How to Make Homemade Bird Food

Making your own bird food involves using a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Birdseeds
• Applesauce
• Cornmeal
• Eggs
• Fruits
• Nuts
• Vegetables
• Pellets

1. Understand that it is simple to make your own bird food, but that you must be careful to avoid certain foods that are toxic for birds. These include caffeine, alcohol, chocolate, avocados, rhubarb, sprouted limas, fava beans and navy beans.

2. Do not give peanuts to a parrot, as this could cause aspergillosis, a dangerous disease.

3. Realize that each species of bird requires a different type of diet. Read about your bird's species or talk to your veterinarian so that you fully understand your bird's particular needs. Some birds require high-fat diets, while others require low-fat diets.

4. Feed your bird various fruits and vegetables to see what she likes best. Consider making a tiny fruit salad or miniature green salad for your bird. Cooked vegetables and fruits are also excellent choices for a bird.

5. Make sure the fruits and vegetables you feed your bird have been washed to remove all possible pesticides. Never feed your bird commercially grown strawberries, as these are sprayed with many pesticides.

6. For most bird species, feed nuts and seeds sparingly (this can vary for some species).

7. Limit foods that are high in fat, sugar or salt.

8. Try mixing cornmeal with three whole eggs (include the shells), cooked vegetables, pieces of raw fruit and applesauce. Bake for 20 minutes. Feed this treat to your bird when cooled.

9. Feed your bird some commercial pellets along with your homemade bird food.

Tips & Warnings

• Birds must be fed a balanced diet; specific needs vary from species to species. Check with your avian veterinarian about what is best for your bird.

• Be sure to feed your bird some commercial pellets to ensure a complete diet and a healthy bird.

• Be certain that you never feed your bird table food that is old. Birds are very sensitive to bacteria and toxins.

• Remove eyes from potatoes before feeding them to birds. Potato eyes are poisonous.

• Raw rice is not recommended for birds.