FINCHforum

I'm trying to decide between in-shell hempseeds or shelled. For canaries. I would like to make breeding hens life easier, but not sure if one is better than the other.

You could offer Hemp as a soaked seed, and the hull won't matter nearly so much. Just soaking it overnight is probably sufficient.

Hemp seed in the U.S. is treated so it won't germinate, so it can't really be considered as viable part of a soak-seed mix. But softening the hull with soaking will work.

Abba Seed has hemp as part of its soak-seed mix. In reality, for this particular seed, it won't germinate.

Older Canary books talk about giving a hen a couple of hemp seeds per day.

I use organic hulled hemp seed from a health food store, and give about a pinch a night to each Java. One likes it, the other doesn't. If I put a hemp seed in, they won't eat it.

Careful with hemp seed though, too much can cause the hormones to go into overdrive...hens can overproduce eggs, males may be overly anxious to breed and constantly be at hens.... it is also a very fatty seed.... use it very sparingly.

Canaries can hull hemp no problem.

I've never seen it still in the hull. I get it from the bulk bins at Winco/Cub Foods. Whole Foods also carries it. I only feed it as a treat seed, in rotation with several other types of seed. I do put it in my corn-free bird bread, as one of several seeds that go into that.