Recipes of Liquid Weaning Foods

Weaning refers to replacing a baby animal's initial liquid diet with a solid diet little by little. Baby animals need liquid food because they don't have the physical ability to consume hard, solid food. As the animal grows, however, it needs to eat solid food that contains valuable nutrients. Baby birds get liquid food from their mother. The mother eats solid food and regurgitates it into the baby bird's mouth. If you are raising a baby bird, you will need to give it a liquid formula and begin weaning it to solids as it grows.

  1. When to Wean

    • All animals show signs when they are ready to wean. When human infants begin to grow teeth, can sit upright and show an interest in mashed-up fruits and vegetables, we know it is time for the baby to begin weaning. Baby birds show signs that they are ready to eat more solid food, too. When a young bird begins showing a lack of interest in its liquid diet, or playing with it, the bird is ready to eat a more solid feed. If the baby bird is showing signs that it is ready to fly, that's another sign it is ready for solid foods. A bird in the wild will not begin eating solid food until it has left the nest. Do not clip a baby bird's wings; if you do, it may lose the desire to eat a more substantial, solid diet.

    How to Wean

    • To wean a baby bird you will need to replace its liquid formula with a soft, mushy mixture of solids that can be taken almost as easily as a liquid. Think of human infants: Between breast milk or formula and solid foods, most parents feed their children soft, mashed-up vegetables or pureed fruit.

    Liquid Weaning Recipe

    • To make a weaning recipe that is one step up from formula, you will need a sweet potato, peanut butter and coconut milk. Peel and boil the potato until it is soft, then mash with a masher or electric mixer. Add some peanut butter and coconut milk, and blend well into a soft puree. Put a small amount in a shallow dish for the bird to explore. You can offer the bird corn on the cob, peas and seeds when it is ready to try solid food.