In this issue of Good Eats, we are going to focus on a timeless classic: bird bread. Recipes for various types of bread served in different forms (usually in the form of buns for easy baking) are favorites among bird owners. Easy to make, easy to store, and even easier to serve, bird bread takes the stress out of constant cooking for your companion. Here are some quick and easy bird bread recipes.

Strawberry Pellet Bread

3 cups pulverized granules (food processor is great for this)

1 cup strawberry yogurt

1 cup strawberry jam

1 cup of honey

2 eggs

1 package Bisquick cookie mix

Mix well. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.

This recipe is simply titled A great little bird breadand we agree.

2 C cockatoo crumbles (or larger depending on the size of your bird)

1 banana

1/3 cup wheat germ oil*

6 eggs–with shell

3T pumpkin, yam or gourd

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 tablespoons applesauce or 1/2 apple

1 cup thawed frozen mixed vegetables

1 cup of cooked dry beans

1 cup of cooked brown rice

2 cups of cornmeal

4 tablespoons of baking powder

Food process first 8 ingredients. Add beans and rice and mix until powdery. Add to cornmeal and baking powder. Mix well. Add water if it is too thick. Bake at 325 degrees for 40 minutes until set.

*You can find wheat germ oil (for horses) at most feed stores. Freeze the crumbled stuff, remove about 1 tablespoon per bird per day.

Carrot Pineapple Bread

3 cups of flour

2 cups of sugar (you can use less)

1 t. baking soda

1 t. cinnamon

3 eggs

2 cups of grated carrots

1 cup vegetable oil (or 1 teaspoon applesauce)

1 can (8 oz) crushed pineapple, drained

1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon. In another bowl, beat the eggs, add the carrots, oil, pineapple, walnuts, and vanilla. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, mixing until just moistened. Spoon into 2 greased and floured loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 65-75 minutes or until bread proof is set. Cool 10 minutes in molds before removing to wire racks. Make 6 mini-loaves.

best breeders

1 cup of yellow cornmeal

1 cup whole wheat flour 1 cup miller’s bran

1 cup soy flour

1/2 cup brewer’s yeast (nutritional, not baker’s yeast) 1 cup raw wheat germ

2 teaspoons of salt

1/2 cup baking powder

1 cup parrot pellets (We used Pretty Bird, small size)

1 cup petamine

1/2 cup wheat germ oil

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 dozen eggs, in shell, crushed (use a blender) 1 cup chopped spinach

2 cups of grated carrots

2 apples, grated

2 bananas, mashed

1/2 cup of honey

2-3 cups of milk or enough to make a thick batter

Mix everything in a large bowl. Use your blender for the eggs, apples, and bananas.

Bake in foil-lined pans sprinkled with pam. 400 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes. Cool in molds, cut into 3×4 squares, store the squares in the freezer. Thaw as needed. Give each bird a small serving daily in addition to the regular seed mix.

We hope this is enough information to get the ball rolling. Once you’ve had a practice with a couple different types of breads, let your imagination take over and see what you can create. I guarantee your birds will like it. Bird bread is an easy way to include healthy foods in your birds diet, especially if you are a picky eater. These recipes don’t have to be made in ‘bread’ form either. Traditional way, that is. For ease of serving, consider serving these recipes in the form of muffins or rolls, which will allow for portion control and easier storage than slices of bread.