Cookbook Search

[Xavier]

Hello all -

As most of you know, I am a vegetarian, and today I was flipping through some vegetarian cookbooks that I found in our house, looking for some recipies for the fids.

I found plenty of good recipies, like some vegan pancakes (because I know birds aren't good with dairy), but i've also heard you should substitute some things in pancakes to make them avian-friendly.

What do I need to substitute? Are there common things in human recipies that I can replace so I can feed them to the fids? All of the recipies in these cookbooks are healthy, and i'm steering clear of things I know are bad (mushrooms, avacadoes, onions etc.) but I'm just wondering.

Thanks!

[Baby5566]

A whole list.

http://birding.about.com/library/wee...htm?once=true&

[Xavier]

wow.

thanks!

[Cindy215]

That link is for outside birds. You cant use junk like suet with parrots. I'm vegan too, macro mostly. It's very convenient with birds lol. Not very many differences. If you want to post the ingredients that you're thinking about being an issue that may help.

Off hand (I'm sure there are more) the differences are if you bake make sure it's non aluminum baking powder.

I dont feed soy at all and would recommend strongly against it. The only proteins besides seed and grains and nuts that I feed are egg in very limited amounts, beans mostly lentil varieties but I have thrown in some adzuki or mung on occasion or pinto.

I am feeding low protein right now and won't kick it up likely till next year's molt at the end of the summer. Low meaning about 10 % sometimes 20 it depends on what I see.

I substitute with all the high vitamin A and high calcium ingredients. Instead of say, water or apple juice. For example (and I like it myself) I use pumpkin or baby sweet potato or baby apricot for the liquid in a cornbread or wheat bread. Occasionally I use applesauce. I also pulverize red peppers and use them as a liquid. I also steep the dark leafy greens and make a green broth from it and add that sometimes. I also soak my starches in that type of thing, like potato, beans, even squash etc. Same with flavorings I use cinnamon sometimes for them and herbs. Although I'm not a big herb adder for me.

I dont use my brown rice syrup for the birds although I considered it but they dont need sweeteners so why bother. I dont use any of my seaweed products for them either too much iodine I use fresh dark leafy greens, rotated and no spinach and limited parsley and I watch the chard even though I have a hen who loves it. I've considered kudzu to be a good thickener but I dont feed anything that requires thickeners for birds.

I DO use eggs in the birdy breads and add the shells. I eat limited fruits for me but feed alot to the birds. You probably know macrobiotics eat with the seasons so I eat that way and they do too. Although regardless of my beliefs most bird nutrition people do that anyway.

I dont feed pellets and have to be careful with my parrotlets with diet because of the difficulties in doing bloodwork. It's not like you can run them in casually to check on their levels.

I never have much luck baking macrobiotic but use Christina Perillo's cookbookd when I do. I will break my veganism macro-ism on occasion. Like if my friends have a birthday cake or something, I'm not real dramatic and dont think it's comfortable for them to always be on the spot. But I dont barbeque or sit anywhere near theirs when they do LOL.

Once I got a B12 deficiency from not watching my supplements and now I will eat an egg on occasion. (numb extremeties) . About once a month. I get them from my friend's farm and it doesnt bother my animal rights part of my brain...just usually I dont even think of it. I'll also eat whole wheat bread that my birds love that I get at the Giant and dont worry about it I dont even remember what's in it. You gotta chose your parameters lol.

I do not believe in feeding birds animal products except eggs even without me being a veg, so thats no problem. I buy commercial Mama Bird Birdy Bread and freeze it. I also add some seed in the bird's bread that I make, veggies, and sometimes goldenfeast gardenflora. Then I pass on sharing with them lol.

I enjoy the holistic bird site theres alot of info on there.
http://www.holisticbird.org/diet/index.htm

[Xavier]

I only feed soy in small amounts, and rarley. I know too much protein in general is harmful- especially for poicephalus, and even more specifically- for my female brown head Aree. I don't want her thinking its nesting time too soon

I will post a list of ingredients i'm not sure of after I finish my Birdie Cookbook.