When i had Iris , she loved these! The budgies are starting to figure them out :lol:
Foraging Corn Pockets
G
17
I've posted this on Talk Budgies, but thought it would be helpful here too. 
I thought I would share with everyone how to make corn pockets. I know many members on here own Conures and larger-than-budgie parrots, so try them out on them. It costs only a few cents to make each pocket, so it is a very affordable toy or treat!
Any parrot that holds food with their feet will love these pockets! If you want to try them on your budgies, then just grab a piece of string to hang the pockets in the cage.
Step 1
For my corn pockets I used Natural Mixed Nuts.* If using nuts as well, make sure they aren't salted or roasted. Just nice and natural.
If your parrot prefers a different treat then you can use almost anything to stuff the corn pockets with! Try sunflower seeds, corn kernels, peas, sprouts, etc.
You will also need a corn cob with the husks still attached. One corn cob will give you plenty of pockets.
![]()
*Just remember that you should feed out the corn pockets sparingly if you are stuffing them with high-fat treats such as nuts and sunflower seeds!
Step 2
Dehusk the corn carefully while making sure you don't tear them.
Here I removed two husk leaves.
![]()
Step 3
Cut off the very hard bit at the bottom of the husk leaf and also the top point if you think it is needed.
Scissors work great for this job!
![]()
Step 4
Take on husk leaf and tear it in half following the grain. You will need a piece that is about 4cm across. You should be able to make two pockets with every husk leaf.
Here is one husk leaf I ripped in two. I also ripped off two small strips (about 1cm across) which I will use to tie the pockets up.
![]()
Step 5
Place the food treat inside and at the bottom of the husk.
![]()
Step 6
Fold the sides of the husk over the treat.
![]()
Step 7
Fold the treat up into the husk making sure that the treat remains inside. Try to prevent any gaps from forming.
![]()
This is how it should look once you have folded it up into a neat pocket.
![]()
Step 8
Take the thin strip of husk leaf and place it under the pocket.
![]()
Step 9
Tie a knot in the strip of husk leaf to keep the pocket from popping open.
![]()
It is always a good idea to make a double-knot.
![]()
Step 10
It takes aproximately 30 seconds to make each pocket once you get the hang of it.
![]()
Depending on the food filling*, you can store them in the fridge untill the husks go brown. This takes about two weeks.
![]()
*Food fillings such as nuts and sunfower seeds will not go off and will be able to keep until the husks go brown. Fillings such as sprouted seeds, fruit or veggies have a much shorter storage time and will need to be checked daily to make sure they are fresh.
Here are some photos of Clopin enjoying her corn pocket!
Corn Pocket!
![]()
Managed to chew off the knot.
![]()
What's inside this one...?
![]()
Found the delicious nut!
![]()
Total Costs
Bag of Natural Mixed Nuts 250g - $5.50
Corn Cob with Husk - $0.50
Total - $6.00
Makes about 20 Corn Pockets (with plenty of nuts leftover for more).
I thought I would share with everyone how to make corn pockets. I know many members on here own Conures and larger-than-budgie parrots, so try them out on them.
It costs only a few cents to make each pocket, so it is a very affordable toy or treat!Any parrot that holds food with their feet will love these pockets! If you want to try them on your budgies, then just grab a piece of string to hang the pockets in the cage.
Step 1
For my corn pockets I used Natural Mixed Nuts.* If using nuts as well, make sure they aren't salted or roasted. Just nice and natural.
If your parrot prefers a different treat then you can use almost anything to stuff the corn pockets with! Try sunflower seeds, corn kernels, peas, sprouts, etc.
You will also need a corn cob with the husks still attached. One corn cob will give you plenty of pockets.
*Just remember that you should feed out the corn pockets sparingly if you are stuffing them with high-fat treats such as nuts and sunflower seeds!
Step 2
Dehusk the corn carefully while making sure you don't tear them.
Here I removed two husk leaves.
Step 3
Cut off the very hard bit at the bottom of the husk leaf and also the top point if you think it is needed.
Scissors work great for this job!
Step 4
Take on husk leaf and tear it in half following the grain. You will need a piece that is about 4cm across. You should be able to make two pockets with every husk leaf.
Here is one husk leaf I ripped in two. I also ripped off two small strips (about 1cm across) which I will use to tie the pockets up.
Step 5
Place the food treat inside and at the bottom of the husk.
Step 6
Fold the sides of the husk over the treat.
Step 7
Fold the treat up into the husk making sure that the treat remains inside. Try to prevent any gaps from forming.
This is how it should look once you have folded it up into a neat pocket.
Step 8
Take the thin strip of husk leaf and place it under the pocket.
Step 9
Tie a knot in the strip of husk leaf to keep the pocket from popping open.
It is always a good idea to make a double-knot.
Step 10
It takes aproximately 30 seconds to make each pocket once you get the hang of it.
Depending on the food filling*, you can store them in the fridge untill the husks go brown. This takes about two weeks.
*Food fillings such as nuts and sunfower seeds will not go off and will be able to keep until the husks go brown. Fillings such as sprouted seeds, fruit or veggies have a much shorter storage time and will need to be checked daily to make sure they are fresh.
Here are some photos of Clopin enjoying her corn pocket!
Corn Pocket!
Managed to chew off the knot.
What's inside this one...?
Found the delicious nut!
Total Costs
Bag of Natural Mixed Nuts 250g - $5.50
Corn Cob with Husk - $0.50
Total - $6.00
Makes about 20 Corn Pockets (with plenty of nuts leftover for more).
