We have tried making this mixture in a blender, but the results were not very good. A food processor works much better and produces the correct texture.
Start by placing the carrot in the food processor and process it until it is finely ground. Next, add the broccoli and pulse a few times until it appears finely chopped.
At this stage, add only the egg whites. Egg whites tend to be slightly more difficult to process than the yolks, so it helps to break them down first. Pulse the mixture until the egg whites appear finely chopped.
Once the whites are incorporated, add the egg yolks, the nestling food, the soy protein with spirulina, and the calcium supplement.
Pulse the mixture a few more times until everything is evenly combined. The finished mixture should have a slightly crumbly texture, not a paste.
To portion the egg food, use a digital scale to measure approximately 16 grams into each Dixie cup. This amount is roughly equivalent to a heaping teaspoon.
Place the filled cups on a tray and transfer them to the freezer. After two to three hours, the mixture should be fully frozen.
Once frozen, fold the sides of each cup down over the egg mixture and place the cups into a ziplock freezer bag. Store them in the freezer until needed.
When you are ready to feed the birds, simply open one cup and place it in the microwave on high for about 16 seconds. Depending on the microwave, you may need to adjust the heating time slightly.
After heating, tip the mixture out onto a small paper plate, add a few fresh greens, and serve.
One Dixie cup containing approximately one teaspoon of egg mix is enough for one pair of canary parents with chicks.
When chicks are very young, we serve this egg food three times per day. After about 10 days, feeding is usually reduced to twice per day.
Fresh greens are always added alongside the egg food. In our aviary we provide greens four times daily to all canaries.
For finches, the portions are slightly different.
One Dixie cup is typically divided between two pairs of finch parents with chicks and served once per day. Finches usually receive other vegetables throughout the day and generally do not require additional servings of egg food.
Any uneaten egg food should be removed after three to four hours to prevent spoilage.
Christine hails from East Tennessee and has many years of experience breeding both finches and canaries.