Dictionary

meat off en · VERB

Meanings

1. (transitive) To train an insectivorous bird to eat non-live food.
   • The birds, when secured, are placed in a store cage, and quickly conveyed to the bird dealers in the Seven Dials. These worthies then proceed at once to "meat them off" This is accomplished thus :— Some fresh raw beef is scraped; and being divested of all fibrous substance, it is mixed into a soft paste, with cold water and hardboiled yolk of egg. This is put into a large bird pan. In the middle of this food is placed a very small inverted liqueur glass, with the stem broken off Under this glass are introduced three or four lively meal worms, whose oft-repeated endeavours to break out of prison attract the attention of the Nightingale. Not understanding how these worms are placed beyond his reach, he continues to peck at them, until by degrees he tastes the beef and egg, which is artfully rubbed over the sides of the glass. This being palateable, he satiates his appetite with it, and soon feels a zest for it — particularly as his attempts to get at the meal worms always prove abortive. He now eats regularly — he is meated off. 1865 [1795], J. M. Bechstein, translated by H. G. Adams, Cage and Chamber-Birds: Their Natural History, Habits, Food, Diseases, Management, and Modes of Capture, London: H. G. Bohn, translation of Naturgeschichte der Stubenvögel, page 372:
   • Similarly, WOODPECKERS are avoided by most amateurs on account of their exclusively insectivorous food requirements; the fact that they are notoriously difficult to 'meat-off' results in a high price. 1980, Richard Mark Martin, How to Keep Softbilled Birds in Cage or Aviary, Edinburgh: John Bartholomew & Son, →ISBN, page 94:
   • Rollers are easy to maintain and are long-lived once established, and the task of meating them off is a relatively simple one, although the broad-billed rollers can be a little troublesome. 1971, Clive Roots, Softbilled Birds, New York: Arco Pub. Co, →ISBN, page 112:
   • Being very difficult to "meat off" if full-grown when caught, it is preferable to rear this bird from the nest, when it should be fed upon the same food as young Nightingale's, but otherwise the Wood Warbler's food will amply suffice. 1878, W. A. Blakston, W. Swaysland, August F. Wiener, The Illustrated Book of Canaries and Cage-Birds, British and Foreign, London, Paris & New York: Cassell, Petter, Galpin & Co., page 319:

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