Grains----Legumes---Seeds----Sprouting----Cooking

[Dave007]

Many parrots love seeds and may quickly take to eating sprouts. Sprouting seeds can be bought at a health food store, some parrot stores, as well as online stores. Here's a list of seeds you can use to sprout.

 

 

 

Grains

• Wheat
  
• Wheatgrass
  
• Quinoa
  
• Millet
  
• Whole oats
  
• Hulless Barley
  
• Spelt
  
• Kamut
  
• Amaranth
  
• Wild Rice
  
• Brown Rice
  
• Hulless Oats
  
• Rye
  
• Teff
  

Legumes

• Mung
  
• Lentils
  
• Adzuki
  
• Chick peas
  
• Whole peas
  

Seeds

• Sunflower Seeds
  
• Clover
  
• Alfalfa
  
• Broccoli
  
• Arugula
  
• Radish
  
• Fenugreek
  
• Pumpkin Seeds
  
• Raw Buckwheat
  
• Chia
  
• Sesame Seeds
  
• Flax
  
• Fennel
  
• Mustard Seeds
  

 

 

When sprouting legumes, only use lentils, adzuki, chick peas (garbanzo beans), or peas, and sprout until the tails are 1/4-1/2" in length. Larger beans must be fully cooked and not sprouted. Most sprouts are fine to feed after 1-5 days, depending on length of sprouting times. Whether you buy premixed sprouting seeds or create your own mix, the goal is to get your bird eating sprouts. Sprouts can be left within the cage for several hours. Once the sprouts are ready to be fed, start feeding them! If your bird readily eats the sprouts, after a week, you can start adding in 1-2 finely chopped vegetables. You might try carrots, bell peppers, broccoli, steamed sweet potatoes, corn, cilantro, hot peppers, etc. If you notice your bird starting to eat the vegetables in addition to the sprouts, more vegetables can be added to the sprout mix. Once they are eating the sprout mix well, you can also add in some healthy sprouted and/or cooked grains and legumes, with a small amount of fruits.

 

There isn't a bird around that will like all of these foods BUT try and experiment with different things. You'll be surprised. Also, it may actually teach people some new skills about products that may be around in the house hidden in jars and deep in those closets.

[Timbersmom]

Good information, thanks Dave!

[judygram]

Dave always comes through with a great post, thanks.

[katana600]

Thanks Dave, I had no clue all these things would be tasty sprouted. I have many of these foods in the freezer to cook or add to seed mix for the parrots. This post will get me back in to trying to sprout now that Miss Gilbert is getting more adventurous. I have a question or two . I bought a bag of raw sunflower seeds in the shell from a new grocery store in town called "Sprouts" last week. When I got home, I read a warning on the bag saying since they are raw and unprocessed they could contain bacteria. I put them aside because I had some from the bird supply store. I was concerned about aspergillosis. Does that just pertain to peanuts? Is there a difference between raw human grade sunflower seeds and those packaged especially for parrots? Do you sprout them in the shell? Thanks, I'm new this sprouting.

[Dave007]

Thanks Dave, I had no clue all these things would be tasty sprouted. I have many of these foods in the freezer to cook or add to seed mix for the parrots. This post will get me back in to trying to sprout now that Miss Gilbert is getting more adventurous. I have a question or two . I bought a bag of raw sunflower seeds in the shell from a new grocery store in town called "Sprouts" last week. When I got home, I read a warning on the bag saying since they are raw and unprocessed they could contain bacteria. I put them aside because I had some from the bird supply store. I was concerned about aspergillosis. Does that just pertain to peanuts? Is there a difference between raw human grade sunflower seeds and those packaged especially for parrots? Do you sprout them in the shell? Thanks, I'm new this sprouting.

 

 

Honestly, I've never heard that they're sunflower seeds out there that can have aspergillosis. I've eaten sunflower seeds from parrot mixes that taste the same as any other sunflower seeds. Usually, a raw seed ( or nut ) tastes different than human grade seeds or nuts. I'm not saying that there aren't raw sunflower for sale, I just never came across them. If it were me, I would simply go to an animal feeds place that usually sells all types of food for ( horses, goats, cows, rabbits, all types of poultry, different birds and purchase a regular bag of sunflower seed. That type of seed is so cheap and it can be eaten by people. Usually, a 25 lb bag will cost about $13 to $15 and sometimes even lower when on sale. That's where I,ve gotten mine for years and it didn't matter what state I lived in. Sunflower can be gotten in the same places that sell other seed. Walmart, supermarkets etc. in smaller bags. Since nothing can be done to a bag of raw sunflower I would simply dump it and get regular sunflower seeds.

 

NOW, as far as the peanuts that come in a parrot mix---they are raw and a person would find that they taste awful. Many people don't know this but a person can take a huge tray of those raw nuts, put them in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes and they would immediately become human grade nuts and would taste great. Any type of aspergillosis or bacteria would be dead and neutralized. I eat them all the time. They taste exactly the same as what's sold in supermarkets. ALL monkey nuts are originally raw and made into human grade fresh roasted nuts. I constantly take out the raw nuts, roast them and feed them to all my birds. My birds have never had any problems with them. It's up to you but I wouldn't buy any sunflower nuts that couldn't be changed into human grade quality. I know that all sunflower seeds in parrot mixes can be eaten by people with no problems and they taste fine.

[katana600]

Thank you Dave. I think the store is covering their backside with a generic disclaimer. Right blow the warning of bacteria in a raw product is another paragraph saying its possible the product was processed in a facility where allergens could be present from peanuts, tree nuts etc. Sounds more like legal mumbo jumbo than a warning about new bacteria or mold being present. Your ideas for sprouting are great. Thanks for your suggestions.