How to Make a Parrot Mash

An African gray parrot awaits his mash.

This recipe is designed to provide only a portion of a balanced diet for a medium or large parrot. In addition to this mash, a healthy diet also includes a balanced organic pellet mix as well as a daily portion of fresh fruits and vegetables. Your parrot will hopefully enjoy this recipe as a change of pace from a regular pellet diet. Many ingredients have been chosen due to their high calcium content, which is often a concern for companion parrots. This recipe is a variation of Shan Lung's Mash, and takes approximately three to four days to make, so plan ahead.

Things You'll Need

• 3/4 cup black beans
• 3/4 cup lima beans
• 3/4 cup kidney beans
• 3/4 cup soybeans
• 3/4 cup garbanzo beans
• 3/4 cup black-eyed beans
• 3/4 cup great northern white beans
• 3/4 cup brown rice
• 3/4 cup crushed barley
• 3/4 cup rolled oats
• 3/4 cup rolled wheat berries
• 1 1/2 cups millet
• 2 cups diced or shredded yams
• 2 cups diced potatoes
• 2 tbsp. wheat germ
• 2 tbsp. crushed fine oyster calcium tablets
• 2 cups California Mix frozen vegetables
• 2 tbsp. red palm oil (optional)
• 1 strainer
• 1 wooden cutting board
• 2 bath towels
• 6 24-oz. plastic containers, with lids
• 1 20-qt. stock pot
• 40 1-qt. sandwich bags

Instructions

Preparation

1. 

   Beans provide the nutritional backbone of the mash recipe.

   Place each type of bean in a 24-oz. plastic container. Fill the containers with enough water to cover the beans plus an additional inch. Place lids loosely on each container to allow gas to escape. Set aside to soak.

2. Rinse the beans thoroughly every 12 hours for 72 hours. Thoroughly rinse each container prior to replacing the beans and add fresh water. Beans should begin to sprout after 72 hours.

3. Add soaked, sprouting beans to the stock pot. Add water, covering beans with an excess of approximately 2 inches of water.

Cooking

1. Bring to boil for five minutes. Reduce heat and remove any foamy buildup from the top of the water with a strainer.

2. Add grains, potatoes, yams, wheat germ, crushed calcium, frozen vegetables and palm oil. Stir thoroughly.

3. Return heat to boiling for 15 minutes and stir constantly to avoid sticking.

4. Remove from heat and cover with the stock pot lid. Place the warm stock pot on the wooden block and cover with towels to retain heat. Let the mixture sit for 8 to 10 hours.

5. Spoon the cooled mixture into sandwich bags. Freeze portions for later use.

Tips & Warnings

• This recipe will fill anywhere from 25 to 40 sandwich bags depending on use, so ensure enough freezer space is available.

• Most ingredients can be located at your local health food store. Some beans may be difficult to find, and if so, simply add another portion of any other type of bean to make up the difference.

• Soaking the beans for 72 hours, while not mandatory, allows the beans to sprout and adds to their nutritional value.

• Fill sandwich bags with portions that will provide two to four days of mash for your flock. Any more than that and there is a risk of spoilage even when refrigerated.

• According to Avian Web, soaking the beans for a minimum of 24 hours is a must. Many of the beans used in this recipe contain toxins. If the beans are not properly rinsed and cooked, the toxins could damage a parrot's kidneys and liver.

• Once removed from heat in Step 7, the stock pot will be extremely hot for a long period of time. Keep it well out of the reach of children.

References

• Avian Web: Bird Nutrition
• Shan Lung: Tinkerbell Mash Batch 7