While I try to keep up with the forums and blogs about what the heartbeat of the avian world is up to, (meaning the average parrot owner just like me) I have a tough time keeping up with them all due to my schedule. I’m either flying for work, or flying to get somewhere to do a presentation or do research or some such reason for the journey.
And there is the ever-present floor that needs a mopping. But I do get to meet really cool people:
But I think it’s terrific the forums are busy because that means you are all yakking up a storm, exchanging information and helping each other out.
Paula Rossow, Irena Schulz and moi at the Midwest Bird Expo
Occasionally I run across a post about the Chop Concept. And I found one particularly interesting. When the Chop Video link was put up, someone saw all of the stuff I used to make Chop and stated the following:
“wow that is like 80+ bucks in ingredients.”
The original poster responded this way:
“When I picked up the ingredients for my batch of chop, I spent about $30 and didn’t use everything….I made the batch back around the 1st of October and I still have at least half left. I feed 8 parrots and 9 parakeets with it. I don’t feed it everyday, but several times a week.”
It was posted on the 30th of December which means she got through half of her Chop in three months.
Now it sounds like making Chop or Teenie Weenie Beanies is expensive. It is- the day you make it. But once you bag it up and freeze it, you won’t be making it for quite a while, so you have to look at it as “cost-per-serving” or cost per day. I never really figured it out to the penny, but I knew I was feeding three African Greys two meals a day for less than a buck. And because I have never fed bulk seed on any real basis at all, I have no idea what it would cost to feed my birds the seed. But I can almost guarantee it’s less than 3 plus bucks a pound you probably have to pay for seed.
Have any of you figured it out? Does any one really know how much it costs you to serve Chop as opposed to the higher-pried model? I know it’s different every time, but perhaps some of you have done the costing out? I’d love to know what you’ve come up with.
Patricia Sund
Parrot Nation 
January 28, 2012 at 9:16 am
Hm…the last time I made a chop/mash type of a meal, I used only organic veggies. The whole thing, along with plastic bags and a chocolate for me was something around 20$. It made me 50 bags and I feed it twice a day, along with sprouts, some nuts, a few seeds (like chia seeds and other non-conventional seeds, that are REALLY good for your parrot), fresh veggies, etc. Everything I feed them and myself, is organic. So, when I calculate all that and not just the chop ingredients, it ends up to be around 6 dolars a day, including shipping fees I pay for some items to get delivered to me + gas I need to get to the health food stores/farmers market. I hope this helps.
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January 28, 2012 at 9:31 am
Yes, it does. I know you live in Croatia, so I’m not sure what the prices are like in comparison to the U.S. but Iskra, do you find this cost reasonable?
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January 28, 2012 at 9:39 am
Very reasonable!! In the 6 $ I calculated shipping fees from Canada and the USA, where I get all of my parrot related stuff, the usual custom fees, half a gas tank for my car to get to the farmers market, health food store, etc AND the food it self. I googled prices at our local pet store, and for 1lb of seed you have to pay 6.6 $. For my 20$ I got a lot of fresh veggies and 25 days worth of FRESH food, both breakfast and dinner. One thing I find to be a HUGE downfall of seed-only diet is that once in a blue moon, companies will test their seeds for bacteria or fungi. So, yes, I do think it is more than reasonable and that this is the way to go when it comes to feeding parrots.
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January 28, 2012 at 1:19 pm
This is so interesting! Thanks for another great post Patricia.
Even though it seems like it is expensive the day you buy it, in the long run Chop is actually pretty cheap. I hope that the parrot owners who feed only seed will realize this and switch to using the Chop Concept. It is healthier, and cheaper if not equal to what you would pay for an all seed diet. Plus, it decreases the chances of having to take your bird into the vet for health problems due to diet. Now that can save you money!
When I get my next bird, or The Bird as I call it, I am so going to get into the routine of making Chop. It looks actually fun to make it and is definitely worth it! 🙂
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January 28, 2012 at 1:22 pm
Oh yeah, I forgot to say that I replied to you on my blog. You can just delete this comment when you find it. 🙂
P.S. Love the ‘Real Quaker Oats’! Haha!
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January 28, 2012 at 1:42 pm
I haven’t worked out the math or costs either Patricia but I know for a fact it costs way more to buy seed mixes and pellets mixes. It drove me crazy for years trying to find the perfect seed mix for the birds to snack on in between meals and while I was at work. I wanted lot’s of variety and healthy ingredients but any mixes I could find like that either had peanuts, or sunflower seeds, colored pellets, or all three.
Over the years I became more and more choosey about what I wanted my parrots eating and as they got older I realized how important it was to reduce or eliminate many of these common seed mix ingredients. I did finally settle for picking out all of my own ingredients at the local health food store and making up their dry food mix myself. Now I know they are human grade ingredients and they are all healthy and organic and there’s nothing in there I don’t want them eating.
I try to buy the fresh veggies and the dry ingredients for Chop and mashes and such while they are on sale; and it makes enough for so many meals I know I’m getting my money’s worth. Plus there is nothing better than knowing how much good healthy stuff they are eating all in one sitting. I think it’s less expensive and I feel so much better about feeding it to them than just the old school ideas of “bird food”.
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February 4, 2012 at 6:25 pm
I just made my batch for the next 120 days. I feed 1 African Grey. She gets chop once a day. The veggies cost me $23.00, all organic. I have access to a Whole Foods type of market. I had all the grains and other items on hand. I can get Quinoa, Amaranth and rice blends in the bulk/bin section of the store so I just buy what I need because we humans eat it too. I also want to share that I bake my grains. It’s easy and not as many pots and pans to wash up. Here is what I do.
Combine 1 1/2 Brown rice blend in a 8 by 8 Pyrex pan. Pour 2 1/2 cups boiling water, drizzle with a little olive oil. cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 1 hour.
Combine 1 cup Quinoa and 1/2 cup Amaranth in a 9 X 13 Pyrex pan. Pour 3 cups boiling water, cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 30 minutes.
I cook these at the same time. Taking the gains out after 30 minutes and leaving the rice in for 30 more minutes. I usually do this a day ahead and let them cool in the refrigerator until the “Chop” day. This really makes “chop” day a lot quicker and more convenient.
I figure chop cost me about 30 cents a day, even if I purchased the grains and plastic bags.
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