In the wild, parrots and parakeets also take clay and loamy soil.
This not only contains minerals, but is also able to bind food toxins and harmful metabolic products due to the irregular surface of the smallest rock particles.
For this reason, it might be a good idea to make a clay-grit pick stone yourself and make it available to the budgies. Of course, this does not replace the normal mineral stone.
Accessories needed
- Silicone baking dish Ø 5cm
- Stainless steel wire (to attach to the cage)
- Wooden skewers or similar
Basic recipe
Ingredients
- 1 TBSP Clay powder
- 2 TBSP Bird grit
- 1 TBSP Ground psyllium husks
- 2 TBSP Water
Instruction
- Mix the water with the psyllium husks and leave for 10-15min. allow to swell.
- Mix in bird grit and then add other ingredients if necessary.
- Add clay powder and mix well until a uniform mass is formed.
- Pour the mixture into the silicone mold and press it down.
- Cut a piece with 4cm length wooden skewer.
- Cut off about 10cm from the stainless steel wire.
- Attach stainless steel wire to the wooden skewer.
- Press wooden skewer into the adobe with wire.
- Press clay down over the wooden skewer.
- Place silicone mold in oven and bake at 100°C for about 30-45min. let dry.
- Remove silicone mold from oven and let cool slightly.
- Carefully release clay brick from mold and heat again at 100°C for about 30-45min. let dry.
- Remove adobe from oven and allow to cool.
Before use, you should possibly let the clay-grit pick stone dry through for another 1-2 days.
Herbal clay stone
Ingredients
- 1 TBSP Clay powder
- 2 TBSP Bird grit
- 1-2 TBSP 8-herb mixture
- 1 TBSP Ground psyllium husks
- 2 TBSP Water