looks yummy!!!! I have 12 more days worth of chop in my freezer 
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Newest batch of chop'n'freeze
- Thread starter BayuCah'ya
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Yeah, I started making this about 15 years ago when I was hand raising babies in addition to working at a vet clinic and going to school. I didn't have time to chop fresh fruit and veggies every day for all of them, but I wanted them to have a good and varied diet, so I started doing it in batches like this on the weekends. Of course, it has changed and evolved quite a bit in the course of 15 years, but with my busy schedule it's the best method for me personally and my flock. However, I love the idea of providing fresh, not frozen, produce, and try to incorporate that into their diets as often as possible, too.
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I agree that it's best to sample a bit first if possible. I don't know what all you have tried to convert your birds, but here are a few tricks that I've had success with in the past with birds who were slower to catch on:*baking it into a birdie bread recipe, then gradually upping the amount of chop in the batter until it's mostly chop.*mixing it into cooked grains like oatmeal, then gradually upping the ratio until its mostly chop*running it through a food processor and feeding it warmed or cool*food processed and mixed with pellets, gradually upping the ratio, etc.*sprinkling food processed bits of it on a hand mirror on the bottom of their cage *spreading it like a schmear on birdie bread or crackersYou might have tried all of those things, but I thought I'd mention them, just in case. But as long as you're happy with their diet, getting them to eat chop isn't the most crucial thing ever, anyway.
Go for it, Dotty. I'd be honored. I'm so glad people are enjoying my little chop'n'freeze!And also, sorry I had to post multiple replies instead of combining them all in one. I'm typing from my phone, so I can't get super fancy.
Update to my recipe: Since I posted this, I have had some discussions with some fellow avian nutrition enthusiasts about our nutritional practices. They brought up some points that I feel are worth mentioning. Based on research that has been done by various institutions, they brought up a few concerns with my chop'n'freeze:
1. For a complete amino acid profile, research has concluded that a 2:1 grain-to-legume ratio is recommended. I responded that in the past I have tried a 2:1 ratio (as it stands, since I use 1 C of four kinds of grains in my mix, and only 1 C of the bean mix, my ratio is 4:1), but it was too much protein for the Ekkies, and they started wing flipping. They mentioned that they have not experienced this with their Ekkies, but that it is possible that, since my Ekkies also get other foods in their foraging toys and hanging in their cage, that they are getting enough protein from other sources, so in their specific case, 2:1 is too high. HOWEVER, if you are truly planning on feeding a fresh food mix as the majority diet, not offering pellets, and other foods will make up less than 20% of your bird's diet, then you should make sure that the grain to legume ratio is anywhere from 2:1 to 1:1.
2. These women are also firm believers in blending the chop into a mash, so that the birds cannot pick out favorite foods and neglect others. They fear that birds will get an imbalanced diet even if you do offer a balanced diet, because they won't eat everything. My experience has been that my birds do, in fact, eat the chop well and eat enough of a variety that they have stayed very healthy. BUT, I recognize that that is not always the case, so I felt they had a valid point that should be mentioned. If you are planning to feed a fresh diet with no pellets, and you do not know for sure that your bird is going to make appropriate dietary choices, you might consider turning it into a mash, rather than leaving it as a chop. On the other hand, I personally feel that a chop is more enriching to the birds, as it provides a variety of shapes, colors, textures, and flavors, and empowers them to decide what they want to eat. So that's just something else to think about.
3. I forgot to mention that ALL of my birds have calcium blocks in their cages - either cuttlebone or Manu mineral blocks - which is an important point to make. The reason I mention this is because hypocalcemia is very common in captive parrots. Especially since I put spinach, chard, and kale in my chop - all of which are high in oxalates which bind to calcium and remove it from the body - providing them with a readily available calcium source is a must. I do notice that all of my birds will go weeks or months without touching their calcium supplements, then will go through phases where they'll go through a whole calcium block in hours or days.
Like I said, if you're only using chop as a supplement (50% or less of your bird's diet), these issues are less of a concern, because your birds are receiving nutrients elsewhere. But if you are thinking about using a chop recipe like mine as 80% or more of your bird's diet, these things are important to consider.
Sorry to ONCE AGAIN be so long-winded, but I feel that I have a responsibility to all of you to make sure that I am giving you all the information I have.
1. For a complete amino acid profile, research has concluded that a 2:1 grain-to-legume ratio is recommended. I responded that in the past I have tried a 2:1 ratio (as it stands, since I use 1 C of four kinds of grains in my mix, and only 1 C of the bean mix, my ratio is 4:1), but it was too much protein for the Ekkies, and they started wing flipping. They mentioned that they have not experienced this with their Ekkies, but that it is possible that, since my Ekkies also get other foods in their foraging toys and hanging in their cage, that they are getting enough protein from other sources, so in their specific case, 2:1 is too high. HOWEVER, if you are truly planning on feeding a fresh food mix as the majority diet, not offering pellets, and other foods will make up less than 20% of your bird's diet, then you should make sure that the grain to legume ratio is anywhere from 2:1 to 1:1.
2. These women are also firm believers in blending the chop into a mash, so that the birds cannot pick out favorite foods and neglect others. They fear that birds will get an imbalanced diet even if you do offer a balanced diet, because they won't eat everything. My experience has been that my birds do, in fact, eat the chop well and eat enough of a variety that they have stayed very healthy. BUT, I recognize that that is not always the case, so I felt they had a valid point that should be mentioned. If you are planning to feed a fresh diet with no pellets, and you do not know for sure that your bird is going to make appropriate dietary choices, you might consider turning it into a mash, rather than leaving it as a chop. On the other hand, I personally feel that a chop is more enriching to the birds, as it provides a variety of shapes, colors, textures, and flavors, and empowers them to decide what they want to eat. So that's just something else to think about.
3. I forgot to mention that ALL of my birds have calcium blocks in their cages - either cuttlebone or Manu mineral blocks - which is an important point to make. The reason I mention this is because hypocalcemia is very common in captive parrots. Especially since I put spinach, chard, and kale in my chop - all of which are high in oxalates which bind to calcium and remove it from the body - providing them with a readily available calcium source is a must. I do notice that all of my birds will go weeks or months without touching their calcium supplements, then will go through phases where they'll go through a whole calcium block in hours or days.
Like I said, if you're only using chop as a supplement (50% or less of your bird's diet), these issues are less of a concern, because your birds are receiving nutrients elsewhere. But if you are thinking about using a chop recipe like mine as 80% or more of your bird's diet, these things are important to consider.
Sorry to ONCE AGAIN be so long-winded, but I feel that I have a responsibility to all of you to make sure that I am giving you all the information I have.
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I should add that this recipe is the least common denominator of what my birds need. Since the Ekkies are the only ones who don't get pellets, that mix is geared specifically for their dietary needs. I add to the other birds' food what is necessary for their individual dietary needs, and also provide them with a mix of Harrison's and TOPS pellets. Something else to think about when coming up with your own chop recipe.
EkkieBaby
Walking the driveway
Thanks for posting this I was going to ask this
You're most welcome. Glad I could be of some service!
Glad I could be of some service!- Status
