Sprouting Easy or Complicated?

[KellyBean]

Bump

 

[clawnz]

Sorry lost you for awhile.

Hemp SEEDS
It will depend on where they are viable or not.
All you can do is try! And see what happens.
Here in NZ we would not be able to buy any hemp seeds that would sprout.

My bad if I said that, in some ways.
You could soak rinse and serve as a soak seed.
But if not viable then you can only offer for a day or two.
They will breakdown fairly quickly. My guess.

 

[PapaRomeo]

How do you store it? They don't seem to survive for too long. My big boy ain't too happy with sprouts. Tried. Tried mixing with honey and no success. He is spoiled probably...

 

[clawnz]

How do you store it? They don't seem to survive for too long.

After soaking (24hrs) I split into two lots. I leave in the strainers in the bowls. One left out to feed out over the next three days.
The other goes in the fridge.
This slows them right down, but does not kill them.
So I get normally 5 days out of each batch.
Remember I still rinse all of them often.
You could freeze some, but them they are dead.
And that means they will not keep as long in the food bowls.

My big boy ain't too happy with sprouts. Tried. Tried mixing with honey and no success. He is spoiled probably...

I have as close to 100% success with all the birds that come in here, with my mix.
You just have to accept a lot of waste in your case.
But please keep trying.
As once you do get a win, he will be more willing to try new foods.
I guess you know to try new foods in the mornings!

 

[Pugwinkle]

Going to give this a try for my cockatiel who won't eat anything but seed. Also hoping that my new Linnie will enjoy them. He seems willing to try some new things. Wish me luck! Thanks for all the great info.

 

[clawnz]

Will be waiting for your updates.

Cockatiels once weaned off onto dry foods, can be a bit fussy about anything wet, to start with.
But try soak seed.
Soak and then paper towel them sort of dry and serve.
This can be a good way to transition them over to excepting wet foods.

 

[Andrea G]

Hi, and thanks so much for this post... I've been sprouting for my own food use for years, and I'm a very new bird owner I'm SO glad to know I can sprout for my new feathered friend! I often use an unglazed terracotta dish (like you get to put under terracotta pots) and the porous nature of it seems ideal for sprouting... At least for some sprouts, it's much better than glass for the goopy, gluey ones like flax. I sprout in winter when the humidity is high... Dryer climate people might not find the same results... For dry climate sprouting try putting damp cotton cloth over to keep moisture in longer.

 

[clawnz]

Hi, and thanks so much for this post... I've been sprouting for my own food use for years, and I'm a very new bird owner I'm SO glad to know I can sprout for my new feathered friend! I often use an unglazed terracotta dish (like you get to put under terracotta pots) and the porous nature of it seems ideal for sprouting... At least for some sprouts, it's much better than glass for the goopy, gluey ones like flax. I sprout in winter when the humidity is high... Dryer climate people might not find the same results... For dry climate sprouting try putting damp cotton cloth over to keep moisture in longer.

Great info. Thank you.

 

[clawnz]

I have been working on seeing at what cost my seed mix comes out at.

I know I can buy one soak & sprout mix here. For $3.50nz per Kg.
I do consider it a very good product, as they claim it is made up of all NZ types.
But it is basic, and cost is the reason why, I am guessing. Still very good for anyone wanting to learn and gain confidence.

My own mix always has 20+ types. And I do count multiply things like White Peas, Maple Peas, Peas, as just one type.
Unlike you see in some mixes.
Lentils is one of them. No matter how many types of Lentils, I count them all as one, just one portion size of them all mixed together.

Here is a fact for you re an Eclectus.
He was on a good diet (From what we discussed) including sprouts.
I got him to put on weight while he was here. After long discussions with some very good friends.
As we do feel he is under weight.
Which could be many reasons. All vet checks have been negative.
After he went home he started to loose those gains.
We switched him back on to my sprout mix, mainly. Yes his owner also made other changes as well. After talking to me.

She still thinks it is the sprout mix that is doing the most good, and he has gained back a little.
He is also young at 16mths old, so will gain a certain amount or should be over the next year.

If you are feeding a sprout mix!
Please remember. You can always add many other seed types to it. And take it to the next level.

 

[TikiMyn]

I have been working on seeing at what cost my seed mix comes out at.

I know I can buy one soak & sprout mix here. For $3.50nz per Kg.
I do consider it a very good product, as they claim it is made up of all NZ types.
But it is basic, and cost is the reason why, I am guessing. Still very good for anyone wanting to learn and gain confidence.

