Buffalo Parrot

Here are some of the recipes the author prepares for his parrots. Some of the recipes are a little time consuming but enough is made so that you can freeze and portion into zip-locked baggies. And no, this isn't making food out of your bird.

If there is anything bolded, CAPITALIZED, or underlined means that we're making sure that you do this because if you don't it may harm your bird. Please look for these if you are planning on following the recipe. One big thing is that everything should be salt(sodium) & Sugar free.

If you would like to submit your own Parrot recipes, you can do so by E-Mailing to support_submit@buffaloparrot.com   Your recipe will appear on the "Submitted Parrot Recipe" Page.  All are encouraged to do so!  *The recipes below were created by the writer of Buffalo parrot and are copyright© 2008 protected.

This recipe is a great staple for all Parrot species!  Even our seed eating Parrots eat this.  The way it is made is the key.  Some Parrots are picky or like just certain things.  The way this is prepared they have no choice but to consume other ingredients as well!  In a food processor add raw fruits & veggies such as Papaya, rasberries, beets, cranberries, pineapple, hot peppers, peas, Kiwi, Mango, Green Beans, pomegranate, melon, carrots, zuchini, brocolli, oranges, Figs, Tomatillos, Fava Beans, tomatoes, Assorted Greens..Etc.  The more variety the better!  Start by adding the juicy Fruits and Veggies for easier blending, and chop all veggies & fruits before adding to the processor.  Add a small amount of coconut(organic unsweetened raw), fresh ginger, almonds, flax seeds, raw pumpkin seeds & other nuts.  Add 2 cans of rinsed soy beans, black beans, garbonzo beans, kidney beans, lentils, black eyed peas Etc..  Add 1 cup Chopped Lightly Steamed sweet potatoes and or Raw pumpkin, and squash.  Process this with 2-3 bananas.  Add to the food processor.  Boil 2 eggs for 45 min.  Smash eggs with the shell and add to the processor.  On the side, cook according to the directions Buckwheat, Barley, Steel Cut Oats, Quinoa, Pearled Red Wheat, Pastini, thin egg noodles, CousCous, Cracked Corn, Rye, Amaranth, Spelt, Whole Wheat, Kamut and Brown Rice.  Blend everything(except grains & pastas) into a mushy texture and mix well with the COOLED cooked grains and pasta.  Do not add the grains and pasta to the processor.  If you can find fresh sprouted seeds/beans add these to the already mixed mash.  You can add Cinnamon, Chipotle Powder, Ginger, Ancho Chili powder, Cayenne, Nutmeg, Allspice, and Ground Cloves as seasonings if you like.  Portion in individual zip-lock baggies & freeze immediately.  There really is no measuring requirements to this recipe.  Just learn as you go and prepare it the way it is easiest for you.  *Make sure the cooked eggs and cooked grains  are chilled prior to adding/mixing them with the processed ingredients.  Always remove any fruit rinds/pits, etc before processing into mush/mash.  *You may have to process multiple loads depending on the amount of Mush/Mash you want.  For our flock, a months worth usually takes me 6-8 loads in a large processor.  Remember, this is with out the added grains & pasta.  If you add the cooked grains and Pasta while processing, you will have a hard time processing and will end up with a huge mess.  Just add the mixture to the grains/pasta and your Parrots will have a super healthy meal that they will love!

1 organic grain & seed fortified (salt free) pizza crust.  1 small can sodium free tomato sauce 1 block of "soy" Mozzarela cheese.  Sauce & cheese the crust & top with hot peppers, zuchini & pineapple.  Cook till cheese is fully melted.  serve a little above room temperature.

4 cups Grains & Pasta- Brown rice(instant), Quinoa, Buckwheat, Amaranth, Oats, Flax Seed, Pumpkin Seed, Barley, Pearled Red Wheat, Pearled Durum Wheat, Cracked Corn, Couscous, Fine Egg Noodles & Pastini.

1 1/2 cups pre-cooked/dehydrated Beans-Pinto, Navy, White Northern, Kidney, Soy..Etc

3 cups dehydrated Fruits/Veggies-Papaya, Mango, Pineapple, Coconut, Banana, Cranberries(Craisins), Rasberries, Figs, Grapes(Raisins), Sweet Potato, Greens, Lentils, Peas, Hot Peppers, Broccoli, Cabbage, Apples, Carrots, Beets, Zucchini, Tomato, Etc....  Chop or crumble into small peaces.

1 cup finely chopped Nuts-Almond, Walnut, Filberts, Pecans Etc..

1 cup Brewers Yeast(De Bittered) or Traditional Yeast

1/2 cup Raw Wheat Germ

1/2 cups finely crushed Egg Shells

Spices-Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Allspice, Ginger, Anise Seed, Cayenne, Cloves(Ground), Chipotle Pepper Etc..

You can add supplements after cooked and cooled if desired.

To Cook: 1 part mix to 1 1/2 parts water.  Microwave until tender.  Add more water if needed.
To Store:  Put entire mix into a Zip-Lock freezer bag & keep in your freezer.  Take out desired amount when ready to cook.

 A great place to get dehydrated Vegetables, Fruits and Beans(Legumes) is at          www.harmonyhousefoods.com

*When giving Parrots Pasta you should give them the best quality and nutritional value.  We recommend whole grain pastas.  Here are 3 very good brands we use .. 1st is Bella Terra100% Organic, 8 whole grain Pasta with Milled Flaxseed. 2nd is Barilla Plus and 3rd is Ronzoni Healthy Harvest whole grain extra wide egg noodles.

