Favorite easy and cheap Bird bread recipe?

[Meatball]

Ok so I usually feed AO bird breads but right now with being unemployed I can not afford to do that. I really want to make the linnies some birdie bread because they love it but have no idea how to.
I am looking for an easy recipe that doesn't have a lot of expensive ingredients. Most breads I find online require like 30 different ingredients! I don't have $30 to spend for bread.

So how do you make your bread for the birds? Keep in mind I am not a good cook so need to keep it simple I am used to just adding oil and egg to the AO breads

 

[Mizzely]

Just use flour, something to make it moist, and add things like veggies. When it looks like the consistency of AO bread, put it in the oven at 350 for 35 to 45 minutes. That how I do it

Example :


"2 large eggs
1 cup of brewed dandelion tea
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp red palm oil
1/4 c golden flax meal
1/4 c corn meal
1 1/2 c spelt flour
1 4oz jar corn + carrot baby food
2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp hatched
2 tbsp milk thistle powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 c of my seed mix
1 cup peas
1/2 c dried cranberries
1 tsp ginger

I greased a 9x9" glass baking dish with coconut oil, and baked at 350 for 35 minutes. Let cool, then cut!"

Trim it down. Find what you want or have similar of. Yours could be:

2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup Applesauce or 1 banana
1 egg
1 cup frozen mixed veggies

And that could really be it! You can make it as simple or complicated as needed.

 

[PrettyBird]

Buy a cheap corn bread mix at a store. It can be under a dollar, and this will make plenty of servings. Have any ingrediants you need to add to the mix. Add powdered pellets which you can mash with a hammer. Add any fruits, veggies, vitamins an such you have on hand. You can either bake this like a cake and cut peices from it later, bake in a mini muffin pan, or use mini muffin paper things. Freeze in a plastic bag and heat up when you need it. I paid under a dollar for the mix, and had everything else on hand, and it made tons of servings for my birds.

 

[Hrtofau2]

I do like Ashlee does. This is a "basic" version of what I make.

I use Jiffy Corn muffin mix
Make as directed
Add 1 additional egg (I throw eggs in shell and all)
Add 1 TBL Spoon Corn meal

Then comes the add ins.
Usually I include a handful of pellets (I am recently converted him from seed this is how I got him used to the "taste")
Some peppers, Zuc, Cucs, squash,corn, green beans ~ what ever is around. Toss them into the food processer to make them small. Add into the mix. If the mix is really runny, I add more corn meal, if its dry I add another egg. Till its about cake batter consistency. I grease a muffin pan and bake as directed. I keep about a weeks worth in the fridge in a zippy. Freeze the rest.

Ducky loves his birdy bread. One of the few things he took right too.

 

[Mizzely]

A bag of flour costs maybe $2-$3 unless you are doing coconut, amaranth, etc. But it has more servings in it, and none of the salt, lard, etc. Please do not use jiffy boxes for bird bread. You can still make healthy bread for cheap without using that garbage.

 

[PrettyBird]

A bag of flour costs maybe $2-$3 unless you are doing coconut, amaranth, etc. But it has more servings in it, and none of the salt, lard, etc. Please do not use jiffy boxes for bird bread. You can still make healthy bread for cheap without using that garbage.

Not all of us are in the economical state to be spending so much on all 16 ingrediants as you use. With all the fresh foods and vitamins and healthy stuffy, and given in moderation, adding the fact they don't even eat it all, it's fine. I also use jiffy mix and sometimes other ones.

 

[Mizzely]

Not all of us are in the economical state to be spending so much on all 16 ingrediants as you use. With all the fresh foods and vitamins and healthy stuffy, and given in moderation, adding the fact they don't even eat it all, it's fine. I also use jiffy mix and sometimes other ones.

If you read my post, what I suggested was a way to take existing recipes and trim them. I suggested:

2 cups of whole wheat flour ($3 for a bag)
1/2 cup Applesauce or 1 banana ($1 to $3 for a jar or bunch)
1 egg ($2 a dozen)
1 cup of frozen veggies ($2 a bag)

Added together, you can buy these for under $10 and make SEVERAL Loaves. It is actually more economical than the jiffy mix.

 

[PrettyBird]

Okay but I will continue to use jiffy mix because it is easier for me. Everybody has there own recipe so Crystal now has some cheaper alternatives.

 

[Mizzely]

McDonald's is also easier than grilling your own burger, but that doesn't make McDonald's better, and it is certainly not healthier. There are things in the jiffy mixes our birds simply don't need. Partially hydrogenated oils, which jiffy has, are trans fats, which we shouldn't be consuming, much less our birds.

Stepping off my soap box. Good night, everyone. No offense intended, just trying to show that jiffy is unnecessary and potentially more harmful than good.

 

[PrettyBird]

McDonald's is also easier than grilling your own burger, but that doesn't make McDonald's better, and it is certainly not healthier. There are things in the jiffy mixes our birds simply don't need. Partially hydrogenated oils, which jiffy has, are trans fats, which we shouldn't be consuming, much less our birds.

Stepping off my soap box. Good night, everyone. No offense intended, just trying to show that jiffy is unnecessary and potentially more harmful than good.

Will you please drop it? I left it as the jiffy mix is MY choice for making a healthy and yummy bird bread. Nothing you say will make me decide to change it. I will continue to use it and my birds will be happy and healthy with it. It's cheaper, easier, convenient, and completely healthy. It may have some unnecessary ingrediants, but they eat about half of a mini muffin, and all the added health benifets they are getting. You continue using your recipes, and I will continue making mine.

