• Welcome to Avian Avenue! To view our forum with less advertisments please register with us.
    Memberships are free and it will just take a moment. Click here

Grains & Seeds

BirdLady13

Sprinting down the street
Joined
8/24/19
Messages
354
Location
Massachusetts
There are numerous bird safe food lists and sprouting guidance, but I would like everyone's help compiling a list of grains and seeds indicating which do or do not need to be served cooked, hulled, etc. When there is a sufficient amount of responses, I will fill in the table so we will all have a completed reference guide.

Grain / SeedHulled and/or In-ShellCooked, Raw, and/or Sprouted?Ground and/or Whole
Amaranth
Barley
Oat Groats
Kamut
Maize
Oats
Quinoa (red, black, and white)
Rye
Spelt
Teff
Wheat
Annual Meadow Grass
Buckwheat
Evening primrose
Mung Beans
Orchard Grass
Paddy Rice
Quinoa
Broccoli Raab seeds
Canary seeds
Caraway seeds
Chia seeds
Clover seeds
Cumin seeds
Fenugreek seeds
Flax seeds
Hemp seeds
Milk thistle seeds
Millet (yellow and red)
Mustard seeds (yellow or black)
Niger seeds
Perilla seeds
Poppy seeds
Pumpkin seeds
Rape seeds
Safflower seeds
Sesame seeds
Sorghum
Sunflower seeds
Watercress seeds
 

Shezbug

ASK ME FOR PICTURES OF MY MACAW!
Super Moderator
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
4/28/18
Messages
25,837
Location
Vic, Australia
Real Name
Shez
What a wonderful idea!

I always wash my Quinoa first as some of it is covered in no good stuff (not sure what) -I will serve it raw, cooked and sprouted.
I serve milk thistle seeds to Squeak but he gets fresh ones only cos they are free from my garden and I am unsure where to buy them Burt thinks I am crazy if I offer them to him.
I only ever feed sprouted mung beans- never thought to serve them any other way.
I cook buckwheat - simply because I am not sure if it can be fed any other way safely.

I believe Sorghum (Milo) is toxic regardless of how it is served, not certain but I think it may have something to do with tannins. The wild birds never ever touch it from the wild bird mix which seems to be half filled with sorghum. I think the young plant itself may be ok for cattle but the seed is toxic. I may have remembered that a little wrong so please double check ;)

Burt will only eat fresh pumpkin seeds straight out of the pumpkin so that is the only way I bother to feed them to him now.

I will hopefully make some time to come back and answer some of the others I know something about.
 

Mizzely

Lil Monsters Bird Toys
Super Moderator
Vendor
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Avenue Concierge
Joined
8/9/11
Messages
39,969
Location
Northern Mitten Michigan
Real Name
Shawna [she/her]
Since parrots hull their seeds, you can offer any of these either way.

Flax seed is the only one I know of immediately that is best ground up.

Beans should always be cooked or sprouted.

I prefer to cook grains but it's not 100% necessary.

Chia should be soaked or given with wet foods so it doesn't steal moisture from the bird's digestive tract.
 

BirdLady13

Sprinting down the street
Joined
8/24/19
Messages
354
Location
Massachusetts
Since parrots hull their seeds, you can offer any of these either way.

Flax seed is the only one I know of immediately that is best ground up.

Beans should always be cooked or sprouted.

I prefer to cook grains but it's not 100% necessary.

Chia should be soaked or given with wet foods so it doesn't steal moisture from the bird's digestive tract.
Thank you! Very helpful!
 

finchly

Cruising the avenue
Avenue Veteran
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
5/16/14
Messages
12,708
Location
SW Florida
Real Name
Finchly
Chia should be soaked or given with wet foods so it doesn't steal moisture from the bird's digestive tract
What??? I always give it dry! Oops.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ali

Mizzely

Lil Monsters Bird Toys
Super Moderator
Vendor
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Avenue Concierge
Joined
8/9/11
Messages
39,969
Location
Northern Mitten Michigan
Real Name
Shawna [she/her]
What??? I always give it dry! Oops.
I know for people that it can cause gastrointestinal upset when eaten dry. Birds do have very fast digestion so the effects are probably not as pronounced in them. I do know a lot of people worry that pellets are too drying, so if that's the case, chia would definitely be drying!

I've given it dry, too, and I can't give any bird resources that say to give it soaked only, but that's my extrapolation.
 

finchly

Cruising the avenue
Avenue Veteran
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
5/16/14
Messages
12,708
Location
SW Florida
Real Name
Finchly
I can't give any bird resources that say to give it soaked only,
I hated to ask.... but would like to see that. Oh well! I'll try soaked. I thought because it turns into gelatin-like mush, they wouldn't care for it. LOL
 

Mizzely

Lil Monsters Bird Toys
Super Moderator
Vendor
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Avenue Concierge
Joined
8/9/11
Messages
39,969
Location
Northern Mitten Michigan
Real Name
Shawna [she/her]
I hated to ask.... but would like to see that. Oh well! I'll try soaked. I thought because it turns into gelatin-like mush, they wouldn't care for it. LOL
As long as you are giving it with other moist items I think it is fine :) Like sprinkled into mash etc. It will pull moisture from the veggies before the bird :)
 

Destiny

Rollerblading along the road
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
6/6/20
Messages
2,088
Real Name
Destiny
Buckwheat seeds are fine, but you should be careful with feeding buckwheat sprouts. The green leafy parts of the buckwheat plant contain a toxin that can cause photosensitivity when consumed in excess.

It requires a pretty high dose in people, but it is a known issue with livestock who eat buckwheat.
 
Top