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Seed Sprouting Tips
I use sprouted seed to help bring my birds into breeding condition. When used to condition, I sprout the seed and add
to one quart of seed one teaspoon of wheat germ or add 50/50 of the nestling food. Also I give it to my babies when I'm trying
to wean. Baby birds cannot crack seed when they are young. Their beaks aren't hard enough at this stage of life.
Seeds for sprouting need to be capable of sprouting (fresh) and not coated with oils or vitamins.
The mix I use is high in protein and a nice variety of seeds. The mixture comes from Herman Brothers. It consists of
rape, niger, white millet, soft wheat, canary seed, buckwheat, hemp, safflower, red millet, and finch millet.
To sprout seeds, Put 1 1/2 cups of seed in a quart jar. Fill the jar with hot water add a teaspoon of bleach. Adding
bleach helps cut down on seed spoilage. After soaking the seed for six hours, pour water and seed into a wire kitchen strainer.
Rinse until the water runs clear. Continue to rinse with warm water at the end of each day after 2-3 days you should see
small sprouts coming out of the seeds. Then put in a container safe for the refrigerator keep in a refrigerator up to 8-10
days.
In short giving sprouted seed is a very good way to provide a nutritious conditioning and weaning food for birds.
The tips that I have shared with you are several different ways put together. The two ways that I got the above tips
are from Linda Hogan and Robirda McDonald.
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