^^^ what Nat said.
(I'm back from the vet)
Its said that birds, on average, eat 100g per day of feed. That's about 1/4#. Six birds is 1.5#/day. You need at least two days worth of food - 3#. Life rarely cooperates. Lets make 6#, 4 days worth. Now compensate for water content, and you have 3 days worth. Lets do it the easy way - 6 ingredients.
You want an animal protein to ensure your birds are getting a complete protein, since your chances of "manufacturing" a complete protein are pretty slender, otherwise. You want a legume or two. Now bulk it out anc complete the veggie proteins with cereals/grains
1# "Family Size" foil pack tuna IN WATER. That's around 23% protein, 1% fat, insignificant fiber.
1# bag of edamame (soybeans) from the frozen food aisle. 13% protein, 6.8% fat, 4.2% fiber
1# can of Garbanzo beans (chick peas) - I like Bush's. 4.5% Protein, 2% fat, 3.8% fiber (dried would be better, but for these purposes, the can is fine - dried requires a lot of work)
1# of prepared enriched white rice
2x 1# loaves of whole wheat bread. 13.4, 4.2, 7.4 respectively.
Since the bread and rice are enriched, you are looking at a good vitamin profile, the tuna provides the needed selenium. Energy comes from the rice and bread. Combining legumes with rice or legumes with cereal is the key to a complete protein (and the tuna is already complete). After compensating for the water content, you are looking at 14.6% protein, 4% fat, 5.2% fiber. Salt content has been controlled, in part with the plain white rice.
I would NOT feed my birds on this all the time, but a few days??? Yeah, for a back of napkin math, its not terrible.
Looking at the price tag, its pretty obvious why we don't feed birds people food from the supermarket....