My own mix always has 20+ types. And I do count multiply things like White Peas, Maple Peas, Peas, as just one type.
Unlike you see in some mixes.
Lentils is one of them. No matter how many types of Lentils, I count them all as one, just one portion size of them all mixed together.

Here is a fact for you re an Eclectus.
He was on a good diet (From what we discussed) including sprouts.
I got him to put on weight while he was here. After long discussions with some very good friends.
As we do feel he is under weight.
Which could be many reasons. All vet checks have been negative.
After he went home he started to loose those gains.
We switched him back on to my sprout mix, mainly. Yes his owner also made other changes as well. After talking to me.

She still thinks it is the sprout mix that is doing the most good, and he has gained back a little.
He is also young at 16mths old, so will gain a certain amount or should be over the next year.

If you are feeding a sprout mix!
Please remember. You can always add many other seed types to it. And take it to the next level.

Could you give Some example of the items in your sprout mixes that you believe most beneficial? Also, you di sprout beans I believe? Mine always spoil(Not mung beans but the kidney beans do), do you happen to know a common mistake that could be causing that?

 

[clawnz]

Could you give Some example of the items in your sprout mixes that you believe most beneficial? Also, you di sprout beans I believe? Mine always spoil(Not mung beans but the kidney beans do), do you happen to know a common mistake that could be causing that?

The only beans that are said to be safe just sprouted. Are Mung, Adzuki, and Garbanzo.
The others need to be cooked.

So sorry I do not have any advice, as I have never tried.

A list of what is on my list is below.
Some are seasonal, and some I have not found here in New Zealand.
But you can see there are far more options than in any commercial mix.

Variety is truly the spice of life.

 

[rocky'smom]

Trying sprouting again. Question: I'm rinsing 3times the last rinse has capful of ACV to about 16oz water. Should I rinse more before the final ACV rinse? Each rinse is about 16oz.

 

[rocky'smom]

I give up my two will not touch the sprouts. I got good sprouts this time, but it was waste of time, if the birds will not eat them.

 

[clawnz]

Trying sprouting again. Question: I'm rinsing 3times the last rinse has capful of ACV to about 16oz water. Should I rinse more before the final ACV rinse? Each rinse is about 16oz.

Are they germinating for you OK?
If so then I would not bother, with more rinsing.

I see your other post about them not eating them.
Stubborn beggers.

I know it means you waste a lot. But I found being consistent and offering both new foods and what they are used to, normally has worked for me.
I mean like, if I have a bird come in and it is going to be here any length of time, they will move over to sprouts.
Most in fact take to them within the first day.

Your best chance is to offer as the first foods of the day. They are Hungary and more likely to try new foods.
And I guess you already know to stand there and at least pretend to eat them yourself.
That gets a few of our birds to want to try.

 

[rocky'smom]

It was a failure

 

[Tara81]

Have I been doing it wrong ? Lol. I’ve been sprouting for three years, but every night I put the sprouts in the fridge to slow the growth. I don’t dry my sprouts out, I just keep growing them for 4-5 days then their all used up. They have tails about 1 cm after four days. I feed them after the first soak and rinse, as I’ve read the germination process has already started. I find if I don’t put them in the fridge at night they dry out overnight and don’t grow anymore.

 

[Zara]

In the summer I put them in the fridge at night too, like you said they dry up otherwise, usually the ones on top. At the moment, the weather is warm here but not hot so I leave them out overnight.
I start feeding them to my birds when the tails are starting to grow, and just keep rinsing them and growing them until they are all eaten usually 2-3 days

 

[Tara81]

In the summer I put them in the fridge at night too, like you said they dry up otherwise, usually the ones on top. At the moment, the weather is warm here but not hot so I leave them out overnight.
I start feeding them to my birds when the tails are starting to grow, and just keep rinsing them and growing them until they are all eaten usually 2-3 days

It’s the opposite for me ! The winter electric heat makes it so dry my skin falls apart.. ok maybe not that extreme but I get dry skin patches on hands and feet. I had a humidifier but it broke down on me :/ the cups of water on the heater do help with the dry air nose bleeds, but not the dry skin.

 

[Zara]

winter electric heat

What is this?
Do you mean, you have the heating on and it dries the air?

I don´t have heating. It never gets seriously cold here. The town never sees snow nor freezes. In my living room is it always warm...
In the summer the shear heat dries the sprouts so quick. Sometimes when I open the kitchen window it is like opening the over door

The other option is putting them in a cupboard with a damp towel draped over the colander (or whatever you use) instead of the fridge overnight.

 

[Tara81]

But yeah I noticed someone posted that refrigerating the seeds can cause them to die.. but it’s not the case here or maybe some die but I don’t notice . Lol.