Birdie Cookbook/Sprouting

[LisaM]

Posting some helpful (hopefully) information discussed in the IM window...

 

Sprouting resource... http://www.landofvos.com/articles/sprouts.html

 

Talks about the benefits as well as how to do it and the types of seeds, grains and beans that are best. Some are easier than others.

 

A great cookbook I bought is...

 

The Healthy Bird Cookbook (A Lifesaving Nutritional Guide and Recipe Collection) by Robin Deutsch.

 

I am by no means an expert in any of this and am just trying to do whatever I can find that makes sense and seems to be healthy for them!

 

Hope this helps!

Lisa

[lovemyGreys]

Hi Lisa thank you for the link.We has a previous topic on sprouting if anyone would like to have a look !

 

http://www.greyforums.net/forums/bird-food/28994-do-you-sprout-.html#30491

 

I also have a bird cookbook, has some easy recipes to follow

[judygram]

Thanks Lisa, for that link to a very informative article on sprouting seeds and grains, thats the best one I have seen on that subject.

[chapala]

The germinating process begins starting as soon as you soak the seeds overnight, and nutritional changes (for the better) begin occuring after just 10 or 12 hours of soaking. So, you can feed a grain mix of at least 4 or 5 different ones - red millet, white millet, wheat berries (or kamut or spelt), oat groats, raw buckwheat, quinoa, hulless barley (not pearl which is refined and will nto sprout). I also add some hulled sunflower seeds, and canary seed. Just mix them up, keep them in a jar, take out a small amount (I do 1/4 cup at a time), rinse well in a strainer, then place in small bowl or cup. Cover with water, leave overnight, drain in strainer, rinse, let drain a bit and then feed. Any extra can be kept in the frig after it dries out a little more (not sopping wet, but not completely dry) in a small, covered container. VERY easy, and nutritious - the fat content goes down and other nutrients go up as the germinating occurs.

 

After the overnight soak and first feeding that morning, you can continue to sprout the grain mix a little longer. Grains and seeds are best when just the tip of a root shows, not long tails as in legumes.

 

For birdie breakfast, I mix the soaked grains with fresh vegetable mix and sprouted legumes - those need to sprout so that they have at least 1/4 to 1/2" tails (roots). Grains can be fed after overnight soaking, not legumes. The best legumes to sprout (most digestible, no toxins) are mung, lentil, whole pea, adzuki and garbanzo. Best to avoid others such as kidney, pinto, navy, lima, etc.

 

About twice the amount of grains should be fed as legumes.

 

Reta

[LisaM]

Thanks Reta - It's always great to get more information. More the better. Sprouting seems to be closer to what the birds would eat in the wild than just about anything else we can provide them. I need to go shopping! :-)

 

Lisa