Sprouting For Healthier Birds
Carole Grommet, Varietees
Are your birds getting tired of the same old fruits and vegetables that you give them daily? You may want to try sprouting. It’s easy and it takes a few minutes each day.
Sprouted seeds, grains, and legumes are easy for your birds to digest and contain many vitamins as well as enzymes, protein, and minerals that are necessary. You can sprout for the tiny finches up to the larger macaws. All the birds love it!
You will need a sprouting container. You can make your own container, or purchase one at a health food store or on the internet. Here are the instructions if you want to make you own container:
A Wide-Mouthed Jar:
(Size depends on the amount you will be sprouting, a quart jar is a popular size).
Steel Screen To Fit Over The Mouth Of The Jar:
(This allows air to the seeds and serve as a strain for rinsing)
The center of the jar lid should be cut out (this will be placed over the screen).
Procedures for sprouting are as follows:
1) Day 1: Fill the jar approximately one-fourth to one-third full of sprouting mix. Rinse and drain until the water runs clear. Do not overcrowd the mixture.
2) Fill the jar full with cold water, and allow the jar to sit for 8-12 hours.
3) Drain water and rinse the mix thoroughly by filling the jar with fresh water, sloshing the water around a bit, and re-draining it about 3 times. Rinse well at 2-3 times a day with cool, fresh water.
4) Prop the jar up at about a 45 degree angle to drain ALL water out of it after each rinsing.
5) Day 2: Repeat steps 3 and 4 the next day.
6) Day 3: The sprouts should be long enough to feed to your birds (when small tails appear). Allow no more than ¼ inch in growth for their maximum nutritional value.
Sprouts not used can be kept in the refrigerator for 3-4 days in an airtight jar or plastic container.
The important thing to remember about sprouting is to rinse the mix at least a couple times a day. If the sprouts smell foul or seem molded, do not feed them to your birds, but discard them. There are several products available that retard mold, but are unnecessary if sprouting is done under the right conditions. The most popular product is called Grapefruit Seed Extract (GSE), which can be purchased online or at your local health food store. GSE is added to the water that is used for soaking.
Several sprouting items that can be used for the larger birds are: hulled sunflower seeds, whole yellow corn, whole oat, brown rice, hi pro wheat berry, whole green pea, garbanzo, mung bean, buckwheat, millet, fenugreek, pumpkin seed, sesame seed, quinoa, radish seed, mustard seed, and red clover seed.
For the smaller birds, you can use: triticale, rice, millet, alfalfa, fenugreek, buckwheat, fennel, flax seed, dill seed, sesame seed, amaranth, quinoa, mung bean, radish seed, and red clover.
Varietees carry a couple of products that can be used for sprouting. They are:
Country Parakeet Seed
Parrot’s Delight
If there is enough interest in sprouting mixes and accessories, we will stock these items for our customers.
Don’t be afraid to sprout—once you start and do it a few times, it becomes very easy.
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