- Status
1 - 15 of 15 Posts
This would be dun to make! To bad Cupid wouldn't eat it
Another great idea, :thumbsup:. Clopin is gorgeous, btw :lovehearts:
:thumbsup:. Clopin is gorgeous, btw :lovehearts:
G
Thanks for all the nice replies guys.
If I'm being completely honest, I would say that Plums don't make very good pet parrots for most people. I can think of loads of other parrot species that would be more suitable to some people.
Plums are Asiatic parrots and close family to the Indian Ringnecks. Just like 90% of Asiatic parrots, Plums are not cuddly birds. Clopin would hate my guts if I tried to give her scritches. They just don't like to be touched.
Having said that, Plums are immensely curious birds and love nothing more than to sit on your shoulder all day to see what you get up to. As long as you don't "pet" them, that is.
Plums have very clear body language and it's easy to tell when Clopin needs her space or when she wants some interaction from me. Clopin will only ever bite in a very extreme situation (like when I have to towel her for medicine). I could annoy the living daylights out of Clopin and she wouldn't bite me. Instead she will "fake lunge" to give me a warning.
Sound is a major problem when it comes to keeping Plums. Don't let the internet sites fool you that say Plums are quieter than other Asiatic species. I've had 3 Plums so far and they have all been exceptionally loud.
Clopin can sing and I really enjoy it. However, I think I enjoy it in the same sense as a very proud parent would enjoy his 3 year old kid's art. No one else sees the "beauty" in the art... but the parent sure does.
Clopin is loud, abrasive and proud when it comes to her calls. I can hear her calls and singing all the way down the street when I'm walking my dog. She has a fire alarm type sound that is very loud and wakes up my entire family in the mornings.
Hand raised Plum-headed Parakeets are also pretty rare. You get a lot of aviary bred and parent raised ones. Don't buy one of those unless you have an aviary at home and want to look instead of interact with them.
In the wild Clopin would eat a lot of fruits. So her diet is pretty expensive. She gets pellets, seeds, 4 - 5 different fruits a day, veggies and sprouts. To be honest, she would happily live off just fruit and veggies.
Because of her high liquid diet (the fruits especially) she has very squirty poop. It's not like the nice, clean and tightly curled poop of budgies and other parrots. When she poops it's very liquidy and gets stuck on all her toys and on the cage bars.
However, I absolutely adore Plums and wouldn't want to have any other parrot. In fact, I know there will always be a Plum in my flock. I don't mind the extra work or expenses. I think they're worth it.
Clopin is a Plum-headed Parakeet. They are sexually dimorphic parrots and that means you can tell by their feather colour if they're male or female. Clopin is a mature female.
If I'm being completely honest, I would say that Plums don't make very good pet parrots for most people. I can think of loads of other parrot species that would be more suitable to some people.
Plums are Asiatic parrots and close family to the Indian Ringnecks. Just like 90% of Asiatic parrots, Plums are not cuddly birds. Clopin would hate my guts if I tried to give her scritches. They just don't like to be touched.
Having said that, Plums are immensely curious birds and love nothing more than to sit on your shoulder all day to see what you get up to. As long as you don't "pet" them, that is.
Plums have very clear body language and it's easy to tell when Clopin needs her space or when she wants some interaction from me. Clopin will only ever bite in a very extreme situation (like when I have to towel her for medicine). I could annoy the living daylights out of Clopin and she wouldn't bite me. Instead she will "fake lunge" to give me a warning.
Sound is a major problem when it comes to keeping Plums. Don't let the internet sites fool you that say Plums are quieter than other Asiatic species. I've had 3 Plums so far and they have all been exceptionally loud.
Clopin can sing and I really enjoy it. However, I think I enjoy it in the same sense as a very proud parent would enjoy his 3 year old kid's art. No one else sees the "beauty" in the art... but the parent sure does.
Clopin is loud, abrasive and proud when it comes to her calls. I can hear her calls and singing all the way down the street when I'm walking my dog. She has a fire alarm type sound that is very loud and wakes up my entire family in the mornings.
Hand raised Plum-headed Parakeets are also pretty rare. You get a lot of aviary bred and parent raised ones. Don't buy one of those unless you have an aviary at home and want to look instead of interact with them.
In the wild Clopin would eat a lot of fruits. So her diet is pretty expensive. She gets pellets, seeds, 4 - 5 different fruits a day, veggies and sprouts. To be honest, she would happily live off just fruit and veggies.
Because of her high liquid diet (the fruits especially) she has very squirty poop. It's not like the nice, clean and tightly curled poop of budgies and other parrots. When she poops it's very liquidy and gets stuck on all her toys and on the cage bars.
However, I absolutely adore Plums and wouldn't want to have any other parrot. In fact, I know there will always be a Plum in my flock. I don't mind the extra work or expenses. I think they're worth it.
Hum Ill have to keep looking,
Wait what is chewy?
Oh and is he adopted yet?
Would he be ideal for a 35 year old man
Wait what is chewy?
Oh and is he adopted yet?
Would he be ideal for a 35 year old man
What a great idea. I want some!
now im on the hunt for corn with the casing still one
looks so good, mango would loveeee one
looks so good, mango would loveeee one
What a great idea, and here I was throwing out the husks. I'm going to try that. I think Zoe and Tiko will love it!
I'm going to try that. I think Zoe and Tiko will love it!1 - 15 of 15 Posts
- Status
