Do You Sprout ?

[siobha9]

I sprout beans and wheat for my birds. Oisin absolutely loves them and so does beaker the caique. Liath isnt too impressed with them, but she does pick at them. I do a batch to do 2 days, less work that way! I just rinse them and refridgerate them until I am using them.

 

I buy the beans in the supermarket and mix them in a big tub. Then I just decant a mixture for them. I also soak brown rice, chick peas, lentils and mix them in with the sprouts.

 

Lovely!

[lovemyGreys]

pleased to hear it siobhan, they are so good for them & a good tip for others to make a batch & keep them in the fridge,mine last about 2 days if they havent eaten them by then :pinch:

[MisterDavE]

i have never thought about even trying this so once they have sprouted do you feed the sprouts or the seeds or is it just a test to see whether the seeds are a good batch??

[lovemyGreys]

As soon as they start to sprout Dave they are at the best nutritionally,they can go in the fridge in a container for a few days,ill soak some overnight & get some pictures up for you in a few days,if they dont start to sprout after 48 hours roughly i sling them as a bad batch .

[MisterDavE]

kool, thank you i shall try this now oooh its like in skool growing cress seeds

i used to love doing this. haha

[lovemyGreys]

:laugh: me too Dave, basically you know what cress seeds look like then that is very similiar to sprouting seeds.

[magicalem]

trust me greys love these.... def gonna keep sensei on these.. also sensei does not seem to b eating his fruit & veg but if I give him his vitamin & calcium supplements & these sprouts as well as little meat & sugar snap peas & grapes - should this diet be OK..... xxx

[lovemyGreys]

Ideally he needs to be eating fruit & veg every day,more so the veg,try feeding the veg in the morning when greys are at their hungriest ! you can try serveing it warm/mashed or but a fruit stick, like a bird metal skewer & put a mixtute of fruit & veg on it.The sprouts are good tho,im pleased he is eating them.

[magicalem]

I have purchased a fruit stick hehehe... will try that - thanx for tips.. will keep u posted...x

[magicalem]

I have purchased a fruit stick hehehe... will try that - thanx for tips.. will keep u posted...x

[lovemyGreys]

Emma keep offering the fruit & veg , let us know how the fruit stick goes ?

[zandische]

Just wanted to add my experience on this. I began sprouting about two months ago. The only seeds I've sprouted successfully so far are quinoa and lentils; I'd like to try buckweat and rice but haven't managed to get any that will sprout yet. Anyway, Athena just LOVES the sprouts! She gets them every day and I have to tell you, there is a VERY noticeable difference in her feather sheen, her activity level and her general demeanor. I don't really worry about bacteria; I always rinse them well before I feed them to her and I make them fresh every day.

 

I usually mix a teaspoon of sprouts in her mash in the morning, sprinkle a couple teaspoons on top of her seeds for the day, and mix another teaspoon in with dinner. During the weekends I used to give her seeds to snack on during the day - now I just put a couple of teaspoons of sprouts in her kitchen bowl and she goes nuts for them. It's made an amazing difference for her, and I would HIGHLY recommend sprouts to anyone looking for better Grey nutrition!

 

(FYI, I have also switched to organic produce, sugar free/gluten free/sulfide free/salt free treats and lowered her daily seed allowance from 1 cup a day to around 1/4 cup seed with dried veggies/fruits/pellets. She also loves orange juice and my local bird store has an interesting article on "juicing" for birds that I'm going to try as soon as I get a juicer. You can read it here: http://www.birdsparadiseinc.com/Nutrition/tabid/65/Default.aspx - go to the "Juicing for lifelong health" link. ) It's amazing what good nutrition can do for your grey!

[Gaevren]

Are there any sprouts or beans that one should never feed to a Gray, or are they all pretty much ok?

[siobha9]

Yes there are some beans that are dangerous.

Lovemygreys has a topic on it that you should read.

 

http://www.greyforums.net/forums/bird-food/72459-a-word-of-warning.html

 

Zandische, maybe I am just dumb, but I never thought of juicing for the birds. One of my greys has a real problem with vegetables unless they are well cooked. So this morning I juiced some carrots and an orange and gave all the birds some juice and some pulp. He drank the juice but didnt touch the pulp:unsure:

BUT the cockatiels loved the pulp and they have NEVER eaten veggies for me EVER. Karma to you for your wonderful idea!

[kukushka]

I have successfully sprouted beans and things for my own personal eating use, and I intend to do it for my Grey when it arrives next week. I find it very easy; you can do it from dried beans, seeds and pulses from health food shops and it's really cheap if you buy them this way. Just soak them in a little warm water for twelve hours until they go soft, then rinse them and leave them for another twelve hours, rinsing from time to time. The important things to remember are to not soak them in too much water (don't let them swim in it or anything), so make sure the water is warm but not hot, and to rinse regularly after the first twelve hours. You want them to be damp rather than wet. It is normal for them to be a bit whiffy during this time but if they really stink throw them away. You also might have to pick out the unsprouted ones after 24 hours. It's true that if they fail to sprout or always stink when they do then the dried mixture was poor quality. But I'd encourage everyone to try it because it's really satisfying making them!

[lovemyGreys]

Music to my ears :laugh:

 

Sprouting is so easy & needs so little effort, im pleased to hear your new baby will be able to have sprouted seeds, my 4 greys love & they are so good for them

[Ronda477]

Sprouts are awesome, all my birds love them! Just be careful in the summer months cause they sour faster. But they are very nutritional. I go to the store and buy a bag made for bean soup, it is a 15 bean mix that comes with some kind of ham seasoning, I throw the seasoning out and make the beans for all my birds.

[lovemyGreys]

Great to hear that Ronda & yes a very good point about the warmer weather

[kukushka]

I had the most exciting time at the health food store today, buying a ton of dried beans and seeds. I was like a kid in a candy store! Or...a parrot owner in a health food store (er...) I started making some bean slops for birdie when it arrives tomorrow. Bean slops all round for new bird!

Can you tell I'm excited?

[judygram]

You must be very excited if you bought a "ton" of beans and seeds,:laugh: I know, its just an expression but I had to laugh:woohoo: :lol:

[ajlinva]

A wonderful machine for sprouting seeds is a "Easy Green auto Sprouter". We purchased one a few years ago to sprout seeds for salads and such. It has a timer you set to mist the seeds. I haven't done any for a few months, but am going to get it out today and start to sprout some seeds for Bingo. If you like Radishes, the sprouts are the best you have ever tasted!!!