Details and Information About "BIRDIE THIRTY"

A lot of careful thought and research went into the development of "Birdie Thirty". We wanted all species of birds to be able to enjoy this cooked food, so we chose the size of the ingredients very carefully. The ingredients are small enough for a finch and large enough for a macaw to enjoy. We chose the ingredients for their nutritional value, their appealing colors and tastes, and the variety of textures.

We didn't plan on 30 ingredients when starting out in Kitty's Kitchen, but like any wonderful recipe, each ingredient was necessary to create the final favorite for our aviary, and our pet birds. Many sources state that birds in the wild---from finches to macaws---have diets that can consist of up to 300 items. We looked at some of the other cooked bird foods on the market, and while they had some great ingredients, flavor, and nutritional value, they all seemed the same. Many of these foods didn't appeal to our smaller birds due to some of the larger ingredients and they just didn't like the tastes. We wanted more high protein ingredients in our food---especially for our breeding birds. We do feed a good pellet diet, and we wanted to make sure that the varied diet that we fed our birds had good nutritional value.

Birdie Thirty has high protein grains like quinoa, buckwheat, and bulgur wheat. Quinoa is an ancient grain from South America that is a complete protein due to all 8 essential amino acids, and is rich in calcium and iron. It has a nutty flavor when cooked. Buckwheat is being called the king of the healing grains due to the fact that its is rich in the B vitamins, amino acids, and rich in omega 3 acids. Also high in vitamins A, and C. Bulgur Wheat is high protein, high fiber, and high mineral content.

Birdie Thirty contains seeds chosen for their special nutritional value. Hemp seed, anise seed, sesame seed, flax seed. Hemp seed has more fatty acids than flax or any other nut or seed. Hemp seed has 20 amino acids and has omega 6 and omega 3. Hemp seed has a superior vegetarian source of protein. Anise seed has a wonderful taste that birds love--similar to licorice. It does possess some health benefits in humans such as -- digestive and oral health. Some sources say it has antiseptic properties. Either way---the birds love the taste and we love the smell. Sesame seed is high in vitamins, minerals, calcium and iron. Flax seed is high in the omega 3 fatty acids.

Birdie Thirty has lots of vegetables such as lentils, split peas, sweet potatoes, spinach, broccoli, carrots, and more. Lentils are very high in protein and fiber, low in fat and are a member of the legume family. Lentils are high in vitamins, calcium and iron and low fat. Split Peas are another high protein, high fiber, vegetable. We chose multiple colors in both the lentils and the split peas to give the birds a colorful meal to enjoy. Sweet potatoes are ranked one of the top five vegetables for nutritional value. Spinach and broccoli also rate in the top five for nutritional value for vitamin and mineral content. We know birds love fruits and nuts, and we didn't want to disappoint, so we added in papaya, coconut, raisins, almonds and sunflower seed. We chose these last ingredients carefully. Papaya has more vitamin C and potassium than apples or oranges. Coconut is high in fiber and calcium and is high in lauric acid, which has been shown to have bacterial and anti-viral properties. Raisins are high fiber, high vitamin. Almonds are high in vitamin E and the B vitamins. Sunflower seeds supply amino acids and vitamin E, and are rich in other vitamins. Fruits and nuts do contain fats and sugars, and too much isn't good. We used smaller portions of the fruits and nuts---enough for your bird to enjoy--but not too much. So---Birdie Thirty is a bird's dream come true!

Yes----we ended up with 30 ingredients, and we didn't want to remove any of them! We watched our birds, and realized that Birdie Thirty was a very budget friendly product. We are always looking out for the birdie budget---as we are sure many of you are. However, we always want our birds to be healthy and well fed. They are well fed---and a small amount satisfies them. There are so many ingredients for them to enjoy in a small portion that a little goes a long way. We noticed the substantial difference in the portion size we give to our birds now--that satisfies them--versus the portion size we needed to give them of the other food we used to buy before we developed Birdie Thirty. Birdie Thirty is a product that is favorable to your birdie budget because a smaller portion will satisfy your bird and give them an enjoyable, nutrient rich meal.

What do we feel makes our cooked bird food stand out above the rest? Well--if you look at the number of ingredients of most of the cooked bird foods on the market, the average number of ingredients will be somewhere, on average, of only 8 to 15 ingredients. We have provided your bird with 30 natural, high quality ingredients---with good nutritional value. So---for a few dollars more you are getting many more ingredients than other products, with a fantastic nutritional value, and small portions that contain so many of these great ingredients that your purchase of Birdie Thirty--any size--will be kind to your birdie budget.

What about our ingredients? Most of our ingredients are for human consumption and many of them are organic. (You won't see--human grade-- on our label---only because there is lots of --lets just say red tape---but we do use very high quality, natural ingredients) Our birds are very important to us and we know that yours are also. When we decided to create this food we decided that it should be good enough for us to eat. (OK--now we are not telling you to cook up a batch for yourself---although it does smell real good)

"BIRDIE THIRTY" IS REGISTERED IN THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA WITH THE NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

FEEDING TIPS:

Make sure to place dry food in a container that will allow for expansion of the product as it cooks---as it does expand to almost double its size as it cooks.

Helpful Hint: Spoon small portions into plastic ice cube trays and cover securely with plastic wrap or foil to prevent freezer burn. Thaw as many cubes as needed or you can place the cubes in the microwave for 15-20 seconds. (Remember to cool food before serving)

These small portions are great for smaller birds.

For larger birds mini muffin trays or regular size muffin trays work nicely for freezing. You can use the cupcake paper inserts---just be sure to remove the paper prior to serving to your bird.