 

[Meatball]

Just use flour, something to make it moist, and add things like veggies. When it looks like the consistency of AO bread, put it in the oven at 350 for 35 to 45 minutes. That how I do it

Example :


"2 large eggs
1 cup of brewed dandelion tea
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp red palm oil
1/4 c golden flax meal
1/4 c corn meal
1 1/2 c spelt flour
1 4oz jar corn + carrot baby food
2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp hatched
2 tbsp milk thistle powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 c of my seed mix
1 cup peas
1/2 c dried cranberries
1 tsp ginger

I greased a 9x9" glass baking dish with coconut oil, and baked at 350 for 35 minutes. Let cool, then cut!"

Trim it down. Find what you want or have similar of. Yours could be:

2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup Applesauce or 1 banana
1 egg
1 cup frozen mixed veggies

And that could really be it! You can make it as simple or complicated as needed.

Thanks Shawna! That helps a lot!

But I have a question about the Baking soda, I thought it wasn't good to use because of the aluminum in it?

When I first got birds I used the Jiffy mix until I read that it was bad for them, that is when I started buying the AO breads. But good to know I can just use whole wheat flour and add stuff without really measuring, this will be interesting,


And thanks to everyone else for the suggestions as well but I do agree with Shawna that the corn bread mixes are not good for the birds so will be staying away from them.

 

[Anne88]

Here's mine, and my Ekkies pair love it - makes a giant pan full, let it cool break it up and then I freeze it into two day servings. It's their evening treat. My goal was to keep the ingredients nutritious and as organic as possible yet tasty - here's my creation.

Bob's Red Mill Organic Polenta (only ingredient is Stoneground cornmeal) about $2.69 you could use just plain cornmeal.
1large organic apple, just remove the seeds, dice into bite size chunks $1
Organic Carrots several grated on largest hole on your grater $1.50
4-5 organic eggs plus the shells crushed and stirred in $1.50
Bag of mixedOrganic baby greens - kale, mustard greens, bok Choy, spinach and more- chop and stir in $2.99
unsweetened applesauce about one cup
Couple Tablespoons of olive oil
some times I add a couple Tablespoons of frozen corn kernels
Add Enough water to make a pourable batter.

Spray pan with cooking oil, pour in batter, can sprinkle a couple spoonfuls of their favorite seed mix on top before baking. Bake at 350 until lightly golden. Maybe 20 minutes?

 

[Dana Lee]

I believe you can buy Harrison's or Momma's brand birdie bread mixes for $9 and change. They also go on sale as msbs often. I made a Momma's brand birdie bread cut it up and froze some of it, since only my tiel eats it, my conure just like to throw it (he has a thing against wet food touching his feet, all his veggies/fruits I serve dehydrated, ironically he'll dip it in water himself). This website has some good from scratch recipes, no cornbread mixes (the lady has why she is against those on there) Healthy Bird Bread Homemade Treats | The Happy Cockatoo: Elle's Avian Cuisine

 

[waterfaller1]

Please do not serve Jiffy corn mix. It has ALUMINUM[all baking powder has it unless you buy it specifically without it and I am certain they do not], salt, it's loaded with sugar[3rd ingredient], and partially hydrogenated oil. It is complete garbage.
"JIFFY" Mix . America's Favorite . From Chelsea Milling Company

 

[waterfaller1]

You can buy all the healthy ingredients to mimic it, avoid the garbage stuff I mentioned, and make a whole lot more birdie bread.
I use mostly organic flours like spelt or amaranth, but you can get a decent wheat or corn flour like King's,use about 2.5-3 cups flour{this makes two loaves, but make them on the thin side so they bake fairly quick=think of a one layer cake, not an ordinary deep loaf], use two eggs, sodium and aluminum free baking powder{or do not add at all-it's just heavier-you can get this at a good Publix] add your favorite fruits and veggies cut up, or one or the other,{I like to hide stuff they do not ordinarily eat} some chopped nuts if you wish, a little coconut oil,add water to where it is a very loose batter. Grease pans with the oil and dust with flour, bake at 350 for 35-45 min, check center with toothpick, allow to cool completely and cut up and place in freezer bags.
ETA: please do not put eggshells in unless you use a morter or similar device to crush them into a powder. Eggshells can rip up the crop and intestines.

 

[waterfaller1]

I left it as the jiffy mix is MY choice for making a healthy and yummy bird bread..

You are sadly mistaken. There is nothing healthy about jiffy corn mix.And I will give this warning out to all who think of using it until I am dead and buried. The cost of a bag of flour and a few other ingredients that overall gives you a LOT more loaves of bread, vs the one small loaf you get that can potentially harm your bird, it's a no brainer really. I urge you to not be offended and reconsider using it.

 

[Mizzely]

Baking soda is pretty unnecessary, it just adds a little fluff. Without it, it's just a little more dense. I do use aluminum free, but it is more expensive, so on a budget, I would skip it, thus why I did not add it in to the "trimmed" version.

 

[waterfaller1]

*baking powder*....baking soda is all salt!

 

[Mizzely]

*baking powder*....baking soda is all salt!

Oh yes sorry lol. I'm awful with confusing the two at least I use them correctly when I have to

 

[Love My Zons]

Here is an entire list of the products from Bob's Red Mill. I have it at Harris Teeter and Kroger carries many of these if not more in their organic dept. You can add in chopped fresh berries and also do like I do and add in canned organic pumpkin or sweet potato puree. Top the tops of the hot muffins or breads with organic coconut oil and cinnamon.

Flours & Meals :: Bob’s Red Mill Natural Foods