First Chop Done!

I have been reading a lot about fresh foods and "Chop" and decided to give it a try! Chop is basically a large batch of chopped up and mixed fresh foods. The beauty of chop is that it is a way to prepare large batches of fresh food, that can be frozen and then thawed as needed. I decided to do a chop that consisted of the foods below. I used veggies, grains, and beans, thinking I would top with fresh fruit after I thawed it. All ingredients that I used were organic and washed well to be extra safe. If when thawed the consistency is too runny, I will add steel cut oats to soak up some of the extra moisture.

Greens - kale, collard, & mustard greens.
Quinoa - cooked lightly so that it would soak up a bit of the extra juice from the greens.
Whole grain pasta- cooked al dente.
13 Bean Soup - soaked overnight, then cooked.
Carrots - shredded.
Red, yellow & green bell peppers - diced with seeds.
Canned pumpkin - lightly baked.
Broccoli florets.
Yellow squash - diced.
Peas & green beans - diced.
Corn - off the cob.

Here is what the chop looked like once done:

I then divided the chop into these baby food freezing trays which I had left over from making my son home made baby food (I love that they have lids). Once frozen, the cubes can be popped out and put into large ziplock freezer bags for storage with the date made written on the bag in sharpie. Then to use you can just thaw as needed! Perfect portions for Biddy Birdies!! :)

Birdy Bread - First batch!

Yesterday I made my first batch of birdy bread! I am really trying to keep busy waiting for Opie if you couldn't tell ;) Since this was my first time trying to make it, I decided to go with a mix and bought Momma's Bird Bread in Harvest Loaf. The directions were super simple...just mix in 2 Tbsp oil (not olive, I chose coconut), 1 cup of water or chicken stock (I used water), and two eggs with shells. So I mixed it all up and poured it into a silicone mini loaf pan since with such a little bird, smaller servings will be better. Then I followed the baking instructions, and voila! My first batch of birdy bread! I love how much seed and dehydrated fruits and veggies are in it! If it didn't have the crushed up egg shells baked it, I would have tried a slice for sure!

Since Opie will be so small, I decided to cut each mini loaf in half, wrap each half in saran wrap, then put all of the individually wrapped pieces in a large Ziplock bag to freeze. On the bag I wrote the type of bread, the flavor, and the date I made it in Sharpie. Momma's says that the bread will stay frozen for a year, and is good for up to a week in the fridge, so my plan is to thaw just one piece at a time so that it is always fresh for Opie! I have read Parrotlets really love this stuff, so I will let you know how it goes!

Cuddle Hut for Opie! PS- I love Etsy!

Just had to share this as I just got it in the mail yesterday! I ordered this off of Etsy from SewlyInspired, and couldn't be happier!! She makes the cutest personalized Cuddle Huts, and they are so well made! I just had to share since I opened the package and literally shrieked!!

Cuddle huts are awesome for some birds. Mango my Sun Conure LOVED his and slept in it every night. They are cozy, can help keep your Bitty Birdies snuggly and warm, and they also feel very protected in them. However, there are some dangers associated with them with certain birds. Below are some precautions/tips to follow if you decide one may be good for your bird.

1 - Some females may view this as a nest. If so you should discontinue use. Females may become very aggressive or hormonal in guarding their "nest". It can with some birds be so severe that they may begin to lay eggs. I have only provided these for male birds to be safe.

2 - Heavy chewers may want to chew the fabric. If you notice your bird chewing the fabric, remove it immidiatly. Loose threads or fabric not only pose an impaction risk if swallowed, but can also catch parts of your bird leading to injuries, and in worst case death if they become entangled. *This is also true for rope products or even cage covers.

3 - Inspect your cuddle hut often. If there is any damage, discard it. It is not worth the risk.

4 - Research your materials. Make sure the materials are bird safe. Also, if you wash it, use dye and fragrance free detergent, and do not use dryer sheets.

As with all products, use common sense. Cuddle huts are awesome for some birds, but not for every bird. I hope Opie will like his, but if not, or he is a chewer, his safety will always come first! Stay safe and snuggly everyone! :)

Welcome Opie!!!

After deciding that a Pacific Parrotlet was the perfect Bitty Birdie for me, the search was on! I am VERY lucky to have a few really awesome breeders in my area! The first breeder that I contacted did not have any babies available, but her friend had EXACTLY what I was hoping for, a little blue male! He was only just about to be six weeks old, so I would have to wait 2-3 weeks for him to finnish his hand-feeding which was just perfect since this would allow me to get everything ready for him!

