Hi there.

 

My budgie seems to only like to eat frozen peas and sweet corn...

 

Im going to slowly try to get him to start eating Silverbeet and brocolli .

 

Do i need to cook them , or can i give them raw ?

 

The reason i ask is, i ate some raw silverbeet today and it left my throat feeling very acidy and uncomfortable.

 

thanks

 

Jason

Raw is always better

 

Just make sure they are well washed first, but not cooking them keeps the nutrients in and also my birds hate mushy cooked veggies

My birds LOVE raw silverbeet it's one of their favorites

My birds LOVE raw silverbeet it's one of their favorites

 

Hi, take it easy with that silver beet, it contains oxalic acid, so small quantities only and not every day. Grow your own so you can give them new leaves which will be less acidic. Endive is probably a better green to give them which can also be grown in a home garden or pots and cropped leaf by leaf. I'm experimenting at present with growing wild seeding grasses in pots and putting a pot at a time in the aviary. The birds crop it to ground level, but it comes good again quickly. Chickweed is also a good green in season. Anything you can grow for them on your own premises has a better chance of being chemical and disease free as well as being fresh. I'm not real sure about the broccoli as It seems to be a general rule not to give them anything from the cabbage family. I also don't feed lettuce but am starting to wonder if this "rule" is an urban myth but don't want to risk my birds by experimenting. Jaz

I said it was there favorite not that they got lots of it

 

My birds get vegies generally twice a week, they get a large platter which includes when available:

 

grated carrot

chopped apple

brocolli

snow peas

beans

red capsicum

silverbeet

soaked soup mix (lentils, split peas and barley)

peas

corn

bok choy

beetroot

celery

 

Most of the time a serve will include atleast three quarters of these items and sometimes all of them, it just depends what's in my fridge at the time.

 

Unfortunately it's difficult to grow my own in our current living situation but soon I'll be able to once we move house next year

 

I also harvest lots of seeding grasses seasonally from a local area where they don't spray and they get those for the rest of the week in addition to a good quality seed and their other supplements.

Can you like make up a mix of what vegies you said above and freeze them. then defrost and give to budgies?

Edited December 6, 200816 yr by KAZ
please do not use shortcut language. It is against forum rules.

Yep :cake:

Can you like make up a mix of what vegies you said above and freeze them. then defrost and give to budgies?

 

I'm pretty sure that some of those vegetables won't survive freezing and defrosting unless you blanch them first - they will just turn into moosh. Something to do with break-down enzymes in the vegetables which are deactivated by blanching. Two ways to handle it, first, try it and see what works; secondly, have a look in a freezer book which usually has lists of vegetables suitable for freezing and whether they need any special preparation. Jaznjj