# MacMilk ingredients questions



## Seijun (Apr 14, 2010)

Hi, I have a few questions about the MacMilk recipe.

1. What can I replace the feces with if I can't obtain any from a known healthy bird?

2. The recipe calls for raw egg yolk. I read several posts here where people advised to use hardboiled yolks instead. Hardboiled is safer, but won't cooking also make the yolk less nutritious?

3. The recipe calls for "1 jar strained chicken baby food". Is this just chick starter mixed with water, or something else?

4. Is "Super B complex" the same as "B complex"?


----------



## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

*Here's the MacMilk Recipe and Notes*

Posting the entire recipe and notes here just for ease of reference for any who care to reply:

MacMilk©: Crop Milk Replacer Recipe


1 jar (71 grams) strained chicken baby food
1 raw egg yolk (16.6 grams)
1 tablespoon low-fat yogurt (15.3 grams)
1/4 teaspoon corn oil (1.13 grams)
0.62 g calcium carbonate
2 drops cod-liver oil (from gel cap)
1 drop vitamin E (diluted 1:10 in corn oil; see notes)
2 drops fish body (omega-3; not cod liver) oil
1 small pinch vitamin B complex (see notes)
25 mg. Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)


Method: Mix all ingredients in a blender. Keep the diet in the fridge, taking out and warming only as much as you need for one feeding.

NOTES
For birds 1-3 days post-hatch: 
It may be necessary to dilute the mix a little more, particularly if they are not being kept at high humidity. It’s essential to add a small amount of feces from a healthy adult conspecific; the younger the bird, the more urgent this is. Add it to two feedings per day. As soon as it’s added, consider the food contaminated; discard any leftovers and clean all implements thoroughly. No digestive enzymes need be added to this mix.

In nature, young columbids are fed small amounts often, by their parents. The ‘nursing’ bouts are long in duration. They should NOT be tube-fed, but instead need to ‘work’ for their food by sucking. The process is very reminiscent of mammals suckling, and their chances of survival are much higher if they are fed in this natural manner.

At the end of the first week post-hatch, gradually add a highly digestible grain (be sure that it contains the proper amount of calcium and vitamins) to the food. It must be fully hydrated! E.g., if you’re adding baby cereal or Exact, make a ‘cereal soup’ with water (at least 2 parts water to 1 part cereal/Exact by weight) before adding it to the MMM. Add only a very small amount for the first couple of days, and then at a rate (e.g., 10% per day) that will make the food mostly grain by the end of 15-20 days. Fledglings must be supplemented with hand feedings for as long as they beg (this can be up to 6 weeks or so), even if they are also eating on their own. Weigh them regularly until they’re completely weaned. A high-quality (companion/exotic) finch seed mix is a good choice for self-feeding. Be sure that they have ‘pigeon grit’ (a multimineral grit) and oystershell grit available ad lib.


Vitamins: Vitamin E, as purchased, is too potent for what is required in this diet. Mix one drop of vitamin E (from a 400 IU/ capsule) with 10 drops of corn oil. Shake or stir well. Then, use 1 drop of the diluted vitamin E in the recipe. The remainder can be kept in an airtight container and stored in a cool, dark place. It can be used over the next few days. Because vitamin E degrades, it will have to be mixed fresh after a few days, so don't make too much at once. The amount of B complex required is too small to weigh on a gram scale. The amount required for this recipe is a pinch the size of one or two sesame seeds.


Astrid MacLeod and Janine Perlman, 2004©.


----------



## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Seijun said:


> 1. What can I replace the feces with if I can't obtain any from a known healthy bird?


I'm not really sure. There's never a shortage of pigeon poop from healthy pigeons around my place. Perhaps a bit of probiotics or digestive enzymes, but I'm not really sure .. will try to find out.



> 2. The recipe calls for raw egg yolk. I read several posts here where people advised to use hardboiled yolks instead. Hardboiled is safer, but won't cooking also make the yolk less nutritious?


Use the raw egg yolk as specified in the recipe.



> 3. The recipe calls for "1 jar strained chicken baby food". Is this just chick starter mixed with water, or something else?


This is baby food for humans and made of chicken .. think Gerber's 



> 4. Is "Super B complex" the same as "B complex"?


As far as I know, it is. Hopefully others will be along to add their thoughts and info.

Terry


----------



## Seijun (Apr 14, 2010)

Should the yogurt be omitted if I use pb's?
Also, how much pb should I add to the recipe?


----------

