Chop Chop!

Make your bird chop for the whole week in 30 minutes or less!

I have 8 birds at home ranging in size from Cockatiel to Cockatoo, all with a wide range of preferences in food. I like to make my fresh chop mix on Tuesdays, which lasts all 8 birds a full week in the fridge. This round I timed myself to show you it CAN be done quickly and easily!

1. Grocery shopping! I buy a little extra of all the veggies and fruits I plan to eat in my own meals each week. If that doesn’t include my birds’ favorites, I’ll pick those up, too. A great rule of thumb is to use the rainbow as your guide so you have a wide range of vitamins and minerals being provided.

2. When I get home I immediately set my (clean) sink up with cold water and apple cider vinegar (with the mother) and dump all my produce in for 30 minutes to soak while I unload the rest of my groceries.

3. After they’re done soaking, I give them a quick scrub down and rinse and let them rest on a towel to dry off a bit while I set up my prep space. All the equipment I use is a very large bowl, a sharp knife and cutting board, and a food processor. I’ve had the same $30 one for the last 10 years and it’s still works amazing. It does NOT have to be a big fancy one to get good results.

4. I do a rough chop on the veggies and dump them in the food processor and run it about 10-20 seconds. Dump them in the big bowl and go!

5. I chop my dry items in the food processor last and then mix everything well.

6. I pull out any large chunks that the food processor missed and make foraging skewers for my birds with those!

7. I use a “Lock & Lock airtight container” to store my chop in for the week. It has a strainer in the bottom so any liquids coming off the produce separates and keeps the chop as fresh as day one.

What I used in this chop:

-carrots

-zucchini

-yellow summer squash

-apples

-celery

-pomegranate

-blueberries

-kale

-sugar snap peas

-red bell pepper

-cauliflower

-broccoli

-corn on the cob

-Sweet potatoes

Dry:

-walnuts

-quick oats

-Ceylon cinnamon sticks (bought at the bird farm)

-star anise (bought at the bird farm)

Try your hand at this and let me know how it goes! It takes practice but you’ll have it down pat in no time.