To grow or not
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- Nestling
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To grow or not
I'm still deciding whether it makes sense to grow my own greens for my canaries or not. Someone mentioned (not on this forum) that too much greens is not good. I'm looking at 5 varieties of romaine lettuce. Since its compact enough for container growing. Or should I just buy them from the supermarket? It is an investment and wonder what route I should take. Money is not the issue. Is fresh homegrown best? Please help.
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- Sisal Slave
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Re: To grow or not
I've never seen a case of a Canary eating too much greens. I've let mine have all they will eat, and I've done that for a lot of years.
If you grow your own, choose a variety that has dense foliage. Are you growing these under lights? In Minnesota there isn't much choice unless you have a greenhouse. No matter how you grow plants under lights, they can get thin and stretchy.
Maybe consider sprouts. Your regular seed mix will work. Most people grow sprouts until the root tip is just emerging from the seed. If you want greens, grow them a little longer. You could cycle a batch ever two weeks.
If you grow your own, choose a variety that has dense foliage. Are you growing these under lights? In Minnesota there isn't much choice unless you have a greenhouse. No matter how you grow plants under lights, they can get thin and stretchy.
Maybe consider sprouts. Your regular seed mix will work. Most people grow sprouts until the root tip is just emerging from the seed. If you want greens, grow them a little longer. You could cycle a batch ever two weeks.
Dave
Campbellsville, Kentucky, USA
Canaries
Campbellsville, Kentucky, USA
Canaries
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Re: To grow or not
I would grow them in a large raised bed in late spring outdoors.Dave wrote: I've never seen a case of a Canary eating too much greens. I've let mine have all they will eat, and I've done that for a lot of years.
If you grow your own, choose a variety that has dense foliage. Are you growing these under lights? In Minnesota there isn't much choice unless you have a greenhouse. No matter how you grow plants under lights, they can get thin and stretchy.
Maybe consider sprouts. Your regular seed mix will work. Most people grow sprouts until the root tip is just emerging from the seed. If you want greens, grow them a little longer. You could cycle a batch ever two weeks.
- Sally
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Re: To grow or not
If you are going to try this, why not grow some kale? It is much more nutritious than romaine. I also don't believe that you can overdo most greens, though it is not good to give them only one type of green IMO. Variety is always best. The advantage to growing your own is that you can grow organically and it is always fresh, but I don't know that there is any particular advantage in nutrition over store-bought.
- wilkifam
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Re: To grow or not
The only greens you need to be careful with are spinach and kale. Dark leafy greens in moderation only, maybe a couple times a week. They interfere with calcium absorbtion. In breeding birds that would not be good.
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- Sisal Slave
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Re: To grow or not
wilkifam, why kale? Spinach I understand, since it has oxalates that bind calcium.
Dave
Campbellsville, Kentucky, USA
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Re: To grow or not
My birds love silver beet, so you could always try growing that. They love chickweed as well.
~Flight Feathers Bird Home~
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14 Zebra Finches, 4 Budgies, 3 Cockatiels, 2 Canaries, 7 Chinese quail, 3 Bengalese Finches, 1 Turquoise Parrot, 1 Goldfinch
Now a member of the NZFBA!
http://www.thepictaram.club/instagram/f ... thersbirds
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Re: To grow or not
Kale doesn't have nearly as much oxalic acid as the spinach. I no longer feed spinach at all - lost a bird to egg binding that I believe was brought on at least in part by my allowing them to stuff themselves to their little birdy gills with spinach nearly every day.
I don't do that any more. But kale is fine.
I don't do that any more. But kale is fine.
Molly Brown 11/22/15
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Turn towards home, and go there. Many overs, over woods and fields, streams and hills, many overs. Just turn towards home. How else would one go there? Perhaps it was a dream, and you have awakened from it. May the earth rise up beneath you, with home in your heart, and your person waiting.
Pyewacket 6/15/17
Trudy 2/24/18
Turn towards home, and go there. Many overs, over woods and fields, streams and hills, many overs. Just turn towards home. How else would one go there? Perhaps it was a dream, and you have awakened from it. May the earth rise up beneath you, with home in your heart, and your person waiting.