chris
06-08-2006, 04:13 PM
Hi all,
i've been experimenting with a homemade softfood for the pekin robins & weavers etc. so far i haven't tested it as i've got to wait for the stuff to set but it looks good. here's what you need and how i made it:
2 blocks of lard / beef dripping
1kg minced beef
500g oatmeal
500g digestive biscuit
1 small jar of honey
500g raisins/currants/sultanas
4 bananas
2 figs
1 pomegranite
150g blueberries
1 ) cook the minced beef in a frying pan/wok until brown, then place in a large mixing bowl.
2 ) place the rasins/currants/sultanas in a pan and soak in boiling water to re-hydrate the fruits.
3 ) melt one of the blocks of lard in a pan then add as much oatmeal as it will take, there should be just under half the bag left after this. stir well, then pour into the mixing bowl with the minced beef and mix evenly.
4 ) melt the other block of lard and add the remaining oatmeal. place the digestive biscuits through a food processor then add the crumbs to the oatmeal/lard and mix well. add this to the mixing bowl and mix evenly.
5 ) stain off the currants/sultanas/ raisins in a sieve then add this to the mixing bowl and stir evenly.
6 ) peel the 4 bananas and chop the fruit into slices roughly 5mm thick, then add this to the mixing bowl as before.
7 ) chop the pomegranite into chunks and the figs, then add this to the mixing bowl.
8 ) add the blueberries and honey and mix evenly, then pour the mix into a suitable sized container (or multiple containers) to set. you'll need to keep stirring this every half an hour or so as the lard will try to separate. ideally it should be well mixed and the lard should hold the stuff together.
9 ) once set shape into balls, roughly the ammount your birds will eat in one day then freeze the lot. take out a ball as needed and leave to defrost overnight (don't defrost in a microwave otherwise the lard will melt and it'll take another few hours to set!)
we'll see what the birds make of it in a bit when mine has set. it's similar to the fat balls you buy for the wild birds so they ought to love the stuff. and it should look something like mine below.
Chris;)
i've been experimenting with a homemade softfood for the pekin robins & weavers etc. so far i haven't tested it as i've got to wait for the stuff to set but it looks good. here's what you need and how i made it:
2 blocks of lard / beef dripping
1kg minced beef
500g oatmeal
500g digestive biscuit
1 small jar of honey
500g raisins/currants/sultanas
4 bananas
2 figs
1 pomegranite
150g blueberries
1 ) cook the minced beef in a frying pan/wok until brown, then place in a large mixing bowl.
2 ) place the rasins/currants/sultanas in a pan and soak in boiling water to re-hydrate the fruits.
3 ) melt one of the blocks of lard in a pan then add as much oatmeal as it will take, there should be just under half the bag left after this. stir well, then pour into the mixing bowl with the minced beef and mix evenly.
4 ) melt the other block of lard and add the remaining oatmeal. place the digestive biscuits through a food processor then add the crumbs to the oatmeal/lard and mix well. add this to the mixing bowl and mix evenly.
5 ) stain off the currants/sultanas/ raisins in a sieve then add this to the mixing bowl and stir evenly.
6 ) peel the 4 bananas and chop the fruit into slices roughly 5mm thick, then add this to the mixing bowl as before.
7 ) chop the pomegranite into chunks and the figs, then add this to the mixing bowl.
8 ) add the blueberries and honey and mix evenly, then pour the mix into a suitable sized container (or multiple containers) to set. you'll need to keep stirring this every half an hour or so as the lard will try to separate. ideally it should be well mixed and the lard should hold the stuff together.
9 ) once set shape into balls, roughly the ammount your birds will eat in one day then freeze the lot. take out a ball as needed and leave to defrost overnight (don't defrost in a microwave otherwise the lard will melt and it'll take another few hours to set!)
we'll see what the birds make of it in a bit when mine has set. it's similar to the fat balls you buy for the wild birds so they ought to love the stuff. and it should look something like mine below.
Chris;)