Here's an easy way to make your own honey bird (and small mammal - rat, hamster, etc.) treats, for a fraction of the cost of the Pet Store's!

For a pretty big batch (a full cookie sheet's worth), this is what you'll need (feel free to scale up or down):

  • 2 cups pellets, ground up like flour (alternatively, you can use a couple cups of wheat flour, but the pellets have the added benefit of being nutritionally complete)
  • 2 cups mixed seed
  • 2 cups of a plain cereal which does not contain zinc (I used Rice Krispies)
  • Some honey (1 - 1/2 cups)
Once the ingredients are ready:

Combine the dry ingredients, and stir in the honey. You may want add the honey in several portions, so as to make sure that you don't get too much. The desired consistency is something along the lines of Rice Krispie treats - you don't want them drippy at all. If you add too much honey, simply mix in more flour or powdered pellets to compensate.

Next, line a cookie sheet with foil, or use a silicone mat, to help make the treats easier to remove. Press the mixture into the pan, and bake at 250 degrees F for around 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, scour the mixture with a sharp knife or pizza cutter into bar shapes, and then bake for around half an hour until set.

Once baked, allow to cool and store in a dry place. If they won't be used within a week or two, you might want to consider freezing them for added shelf life.