Make Your Own Bird Treats

A birds diet that is fun and easy.

Feeding your bird doesn’t have to mean just seeds or nuts or commercial food. Birds love a good snack too, and many birds need treats to give them variety or additional nutrients in their diet. You can usually buy these treats from any pet store, but a fun and potentially de-stressing project would be to make them yourself. Taking the time to cook for your pet requires you to slow down and catch a respite from all of the running around you do. It also provides a bonding opportunity for the two of you.

If you have a nut or seed eating bird, feel free to prepare him the occasional treat here or there. These types of birds include most parrots, macaws, budgerigars, and cockatiels. Birds like lorikeets and lories that eat nectar or other prepared commercial food, however, do not normally need treats.
Making a Treat
Your bird treats should consist of elements that are already part of his diet: nuts, seeds, and fruit. To make it fun and different, though, try serving these in an unorthodox way or combining them with certain foods like whole wheat bread or low-fat yogurt that are both healthy and tasty for your bird. Here are some ideas for treat ingredients to keep your bird singing:

Peanut Butter Treats: Peanut butter is a great ingredient in a treat for your bird. It is nut-based, and tasty to birds that eat nuts. Make sure, though, to use the healthiest peanut butter you can find, one with no sugar added. Peanut butter is also great in snacks because it serves as a fun-to-eat glue that can bind fruits and seeds to your treat.

Dried Fruits: Dried fruits are a tasty and healthy treat to incorporate into your bird’s treats. Just make sure that they are unsweetened and small enough for your bird to handle. Some good options include raisins, dried cranberries, and any other dried fruit that your bird would normally eat.

Other Treats: As mentioned before, there are other treats besides nut and fruit based ingredients that you can serve your bird. Unsalted, unbuttered, popped popcorn can be a nice treat, as can whole wheat bread, hard-boiled eggs or low fat yogurt.
Don’t Go Overboard
While it can be fun to make treats for your bird, and they are healthy to give, make sure you don’t overdo it. You should only give bird treats once in a while; having a treat every day won’t be healthy for your bird. Also, you should make your treats healthy and natural; any additives or sweeteners will be too much for your bird to handle.