Help! Inspired by Doll, I'm making birdy bread but....

[akijoy]

that looks beautiful.

what recipe did you use and did you modify it in any way?

Yes, I halved the recipe because I didn't know if my birds would eat it.

This was the Bird Bread for Eclectus taken from the LandofVos website.

The ingredients were:
corn meal
wheat flour
raisins
nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans)
can of solid pack pumpkin
papaya nectar
safflower oil
cinannaom
baking powder

I added some chopped brocolli and chopped carrots to the mix.

I'm still not sure why it took 3 hours longer than the recipe called for.

There were other recipes for birds other than ekkies I also printed out.
Some include peanut butter and eggs, including shells. I think my other birds would have liked that better. I guess ekkies have to watch their protein, so those ingredients weren't in my mix.

I'm finding that you can pretty much put anything in the batter of fresh juice (can be pomegranate, apple, etc) and corn meal/wheat flour.

I'm still getting the hang of the consistency, and what makes the bread harden. It shouldn't have taken that long! And it's not like the batter was too wet, I didn't think, but maybe it was.

 

[itzmered]

I bake mine on a jelly roll pan. Not as thick then so maybe it would cook faster

 

[Brigidt36]

That looked really yummy, Monica! And Ollie sure thought it was great! Good Job!!!!

 

[Sarin]

Looks awesome! See, it turned out fine afterall. Glad it was a hit with Ollie. Sam and Gertie will eat it eventually!!

 

[Lotsa Birds]

He likes it, hey Mikey Another reason to love eclectus, they are GOOD eaters! The greys (except Glory) turn their noses up to so much, but Glory and the ekkies love pretty much everything I make/give them. They appreciate food much more then my kids. Go Ollie! It looks like it turned out good.
Sandy

 

[Gen120]

wow, you did an awesome job! That is how long my birdy bread takes to cook also, I have no idea why! LOL! But, my fids go crazy for the birdy bread. I love that last picture of Ollie, he is so adorable, look at his little eye!

 

[Saemma]

Looks like a big tails uP from Ollie. Congrats on your first birdie bread. So glad he was appreciative. What a GOOD BOY!!

 

[dolldid]

Mine takes a long time because my pans so thick i think hun it could be the pumkin to if you have made pumpkin pie its not dry its moist so in birdie bread using a 2 inch hi pan it would take a long time to cook usr 2 cookie sheets with the sides or 3 it wont take so long to cook or miffens i like using my thick pan takes up less space when i cut it in freezer as my freezer is small

 

[CeddysMum]

Monica, that looks YUMMY, great first timer success! - I'm getting hungry

Ceddy completely turned her nose up at my first 2 birdie bread attempts, wouldn't go near them. But then I left out the baking powder, but I do have egg in it which makes it rise somewhat - and I started popping a frozen portion into her food bowl before going to bed so that's now her regular early morning breakfast (before I get up) because she still won't touch pellets. It's Always turned into birdie breadcrumbs now by the time I get up (and what she doesn't know is that there are some ground pellets baked into it as well ).

Don't give up on Gertie and Sam Mealy, especially if they see Ollie munching it with such obvious enjoyment.

BTW, I just throw mixed veggies, fruit, corn meal, 'pellet powder' and eggs and whatever I think of or have available together and mine is pretty wet and takes ages to bake as well. I make a lot less, meaning a much smaller and thinner bread than yours and it takes over an hour to bake. I really do think that's simply because it's so moist.

 

[akijoy]

Guess what?!?!

Sam Mealy and the Goo are eating the birdie bread too! That's if I soak it in a little hot water, and turn it into a mush. I'm glad they're eating it though. I'll be making a batch once every two weeks.

Could a moderator please move this thread to feathered food court? THat'where I should have posted it in the first place, for people looking for food info. Thanks!

 

[Billie Faye]

Monica going to show you what mine looks like when I prepare it:
Pictures wouldn't up load!
Will have to post them later...sorry!

 

[Jacob]

I think you made the batter a little bit to wet. It's also good to bake the bread low in the oven. I'm still in the process of getting Jacob to eat birdie bread. He tried my first one once and then never again. He loves my human bread (I don't buy bread, I bake my own) so next time I made birdie bread I just did a bird-friendly version of my human bread. He rips it all apart searching for seeds, I don't know how much of the bread itself he eats though... So my advise for next time, use less liquid, split it up in two baking forms or make muffins and bake it low in the oven.

 

[Billie Faye]

Going to try the pictures again...350º oven for 40 mins. Recipe is:
Organic Alfalfa pellets soaked in water
Unbleached flour
Whole wheat flour
Rye Flour
Corn meal
Olive oil
eggs
Hot Pepper flakes
Cayenne Pepper powder
Cinnamon
Liquid (can be juice, water, water from the barley/lentils)
Aluminum free Baking powder

 

[akijoy]

wOw Billie, the finished product looks great! But what is that first picture? Is that the soaked alfalfa? The second pic looks like rice. How long does yours take to bake? I wonder how the cayenne and hot pepper and cinnamon taste together!

Uhhh, I had my birdie bread out, and my hubby ATE it and thought it was for humans! HAHAHAHAHA I didn't tell him it had seeds in it, and he didn't seem to notice either. At least the recipe didn't call for egg shells!

 

[BraveheartDogs]

wOw Billie, the finished product looks great! But what is that first picture? Is that the soaked alfalfa? The second pic looks like rice. How long does yours take to bake? I wonder how the cayenne and hot pepper and cinnamon taste together!

Uhhh, I had my birdie bread out, and my hubby ATE it and thought it was for humans! HAHAHAHAHA I didn't tell him it had seeds in it, and he didn't seem to notice either. At least the recipe didn't call for egg shells!

Oh my gosh, that is so funny! Now you have to make it husband AND bird friendly

Did you offer it to Gertie and Sam Mealy today?

 

[akijoy]

Did you offer it to Gertie and Sam Mealy today?

Yes! I posted earlier that when I kind of mushed it with hot water, they gobbled it down like their comfort food! Nice to know I can give them healthy stuff in this manner. It actually smells real tasty....like pumpkins and cinammon. No wonder hubby tried some!

 

[Billie Faye]

Monica, bowl #1 is Organic Alfalfa pellets soaked in water for one of the two breads I make...I use pumkin/squash for the other bread...
Bowl #2 is a mixture of cooked Barley, lentles, and split peas.
#3 is what I had left over from the AM feeding of their wet / fresh food...
There is also Cransrains put into the Alfalfa bread for some sweetness they like...
Cinn./Cayenne/Hot peppers are daily spices I use...but these are just some of the spices & herbs I add..

 

[Hay Kay]

Monica great job! okay you can take this and address it as need be - i started adding the organic baby food to my breads and WOW! cooking time took WAY longer - the conclusion i have drawn is the moisture and consistancy now i add oatmeal or some othe goodie to help soak it all back up and more crumbly -

BF do you use the water from the soaked alfalfa pellets? Also do you bake in a normal cookie sheet??? thats what it looked likt to me but im no expert.