A prettier batch of chop there never was

[chris-md]

I've been looking more to my garden to feed Parker lately, and his batches of chop I make for him are lasting forever...if I'm bored feeding it to him he must be bored eating it.

So out to the garden we go! This came out kinda pretty

We've got:
Blue kale leaf
Swiss chard Leaf and stem
3 clover flowers torn apart
1 dandelion flower torn apart
Small bit (1 tbs) of his quinoa chop
Hemp seed
1 rose bud peeled apart (the petals were put but still tightly held).

Edit : just as I submit this thread, Parker dumps his bowl. Based on what I swept up he probably ate maybe half of this. I think he gets off on the crashing sound because yesterday he started dumping his water bowl too. I don't go running when he does it so as to avoid reinforcing this behavior. But the clanging of a 5' drop of stainless steel bowl I think is quite amusing to this little imp!

 

[GreatBlue320]

That is a beautiful chop - how lucky is Parker?

Btw - Baxter LOVES to drop everything off the side of whatever he is standing on (the kitchen counter, the dresser in his room, his play stand, the bathroom counter). I think he likes watching it fall as well as any noise that is produced!

 

[chris-md]

This just brought about a big thought for me and I need to get it down before I forget it: serving his food in water!!

I just brought him out to the garden to get some extra Swiss chard cause he absolutely loves it. Got back in and threw it into his water bowl because his food bowl was in the sink. He's always putting food in his water anyways.

He chowed down and I realized he didn't try flinging anything. This could be huge: reduced flinging mess, increased hydration, foraging trying to chase bits of food around a water bowl. I'm gonna try this tonight with some chop since he clearly didn't eat his fill and we'll see what happens

 

[Brittany741]

Wrangler is also a thrower! Then he goes down to the bottom of his cage to pick it up and eat it. Such a weirdo.

I may try the water dish trick, it can't hurt!

 

[Christinenc2000]

Nice Job chris it looks good. LOL @ bowl dump. So glad the cage I have now has lock in bowls. lol

 

[plumsmum2005]

Great looking chop Chris, you are still an inspiration to us all LOL!

I too get the bowl dump but curiously only with stainless steel bowls, leaves the pot ones alone. Plum seems to go a bit crazy especially if the bowl is a shiny one? I'm thinking reflection, any ideas anyone?

I have taken to disinfecting some large stones to anchor his non shiny SS bowls on his play stand or I am forever clearing food or pellets off the floor. #parrotslave

 

[jess.reco]

Lol yeah my girl loves to throw her bowls!!!

 

[Scott]

Variety is the spice of life! Birds do get bored with the same 'ol stuff day after day.

Looks great, nice you can grow fresh greens!

 

[wrench13]

Chris - one word - LOCKING BOWLS !
Salty likes to take his chop and mix it with his pellets. Since the chop is always kinda wet, I;ve taken to mixing them myself.

He also drops things like grape halves and bigger pieces of pepper onto the floor, then eating them, so we put a paper napkin or 2 under his chop bowl. Sheesh, a gourmet chef doesn't go through this much prep !

 

[coopedup]

that is enticing enough to make me want to come over for dinner and I dont even like salad!

 

[Brittany741]

Changing your dish holders to locking bowls is a simple and inexpensive modification. King's Cages sells locking dishes of all sizes, their large cages come with the 20oz models. I just bought some new rings from them and they aren't expensive and match the cage finish. You'll need new bowls, of course. If you don't have a King's cage, they sell universal locking bowls with the rings for around $11.

 

[Christinenc2000]

Chris - one word - LOCKING BOWLS !
Salty likes to take his chop and mix it with his pellets. Since the chop is always kinda wet, I;ve taken to mixing them myself.

He also drops things like grape halves and bigger pieces of pepper onto the floor, then eating them, so we put a paper napkin or 2 under his chop bowl. Sheesh, a gourmet chef doesn't go through this much prep !

That is so funny. Actually I do put a paper towel under BB"s for the same reason.

So far his locking bowls are working but he test them every day. He ever finds a weak spot that will be all she wrote lol

 

[BIRDIGIRL]

Yum that looks real tasty and really healthy too coming from the garden...I wish Mr Biggles would eat chop for me Peter Pan eats it but not Mr Biggles

 

[chris-md]

Oh if only it were that simple. This is on his playstand, not in his cage. I'm not sure they make locking bowl holders for this playstand. I might try heavier ceramic bowls or I even like the idea of the rocks in the bottom!

 

[plumsmum2005]

Oh if only it were that simple. This is on his playstand, not in his cage. I'm not sure they make locking bowl holders for this playstand. I might try heavier ceramic bowls or I even like the idea of the rocks in the bottom!

My dilemma too! The washed stones help but is by no means foolproof and we are back to #parrotslave LOL

 

[Anansi]

Sweet chop, Chris! I need to develop a veggie garden, myself.

And yeah, I can imagine the "drop the bowls" game would get rather addicting. Thankfully all of my bowls are lock in, so my ekkies have yet to discover such joys. Hahaha!

 

[chris-md]

It's quite wonderful Stephen! Just waltz out and grab some rose buds, honeysuckle flowers, kale leaves, purple deadnettle heads, lavender leaves, Swiss chard stems, you name it.

 

[OutlawedSpirit]

I am quite jealous, I'll admit. I do not have the yard space, or the soil, for a good garden. In fact, when we grew tomatoes last year, we had to do them in pots because our soil is so hard a full of clay that it's almost too hard to even get a shovel through. I was actually really surprised considering we're in the midwest and crops are sort of our thing around here.

My mom has a massive garden, however, and the green thumb to go with it. I don't know too many people that grow 6 foot tall tomato plants. I almost wish I was kidding. Little does she know, I am raiding her garden this summer. Her sugar snap peas and beets are already starting to sprout, so it won't be long. Wha ha ha ha!