more like a treat as I'd use the jelly cups to put a bit in.and wash after every use. My macaw loves my banana and strawberry dairy-free smoothie.
AlphaWolf
Posts: 289
Joined: Wed Sep 25, 2013 7:06 am

Re: Fresh smoothies & juices

Post by AlphaWolf »

Hi lola, I found this link about making juices for you and your bird. I think it will be a great read. Tell me what you think.
http://www.landofvos.com/articles/juice.html
"Live with parrots and you learn to panic"

AlphaWolf
lola13
Posts: 91
Joined: Tue Feb 12, 2013 3:43 pm

Re: Fresh smoothies & juices

Post by lola13 »

Oh thanks! Had a read of it, gives some good information. :)
AJPeter
Posts: 2534
Joined: Sun Oct 06, 2013 3:17 pm
Location: Birmingham England
Contact:

Re: Fresh smoothies & juices

Post by AJPeter »

I also found that Billie does not like sprouting vegs, she is quite strange does not like peanuts or monkey nuts throws them out of her bowl, she won't eat Brazil nuts. She quite liked brussell sprouts and Broccoli l bought her but not she has gone off them. She likes pomegranites seeds, but not straight from the fridge, she adores the top of an orange and will wait patiently while l peel one before cutting a a third for her, she sinks her beak deep in and sucks up the juice. She likes Sugarsnap peas and frozen peas cooked. She won't eat chicken, mainly because l told her it was like canabalism, she has not more than five cornflakes and prefers Kellogs, dipped in water. If l do not dip properly she takes it into her cage and dips it in her water bowl.
I have not tried smoothies myself.
AJPeter
sanjays mummi
Posts: 2050
Joined: Fri Apr 27, 2012 12:07 pm
Location: Bedfordshire UK

Re: Fresh smoothies & juices

Post by sanjays mummi »

I don't think jelly pots for birds contain sugar unless you count honey, besides All fruits contain fructose.
Post Reply