What do you sprout?

[Rox]

For those of you who make sprouts for your birds, I was wondering what you use?

Other than sprouting their normal seed, I sprout different lentils, mung beans and the smallest chick peas I can find. In a mission to try and encourage my various waxbills to breed, I have also ordered and started sprouting clover seeds, wheat grass, alfalfa and fenugreek. I have only offered these new seeds over the last week and ALL the birds are loving them!

[monotwine]

Your birds sound spoilt rotten!

[Rox]

monotwine

Lol, you know me by now - going overboard!!!

But they love it

[finchick]

Hi Rox: Can you tell us a little about your sprouting techniques? If there are any tricks, I could really use some. In most cases I just end up with wet seed... Thanks!

[Rox]

finchick

For the smaller seeds, I sprout in a glass jar with a piece of pantyhose over the top (held on by an elastic band). I let the seeds soak for a 24 hours in water, then rinse them. The pantyhose works best to keep the tiny seeds in the jar while still draining the water. I then lay the jar on its side, so that the seeds lie along the bottom. Rinse them again twice a day and soon they start sprouting.

For the bigger lentils etc, I use a plastic colander to rinse them in and let them stand (but I also soak them for 24 hours first in a jar).
You just need to make sure that the water drains well each time, otherwise you can end up with mushy seeds.

It's very easy once you get going and a routine forms to get the next batch of seeds soaking. Once they have started sprouting, you can keep them in the fridge for a couple of days.

I hope this helps!

[finchick]

Thanks! It sure does. What a gold mine of simple instructions!

Do you leave them out in the sunlight ~ or is that too much? How much growth do you let the sprouts experience before you feed them? Do you wait until some of them start turning green?

Again, thanks so much for sharing. I would never have thought of pantyhose.

[KarenB]

Soaked seeds are the most nutritious just as they begin to sprout, when they just barely have a bit of growth, maybe a milimeter or two. After that they are still good, but nutritive value diminishes after that.

I soak my seeds for about 12 hours in a mason jar with water and about four drops of grape seed extract. Then I drain (I have mesh in the lid for easy draining), rinse them and lay the jar on its side for another 12 hours. At that point they are perfect for serving. I rinse again, drain and then store in the refrigerator for a couple days. Each time I serve then, I will rinse and drain. They will still continue to sprout in the fridge albeit slowly, and are gone before they get too far along anyway.

So basically I start another batch 24 hours before I need it, so I always have some in the fridge ready to go, or in the process of sprouting. I find that two jars is plenty for me. I usually soak half a cup of seeds at a time. I use TOP and Lady Gouldian Sprouting Seeds. Hope this helps.

[finchick]

Hi: Both sets of advice just put me on a better track. Trying to spice up their diets with variety has been difficult, so sprouting is another path to explore. Thanks!

[mayble]

I keep it super simple - white millet, red millet and canary, a kitchen strainer and a plastic container.
Rinse, soak, rinse, drain - about 24-36 hrs from start to serve. I make enough for a few days at a time. All the birds love it.

[Colt]

I've really got to get on the sprouting band wagon. I just recently ordered seeds with none of the colored pellets and I think it will work perfectly. I just need to start them.

[Rox]

KarenB - "Then I drain (I have mesh in the lid for easy draining)"

Thanks for this, you just gave me a much better idea than the pantyhose!

[KarenB]

Rox

[MariusStegmann]

I use Jap seed and use a old plastic hot chololate container where I punched holes in the lid. Add one drop of plain bleach to a 500 ml container. (Don't use scented bleach) Let it soak for 24 hours and drain it. Put it where it get some heat from the sun and 1 - 2 days later, the seeds start germinating.

[finchick]

KarenB and Rox: I'm a little dense here... What's "mesh"? I know that canning jars have those metal rings, so I'm guessing that you're using something that will keep the seeds in... The only "mesh" I'm aware of is used in hernia repair surgery ~ and I'm sure that's not what you're referring to...

[KarenB]

finchick, Yes, after I repair hernias, I use the leftover mesh for sprouting seeds. J/K

You can use that thin plastic grid (mesh) material you find in craft stores for cross stitch and cut it in a circle the same size as the metal piece that fits inside the ring which screws onto the jar. Use the round metal part as the template to trace it out, then cut it out using scissors. Voila, operation complete.