I already had an old bird cage that would be a good weaning cage for him. It was just a plain old "parakeet" cage, but it had the proper bar spacing (0.5" on center), and was in great shape, despite being stored for years. So out of storage it came and I have it a thorough scrubbing with a solution of 50% hot water and 50% white vinegar. Then lots of rinsing, and a good drying in the sun finished up the process. I decided to toss the wooden dowel perches that came with it, and ran the food/water cups through the dish washer.

So now the wait begins! To bode the time, I will be getting together lots of birdy recipes, shopping like mad, and impatiently waiting for him to get here! OH and I almost forgot!! His name will be Opie! Here is my future Bitty Birdie (with his green brother)!!!! <3

Welcome to Biddy Birdies! Picking a species for me.

I grew up with all sorts of animals, including parrots. After about 10 years of being "birdless" I decided enough was enough and I needed another feathered friend in my life.  My favorite bird ever was a Sun Conure named Mango. He was a gift for my 10th birthday and it was love at first sight for both of us. I loved him sooooo much, but since my life is very different at this point, I decided I wanted (and needed) a bird that would fit my lifestyle and the wants/needs of our home.

So began the breed research. I wanted something smaller, and quieter, but that still had the big parrot personality. There are so many "Bitty Birdies" (little guys) that are gorgeous and have such amazing traits. Below are a few that I considered...

Rosy Bourkes - Beautiful little pink parakeets. They are very quiet, can be hand tamed, although typically are more of a shoulder/finger bird, and are not known to be biters. They typically do not like to be touched or cuddled though, and do not climb around much preferring to fly. Other than not using their beaks to climb, they are not big on playing with toys or chewing. They are definitely a bird I would LOVE to have in the future, maybe even a little flock in an aviary, but right now I wanted something that would be more playful, and hands on.

Lineolated Parakeets - An adorable little parakeet, more commonly referred to as "Linnies".  They come in a gorgeous array of colors, stay small, and can be very sweet especially if they are hand-fed. Some seem to become hand shy after a certain age, and they also can be a tad bit shy in general which in such a busy house, I feared they may not thrive.  I would however love to have some someday, just maybe not while our home is quite so hectic!

English Budgies - Bigger and "pouffier" than their American counterparts, English Budgies are a very fun little bird. They love to live in little flocks and are very active and amusing. They can be hand tamed, but like the Bourkes, they typically do not enjoy cuddling. They are very vocal, and while not necessarily loud, they do like to chatter all day long, and some can even learn to speak. In my area, they are very hard to find though, especially hand-fed ones.

Cockatiels - Cockatiels were never really a species that caught my attention, but while browsing around the local bird stores, I could not deny that they were very sweet birds! I can totally see why they are such a popular choice. They are not typically bitey, their crests are adorable, and their faces when they puff up are just too cute. For me however the dust they produce was a turn off, and they can also be pretty loud when they want to...especially the males. The females on the other hand, have been known to be very prolific, wanting to lay eggs and the fear of an egg bound hen would scare me.

Lovebirds - While I am very drawn to the look of Lovebirds, they can be quite noisy and shrill. Also, in my area it is very hard to find hand-fed babies. Unfortunately, many of the stores around here still insist Lovebirds must be sold in pairs (although they do not have them DNA sexed), and my search for local breeders was unsuccessful. They do however come in beautiful mutations, and in my opinion, the wild forms are even more beautiful than the mutation colors.

Green-Cheeked Conures - GCCs are a smaller quieter Conure. They come in some beautiful mutations, are known to be very sweet and affectionate. They are not as voracious with chewing as some Conures can be either, and are known to make good apartment birds. These charming little guys definitely made my short list, and in the future I would love to have one (especially a Pineapple)!

AND THE WINNER....

Pacific Parrotlets!!!! Parrotlets are teeny tiny parrots (not parakeets) with a BIG personality! They are just the perfect fit for me. They are coined "Miniature Amazons", and for a good reason. They are super outgoing (even to a fault) and thrive on activity. For such a tiny bird they love a huge cage, with lots of toys, and a lot of attention. They are very quiet, and some can even learn to speak. I have always loved Parrotlets, but was never able to have them in the past in fear of the bigger birds being able to put an end to a pushy little Parrotlet in one crunch of the beak, but now I finally will be able to have one, and THAT is the reason for starting this blog!

So from now on, this blog will be dedicated to the "Bitty Birdies", the adorable little species of parakeets and parrots who steal our hearts. I will be writing about my future bird(s) and life with them. I would also love to share stories of other Bitty Birdies, so please feel free to share about your Bitty Birdies with me!