Sprouting seeds can a rewarding way to add more nutrients to your bird's diet as well as adding variety.  There are a lot of recipes and ideas of how to sprout, some more involved and complex than others.

 

Can you just buy sprouts?  Yes.  But they may not be as fresh, preservative free or an varied as you can provide at home.  So check expiration dates and read the labels before buying.  Even with home grown sprouts, you shouldn't keep them more than 3 days (after sprouting) to prevent mold and bacteria overgrowth from spoiling them.

 

So here is the handy dandy recipe I have put together with the help of more experienced breeders. 

 

Supplies : seed

                 sprouting container

                 3% to 35% hydrogen peroxide OR Grapefruit extract

 

Soak seed in warm water for 1 hour to remove dirt and excess hulls

Rinse well.

Put into sprouting container with small amount of water.

Add 1 ml of Hydrogen Peroxide/Grapefruit extract.

Allow to sit for 12 hours.

Rinse well.  Return to container, add 1 ml of choice and water.

Put in refrigerator.

Twice daily rinse and add 1 ml of choice until you get growth (usually 2-3 days).

Feed.  Continue to rinse and add 1 ml of choice until it is gone.

 

Ok, now some Notes.

 

Seed : What do you use?  Anything.  I know one breeder uses just sunflowers because they are easy to rinse and strain off the water.  You can buy special sprouting seed mixes - these are formulated to get the most nutrients with the most variety.  I know a number of people like using pigeon seed mix with peas.  Have fun, experiment.

 

Sprouting Container : What is this?  Again, anything.  Some use special designed containers (you can get a great one for $15 off Amazon that is 4 tiers).  Others use whatever is handy.  The most common choices are mason jars with screen lids for dumping out the water so you don't have to remove the seed.  AvianWeb uses a strainer set on a pan to collect the excess water.  The idea is to leave just enough water to keep the seeds moist (float them) but not enough to drown them.  Too moist they mold quickly and won't sprout. 

 

Hydrogen Peroxide vs. Grapefruit extract :  Huh?  These are both great mold/bacteria inhibitors.  Some say the 3% from the store shelf is just fine.  Others get 35% food grade peroxide from the internet.  (NOTE:  be VERY careful using undiluted 35% as it will burn your skin).  A little goes a long way and it can be used for so many other things when diluted, like cleaning.  Grapefruit extract is an alternative, I don't use it so I don't know how easy (or cheap) it is to get. 

 

Refrigerating will slow the process of sprouting, but especially if you live in hotter climates - its better to be slow than to get sick birds from moldy sprouts.  On that note - if its really warm then don't leave sprouts out for the birds for very long before tossing them to prevent them spoiling.   Freed early in the morning because they will eat the most then and its not so hot.

 

If you have the space, make several batches of sprouts over the course of several days so you will always have some in various stages of sprouting.  Don't have time to fully sprout seeds?  Then just soak them overnight.  This will start the germination process and make them more nutritious than just plain dry seed.

 

How much to feed?  A tablespoon is enough per bird per day.  You aren't trying to make this the entree.  Its a side or appetizer to help give them a more healthy variety of food choices.

 

On the note of Healthy choices....Lets talk egg food!