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how do you make mash?

5K views 20 replies 10 participants last post by  MissyBird 
#1 ·
i would like to start making a mash for my flock. my guys get lettuce and broccoli a few times a week. its not the healthiest veggies, so i don't want to over use them. i know the budgies are seed eaters but i would like to add more. my guys get mainly seed and they always have access to pellets. which they usually eat. i don't think the seeds are really helping Bowies tumor… and especially not butch in his condition

how do you make a mash with fruits and veggies? :eek:
 
#2 · (Edited)
With mash, I like to make small batches--a few at a time for variety. I just use 2-3 veggies and a little bit of grain. Then I freeze it in ice cube trays, then I can rotate options and take small daily portion out and put them in the fridge.

Just Sunday night I used a kale salad in the food processor to finely chop, a 1/4 cup cooked pasta noodles, a tbsp of pecans, a tbsp of fresh herbs. Another combo example I used in the past was a orange bell pepper, dandelion greens, and brown rice, etc. I have also done quinoa, jalapeno, and squash. When I was first trying to get them to eat it, I would add a little seed to it. They try to pick the seeds out and inevitably try the mash and realize it tastes good. I use a ratio of 2 parts veggies and 1/2 part grain.

Since Bowie has a tumor, I'd reduce his seed and offer him unlimited pellets and mash. This is what I did with my finch that had one (along with the stuff below and dandelion greens daily) and her tumor started shrinking right away.

This is what I was instructed to put in my budgies water every day to prevent and treat tumors. I was also told to limit seed and offer pellets--and this worked. One drop per ounce.

http://www.pipingrock.com/iodine/li...OQ8XOIxV4t-W3K536uMV3tTaitAs-VGwD-hoCK1rw_wcB
 
#3 · (Edited)
My budgies eat mash everyday and love it. I make it with broccoli, carrot, cabbage, kale or chard, dried pepper flakes, 1 Tbl spoon seed, unsweetened coconut flakes, rice or quinoa. Sometimes I change up the veggies, but it always has the first 3. I make enought for all of my birds for three days. I just chop it up small to fine. If they are reluctant to eat it at first the small amout of seed and chopping it up fine will help.

Some days I chop it more finely to give them variety. Fruits I give separately because fruits don't keep as long oce they are chopped. This day they had both veggie mash and fruit salad.

 
#4 ·
thanks, i will have to try that. i know they like broccoli and i could use lettuce in there. i would probably also add in swiss chard and finely shredded carrots :)
 
#5 · (Edited)
My version of mash is a cooked mixture of rices (I buy a mix at Walmart), tiny pasta, barley, quinoa, cous cous, lentils, split peas, etc.. I cook it al dente. When it is done I toss in frozen chopped veggies. I make a big batch and freeze it. In the morning I take out the amount I want to feed (I keep 2-3 days worth thawed in the fridge) and add any minced fresh veggies I have, chia seed or flax seed, kelp powder and once or twice a week some birdie vitamins.(be careful with bird vitamins as to much can be as bad or worse than to little, I use much less than the dosage calls for.) you can add chili powder, cinnamon, red pepper flakes etc if desired. (No nutmeg it's toxic to birds.) if you want to try this sort of mash without buying all the separate ingredients, you can get a mix called Bob's red mill veggie soup mix... http://www.vitacost.com/bobs-red-mill-soup-mix it has pretty much all you need and it is unseasoned, just cook and serve...lol (I would add some rice, but most people already have rice.)
 

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#6 ·
Mash or chop? Or are they the same thing? I always think of mash to be like a squished up thing like mashed potato or something :lol: I feed chop to my flock, I can't list the recipe off the top of my head because I literally put so much in it there's too much to remember :rolleyes: Here's the link to one on the birdtricks website ~ http://www.birdtricks.com/blog/chop-mix-for-your-birds/
 
#8 ·
this morning i tried to put some things together. i chopped lettuce and swiss chard as best i could, added some broccoli tops, and grated a carrot. i added seeds too. i put in in their cage before i left and some of the birds seemed to eat the leafy things and birds in the other cage didn't really touch it :rolleyes:

i think of chop as large cut pieces and mash as finely chopped pieces :p
 
#9 ·
Try some quinoa, brown rice, spinach, curly kale, grated carrot, sprouted seeds. Those are my budgies favourite things :)
 
#11 · (Edited)
^^ that is my fear with doing that with pellets. i am going to try it, but i will put the seed cups back in when i get up in the morning.

i have tried to sprout seeds. i think it was the seed mix, but it was kind of gross. my plan was to have them sprout until the leaves form then feed them. i found another way to try it, so i am going to try it with my new seed mix. i did throw the half spouted seeds into a planter with the cat nip and they are growing nice. i am waiting for them to get seeds on them (just for fun!)

i think i said this in another post, but i just read that they can have barley. i need to find some barley for my rabbit so i can grow fodder for her and maybe some for the birds!

*not my pic*

 
#13 ·
My cockatiels and amazon like their mash drier and crumbly so no green pepper or fruit. I feed fruit to the amazon separately. The little birds like it finely chopped in the food processor and the amazon doesn't care. I also mix in some natural granola and if you add a jalapeno pepper, DON'T LICK THE SPOON. I found that freezing made it too wet. I use the Foodsaver vacuum sealer with the vacuum bowls. It keeps it fresh for more than a week. At least three times a week, I microwave an egg (break the yolk) and chop it up and place on top. The pup gets some too. They get only birdie mash in the morning and then it's replaced with seed and pellets at noon. Even Jose who I never thought would eat it, eats it now. My friends canary loves it too and I keep her supplied.
 
#14 ·
My birds did not go near the chopped veggies for a long time and some still don't... You have to keep it available and, when you least expect it, one of them will try it and the other ones will follow :)! Adding some seeds on the top seems to "capture" their attention.
 
#16 ·
How much do you feed them each day? We have a Quaker and a Sun/Jenday Conure. They get fresh foods irregularly in their cages but "join" us regularly for dinner each evening and usually share in whatever fruit snack anyone in the house eats. They both eat pellets mainly with a seed mix a couple times a week. Is whatever vegis etc. they wish to eat in 20-30 minutes at dinner enough or do I need to supplement with fresh in their cages also?
 
#19 ·
feeding

Trying to encourage my Jenga to eat better. I keep thinking that she is young (2mths). First half of day not very enthused but later part of day she does better. She likes peas, grapes, broccoli, nuts, nutri berries, chicken. Sometimes I think she'd rather be with me than eat. I'm trying to feed her 3 times a day, to get her going. She's a yellow sided GCC. Any suggestions?
 
#21 ·
Our guys don't like cooked mash/chop. I've tried several times and they don't touch it. They do however like fresh veggies and cold eggs, pasta, rice, peas and corn. Their favorite is broccoli. I put it in the food cups, but also clip some to the perch for the Budgies and they love it!

I did get some ideas here though and will try some more things-thanks :)
 
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