Sprouting for Beginners
SOAK overnight in hot water (add a few drops of GSE). Water level should be well above the top
of the seeds to allow for swelling. A large glass jar and a mesh colander or sieve is all that is needed.
SELECT seeds that have been grown organically or that are free from all harmful chemicals.
INSPECT and remove broken and damaged seeds which will not sprout and can cause spoilage.
RINSE well until the water runs clear.
RINSE well in the morning.
SPREAD seeds in a colander, glass jar, or pan and place in a dark, well - ventilated area.
RINSE well several times a day.
HARVEST when small tails appear, usually in one day.
DRAIN UNTIL DRY before serving to your birds. Dry sprouts will continue to grow in your birds' dishes during the day instead of spoiling as wet or cooked food might.
Seeds, grains and legumes that may be sprouted are:
sunflower, wheat, amaranth, barley, buckwheat, corn, popcorn, millet, oats, rice, rye, triticale, kamut, spelt, almonds, broccoli seeds, cabbage seeds, kale seeds, fenugreek seeds, teff, pumpkin seeds, radish seeds, quinoa, alfalfa, clover, garbanzo beans, and adzuki beans.
NOTE: Large raw beans such as anasazi, black, fava, kidney, lima, navy, pinto, can cause problems of toxicity and digestive upsets when eaten uncooked and should not be fed
raw to birds.
SPROUTING SAFELY
I use Grapefruit Seed Extract (GSE) as an antibacterial soaking and rinsing solution. I feel that a few drops in the first soaking solution helps keep sprouts from spoiling.
Like other growing plants, sprouts need moisture, proper temperature and adequate air circulation. As they grow, sprouts release carbon dioxide and other gasses and create waste which must be removed by rinsing. Rinsing also keeps them from overheating. If sprouts ever have an objectionable odour or look mouldy, discard them, sterilize the equipment, and start over.
Never feed questionable or spoiled sprouts to your birds. Use your nose, and as a wise cook once said, "If in doubt, throw it out." Sprouts smell earthy ---- never rotten or sour. They should never have an unpleasant odour.
It is rare for sprouts to spoil if these basic rules are followed:
*Start with quality, whole, unbroken seeds, grains, and legumes.
*Rinse well until the rinse water runs clear.
*Soak in pure water. Antibacterial solutions further assure safety.
*Always handle seeds gently once they have germinated. Rough handling of the delicate new sprouts can damage or kill them and cause spoilage.
*Harvest when the tiny white sprout tails first appear.
*Refrigerate leftover sprouts which will keep for several days. Rinse daily until used.
These general directions apply to any amount of sprouts, from one small colander to many large pans.
If parrots do not take to sprouts immediately as most of them do, they may be made more tempting by mixing them with a favourite food. Most birds cannot resist corn which can be added into the sprouts mixture until the birds discover that they like them plain.
Sprouts may well be the single most important food that we can provide our birds. Sprouts also can make a positive contribution to the health of babies. They are sought after by parent birds who often eat all of the sprouts in their dish first. They are then fed to their babies, which may be the next best thing to feeding their chicks the live foods that they might find if they were living in their natural habitat. The easily digested nutrition and the natural immune-building qualities of sprouts seem to get chicks off to a better start than does formula alone.
of the seeds to allow for swelling. A large glass jar and a mesh colander or sieve is all that is needed.
SELECT seeds that have been grown organically or that are free from all harmful chemicals.
INSPECT and remove broken and damaged seeds which will not sprout and can cause spoilage.
RINSE well until the water runs clear.
RINSE well in the morning.
SPREAD seeds in a colander, glass jar, or pan and place in a dark, well - ventilated area.
RINSE well several times a day.
HARVEST when small tails appear, usually in one day.
DRAIN UNTIL DRY before serving to your birds. Dry sprouts will continue to grow in your birds' dishes during the day instead of spoiling as wet or cooked food might.
Seeds, grains and legumes that may be sprouted are:
sunflower, wheat, amaranth, barley, buckwheat, corn, popcorn, millet, oats, rice, rye, triticale, kamut, spelt, almonds, broccoli seeds, cabbage seeds, kale seeds, fenugreek seeds, teff, pumpkin seeds, radish seeds, quinoa, alfalfa, clover, garbanzo beans, and adzuki beans.
NOTE: Large raw beans such as anasazi, black, fava, kidney, lima, navy, pinto, can cause problems of toxicity and digestive upsets when eaten uncooked and should not be fed
raw to birds.
SPROUTING SAFELY
I use Grapefruit Seed Extract (GSE) as an antibacterial soaking and rinsing solution. I feel that a few drops in the first soaking solution helps keep sprouts from spoiling.
Like other growing plants, sprouts need moisture, proper temperature and adequate air circulation. As they grow, sprouts release carbon dioxide and other gasses and create waste which must be removed by rinsing. Rinsing also keeps them from overheating. If sprouts ever have an objectionable odour or look mouldy, discard them, sterilize the equipment, and start over.
Never feed questionable or spoiled sprouts to your birds. Use your nose, and as a wise cook once said, "If in doubt, throw it out." Sprouts smell earthy ---- never rotten or sour. They should never have an unpleasant odour.
It is rare for sprouts to spoil if these basic rules are followed:
*Start with quality, whole, unbroken seeds, grains, and legumes.
*Rinse well until the rinse water runs clear.
*Soak in pure water. Antibacterial solutions further assure safety.
*Always handle seeds gently once they have germinated. Rough handling of the delicate new sprouts can damage or kill them and cause spoilage.
*Harvest when the tiny white sprout tails first appear.
*Refrigerate leftover sprouts which will keep for several days. Rinse daily until used.
These general directions apply to any amount of sprouts, from one small colander to many large pans.
If parrots do not take to sprouts immediately as most of them do, they may be made more tempting by mixing them with a favourite food. Most birds cannot resist corn which can be added into the sprouts mixture until the birds discover that they like them plain.
Sprouts may well be the single most important food that we can provide our birds. Sprouts also can make a positive contribution to the health of babies. They are sought after by parent birds who often eat all of the sprouts in their dish first. They are then fed to their babies, which may be the next best thing to feeding their chicks the live foods that they might find if they were living in their natural habitat. The easily digested nutrition and the natural immune-building qualities of sprouts seem to get chicks off to a better start than does formula alone.