Brew all or some of the following herbs in room temperature spring or filtered tap water for 1 hour.  Refridgerate after brewing.  Keep refridgerated until all is used.

-Oat Straw

-Alfalfa Leaf

-Clover Blossoms

-Echinacea

-Dandelion Leaf 

-Calendula Flowers

-Rose Hips

-Thyme 

-Jasmine

-Chamomile

-Peppermint

-Papaya

-Ginger

-Rasberry

-Passion Flower

-Fennel

-Cinnamon

-Hibiscus

-Orange Peel 

This is a very natural drink for Parrots.  In the wild Parrots don't often drink from streams or lakes.  They lick the drops of water off of plants and flowers, or pooled water that has been sitting in them(plants/flowers).  This would be considered a "natural wild" tea.

-1 can rinsed or cooked Pinto Beans.

-1 can rinsed or cooked Black Beans.

-2 cups instant Brown Rice.

-Diced Jalapeno Peppers

-Diced Red Bell Pepper

-Frozen Corn

-Diced Tomatoes

-Thin strips of low sodium whole grain Tortillas

Cook rice according to direction.  Add all other ingredients to the hot cooked rice.  Mix well and let cool.  Serve at room temperature.

Dehydrated Method

-2 cups dehy Pinto Beans

-2 cups dehy Kidney beans

-2 cups instant Brown Rice

-1 1/2 cups dehy Chili Peppers

-1 cup dehy bell peppers

-1 cup Cracked Corn

-1 cup dehy diced Tomatoes

Add equal amounts of water and cook until tender.  Let cool and serve at room temp.

-Pureed Rasberries

-Pureed Strawberries

-Carrot sticks

-Cinnamon

Puree berries in a processor with the cinnamon.  Poor into small ice cube trays. Put a single carrot stick into each tray.  Cover with saran wrap and freeze.  Use within a month.

-Small Apples(cored and hallowed)

-Oats

-Crushed Walnuts

-Chopped Cherries

-Raisins

-Flax seed

-Cinnamon/Nutmeg

 Cook oats.  Add all other ingredients to the hot cooked oats and mix well.  Pack ingredients into the Apples and let cool.  Serve at room temp.

-Small red or green bell peppers(hallowed and de ribbed..save seeds)

-Cooked instant Brown Rice

-Cooked CousCous

-Pureed fresh Tomato

-Shredded Carrots

-Canned rinsed Lentils

-Cayenne Pepper/Nutmeg

 Add all ingredients (including pepper seeds) to the cooked Brown Rice and CousCous.  Mix well and pack into Peppers.  Let cool and serve at room temp. 

-Cooked Wild and Brown Rice

-Chopped Cayenne Peppers

-Chopped Green Bell Peppers

-Diced Red Ripe Tomatoes

-Chopped Celery

-Cooked or Canned/Rinsed Pinto Beans

-Diced well done boneless skinless Chicken Breast

On the side cook Chicken breast to well done.  Chop into small peaces.  Cook Rice until tender.  Add all ingredients to cooked hot rice.  Mix well and let sit for 1 hour.  Serve at room temperature or cool.

-Mung Bean Threads

-Rice Threads

-Brown Rice

-Whole Wheat Spaghetti Noodles(Broken into small peaces)

-Shredded Carrots

-Shredded or Chopped Brocolli

-Shredded Bok Choy Cabbage

-Pea Pods

-Chopped Celery

-Diced Thia Chili Peppers

-Chopped Red Bell Pepper

-Frozen Peas

-Sesame Seads

-Ginger

Cooke Rice, Threads and Noodles according to direction.  Add all other ingredients into the cooked hot Rice, Noodles and Threads.  Mix well and let sit for 1/2 to 1 hour.  Serve at room temperature.

-Whole Grain low sodium Tortillas

-Canned rinsed Pinto Beans

-Cooked Brown Rice

-Frozen Corn

-Assorted Greens shredded

-Diced Jalepeno Peppers

-Cilantro Chopped

-Tomatoes chopped

*Chopped well cooked Chicken if desired

Mix ingredients together, fill in the Tottilla, wrap and serve.

- Red Mill 10 Grain Hot Cereal Mix

- Raw Banana

- Raw peeled Apple

- Raisins

- Dates (chopped)

- Walnuts (salt free &chopped)

- Flax seed

- Cinnamon

Cook grains according to direction and cool in the fridge.  Puree Bananas and Apples.  Mix all ingredients into the cooled grains and serve.

This food is similar to that of the Nutri-Berries.

- 4 cups preservative free/sugar & sodium free dried fruit (Dates, Figs, Raisins, Cranberries, Banana Chips & other dried fruit).

- 3/4 cups flax seed.

- 3/4 cups crushed sodium free nuts.

- 1/2 cups uncooked Amaranth and or Quinoa.

- 2 cups uncooked Rolled Oats

- 8 tbsp unsweetened sugar free shredded Coconut

- 2 tbsp Molasses or Honey (you can also mix the two)

Put the dried fruit and molasses in a chopper or grinder.  Blend to a pasty texture.  Place mixture into a bowl and mix with the Oats and Coconut.  Form into small balls and roll into a mixture of the nuts, seeds, and Amaranth/Quinoa.  Chill in the frig for at least an hour before serving.  Store in frig or freezer. 

-Seeds of one Pomagranate

-1 diced Banana

-3 diced Chili Peppers, Jalepeno, Cayenne..Etc

-1/2 cup diced Pineapple

-1/2 cup chopped Greens

-1 diced Tangerine

-1 diced kiwi

-1/4 cup diced Berries

-1/4 cup diced Melon

-1/4 cup minced Coconut

Mix well & serve!