This one was always a favourite of mine ... Pinecones and how to make them friendly for your flock. Sometimes we need to look at some of the old favourites and resurrect them as entertainment / foraging experience for our house birds.
Look for pinecones that are dry and clean. Stay away from the damp mouldy ones and don’t collect near the roads. Pick them as soon as they fall from the tree.
Preparing them for your bird is simple just heat up the oven to 225 degrees. Place tin foil over a cookie sheet (not a none stick one). It will catch the sap that comes out as the cones as they bake. Give the pinecones a good cleaning in hot clean water and then bake for 1/2 hour. This will kill the mould and whatever bugs etc may be inside them. Switch off the oven after half and hour and allow them to sit in the warm oven another 1/2 hour to dry out. Collect the pinecones and throw the tin foil out. They are ready to use.
Do not cook hotter than 225 degrees because the pinecones can burn.
Optional: Mix seed with beaten egg white. Spoon into crevices of a pinecone as they open in the heat and bake in the oven on low until seeds are set.
You can put a screw hook (none zinc go for stainless steel) in the top where they were attached to the tree branch to hang from the cage roof or ljust eave them as foot toys.
Sit back and after the usual “OOOOO killer cone from hell” expression on your birds face they will go over and munch them get the camera out and watch your flock enjoy.
Look for pinecones that are dry and clean. Stay away from the damp mouldy ones and don’t collect near the roads. Pick them as soon as they fall from the tree.
Preparing them for your bird is simple just heat up the oven to 225 degrees. Place tin foil over a cookie sheet (not a none stick one). It will catch the sap that comes out as the cones as they bake. Give the pinecones a good cleaning in hot clean water and then bake for 1/2 hour. This will kill the mould and whatever bugs etc may be inside them. Switch off the oven after half and hour and allow them to sit in the warm oven another 1/2 hour to dry out. Collect the pinecones and throw the tin foil out. They are ready to use.
Do not cook hotter than 225 degrees because the pinecones can burn.
Optional: Mix seed with beaten egg white. Spoon into crevices of a pinecone as they open in the heat and bake in the oven on low until seeds are set.
You can put a screw hook (none zinc go for stainless steel) in the top where they were attached to the tree branch to hang from the cage roof or ljust eave them as foot toys.
Sit back and after the usual “OOOOO killer cone from hell” expression on your birds face they will go over and munch them get the camera out and watch your flock enjoy.
