We are all affected by the 'green' revolution so why should our birds not benefit as well. I give my breeding and young birds softfood every morning. This consists of:

 

2 hard-boiled eggs (boiled for at least 20 minutes)

1 dessert spooonful of ground eggshells from the above

4 handfuls of toasted breadcrumbs

Half a large carrot

These are all thrown into the food processsor and I count to 12 whilst they are reduced to a suitable size. I do make sure that the mixture is not too wet as this can cause deformation of the beaks of the very young chicks.

 

Last week I ran out of carrots and had to find a substitute first thing in the morning. It was a lovely morning, sun shining, birds singing and everything in the garden looking fresh and good. So I took a short walk looking for something to replace the carrot. I found a bed of parsley, another of mint, a couple of plants of basil and coriander. A couple of sprigs of a selection of these herbs were transferred to the food processor.

 

It smelled lovely as I tipped it into the bowl and was received ecstactically by the birds who demolished it far more quickly than they are normally disposed to do.

 

I then went back and picked a few sprigs to throw into the flights and they were demolished in no time.

 

So, in future, when available, herbs will be used in the softfood and I hope they will be much to the benefit of the birds, although carrot will still be used when the herbs are unavailable.

 

I think the important thing is to do everything in moderation, not overdoing anything just because you find the birds like it. Too much green food can make them very loose and would not not be good for them.

 

Hopefully, this tip will prove useful to you.

 

 

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8/05/99 - In response to the above I have received the following from Keith Flockhart in New Zealand:

 

"I was just reading your article on greenfood.

 

Another vegetable that birds go mad over is broccoli.

 

In New Zealand myself, and quite a few others, use sprouted seeds as a source of high protein green food. What is used is mung beans. I use a bean sprouter which is available from a health food shop. The beans are placed in there and watered once or twice a day. I put a reasonable amount of seed in the sprouter and wait until the sprouts begin to put out their first leaves (usually it takes about 3 days).

 

I then take about half of the sprouted seed and put in a sieve. I run water over them to give them a good rinse and then feed to the birds. The remaining seed I give another day to grow and by that time the leaves are a good half inch long. I have had my birds on this for two or three years and find all birds like the mung beans.

 

They can also be sprouted for a lesser amount of time and fed as a sprouted seed only. I do this during the breeding season and often mix into soft food. Out of breeding time when birds do not eat soft food, by mixing it with the been sprouts so you end up coating the sprouts, the birds will eat it.

 

If the above sounds like too much trouble you can go to the supermarket and buy the already sprouted seed they sell for salads and use that."

 

 

Information from Dolores Noonan 1999

I feed both "soft food" as it's called here and the sprouted seeds from time to time and they've never been turned down by my birds. :hap: