Sprouting and Germinating...

[carmz]

i thought it might be useful for us to share our techniques in sprouting and germinating our seeds and what we use for our birds for others to read and try. because we all know birds love them and are great to add to their daily diet !

well i dont "grow" seeds anymore i just buy salad srputs of all sorts because i am lazy but when i did do it , it was as simple as laying a few tissues or cotton balls pull appart on a tray and sprinkling seeds on it and watering well and leaving it in a sunny window watering it daily to keep the bottom moist and after about a week you have nice long little plants you can harvest for your birds...

i always soak some seeds for my birds nearly every night for them this is my way i was never sure of the proper way of doing it....lol

i just use my normal seed mix because again i wasnt sure what the pros use ! anyways i throw about a 1 1/2 cups (for 12 birds) into a bowl and wash it through and tip the water out using a sifter to catch all the seeds and then i rinse again ... then i put warm water over the seeds in a bowl just enough to cover them and leave for about 2 hours then i rinse again and do it all again then i leave it over night and in the morning yummy juicy seeds. tip the water out and feed the birds ! !!!

it isnt how the pros do it but works for me !

how do you all do it? or know of any ways to make your own healthy food for your birds?!?!?!

[Bea]

Well i've grown seeds for them before, i had a lovely little patch in the backyard but then my brother mowed them so that idea failed. Now i just buy sprouts, i'm lazy.

[carmz]

$2 for a whole pack of sprouts is mush less effort than growing them... but it is fun growing them i must admit !

[buuzbee]

i havent tried it yet, i will have to give it a go!

[lin]

When I empty the aviary seed containers I chuck it on the ground. Sprouts up beautifully, and the birds love it

[carmz]

i do that too lin but the wild doves eat it all before it grows !

[Bea]

Hehe...if i try that the rosellas come in and eat it all, i don't mind cause i love having such pretty birds in the yard.

[buuzbee]

hmm, they had 2 tiny doves at my pet store that im thinking of getting. they wont leave much to sprout, lol

[kakariki]

I buy a bag or pulse and brown rice soaking mix for the kak's ..

Its got - soya, aduki, mung, pinto, black eye and haricot beans, corn, chick, gree and yelow peas,puy and red lentils, wheat and brown rice.

I rinse them then soak in boiled water for 12 hours, you can feed them like that or leave some where dark and they sprout in about a week.

they love it !!

[Scully]

well we had the Graham 'Green'house growing well, which he munched quite happy on. It had seed sprouts, and herbs, in these tiny pots that fitted in a white dish on the side of his cage.
Then Christmas came, and i forgot to keep them watered...so they died. So i best start growing again!

[Jo]

Thanks for the help guys - things like this really help out us newbies to bird care!!

[buuzbee]

So I finally did it this weekend, guess what??? no one touched it!