Soaked Seed?

[Domenic]

Hi guys. Can someone explain to me exactly how to prepare soaked seed? And can you just use any seed mix or..? I'm sorry but I have no idea. I hear people saying they feed their birds soaked see all the time but I've never gotten around to figuring out what it is exactly. Do you feed soaked seed as well as dry seed? What are the nutritional benefits of soaked seed? Is soaked seed essentialy the same as sprouting seed?

[cindy]

Domenic,

I have wondered the same thing, we were going to try sprouting seeds or planting wheat grass as Donna does for her finches.

I did find this article last week and thought I might try it after picking up millet this weekend.

http://www.ladygouldianfinch.com/featur ... gseeds.mgi

[L in Ontario]

I buy a "soak seed" mix of seeds which are much different than the "vitaseed" mix I also give my birds; although I could not tell you the ingredients off-hand.

I understand soaking the "soak seed" enables more vitamins and proteins to activate once the seed is softened and absorbes enough moisture to just about begin to sprout. You might see chits (the white tip of roots) just begin to show on some of the seed, but I do not soak them long enough to actually sprout roots. 12 - 24 hours is enough soaking time with a little ACV.

[cindy]

Liz, is there more nutritional value with the mix you use compared to the millet. I've been told millet is like candy to the birds but I figure if I can get it to sprout it might be better for them.

[ac12]

For soaked seeds, I use a variation of what I picked up here
- seeds are any seed mix WITHOUT pellets (I just use my finch or gouldian seed mix)
- scoop out about 1 teaspoon (that is all I need)
- rinse it a few times in a strainer, to clean off the dust
- fill the bottle with about 2 oz of water
- add 2 drops of Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV). (1 drop of ACV per ounce of water)
- let this soak for 8 hours or so
- rinse the seeds a few times in a strainer
- put the strainer on a towel to draw out more water
- pour the seeds onto a flat dish

Depending on how many times a day I am feeding, I could have up to 2 bottles going, one for the morning and one for the late afternoon.

The next variation on this is sprouting seeds.
- scoop out about 1 teaspoon (that is all I need)
- rinse it a few times in a strainer, to clean off the dust
- fill the bottle with about 2 oz of water
- add 2 drops of Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV). (1 drop of ACV per ounce of water)
> let this soak for 2 hours or so
> rinse the seeds a few times in a strainer
> let this sit for 24 hours
- rinse the seeds a few times in a strainer
- put the strainer on a towel to draw out more water
- pour the seeds onto a flat dish

The difference is the shorter soak and an unsoaked "sitting" time.
I think I got this one from Tiffany.

[debbie276]

I've been soaking seed the same way that Mike Fidlers DVD says.
I have 2 plastic containers that will hold 1 1/4 liters of water. The one container I drilled small holes so the seeds could not fall through.

Put the container with the holes into the container that doesn't have holes and add 1 liter of the seed of your choice. Make sure the seed doesn't have any of those pellets in it.

Then I add 1 1/4 liters of water that has had 1 tablet of VirkonS added to it. Information about VirkonS can be found at Fabulous Finches http://www.fabulousfinch.com/VIRKON-S-D ... 1-135.html

You want to let it soak only 1 1/2 to 2 hours max. Your looking for the seed to chit not grow long sprouts, that's at it nutritional best.

I lift the container that's holding the seed out of the other and let the water drain out. Now let it sit (no rinsing) and drain for about 24 hours stirring occassionally to dry the seeds. Depending on which seed you use it will chit between 15 and 30 hours.

When it is just barely damp I put it in the freezer, using only what I need every feeding. It will last up to a year in the freezer using the VirkonS.

[batuhan]

The most important thing is draining and rinsing while to prepare the soaked and sprouting seeds...
how often you drain and rinse that much better

batuhan

[debbie276]

I can only speak of the VirkonS, directions say do not rinse. Maybe when you rinse you wash away the protection of the product?? Been doing it for a year this way now and have had no problems by not rinsing.

[CandoAviary]

I can only speak of the VirkonS, directions say do not rinse. Maybe when you rinse you wash away the protection of the product?? Been doing it for a year this way now and have had no problems by not rinsing.

I use vanodine. Like VirkronS it is a inhibitor of fungus, bacteria, viruses, etc. If you rinse you will remove the protective properties of the product. With vanodine you also get the added bonus of iodine for birds with higher needs.
I plan on trying the VirkronS product as I have never have before. If it is good enough for Save the Gouldians and their fabulous research...then it is good for my birds

[Animal Quackers]

I use vanodine.

I do, too. I just read something somewhere - wish I could remember where! - that said that Vanodine loses its anti-bacterial, -viral, and -fungal properties once mixed with water in TWO HOURS! Has anyone else who uses the product heard of that?

[debbie276]

Did a quick search and found 4 sites that say the vanodine is active till the color changes. "When the solution is no longer effective it will change color. As long as it remains a dark brown to amber color it is working. It will lighten considerably when it is no longer active and is time to get a new batch."
Also says that it must be diluted, "You will need to dilute before application in order to avoid irritation of the skin. The dilution instructions are also on the label." "If you want to use it in eyes or drinking water you would dilute more than for regular disinfecting."

So any idea how long does it hold the amber color??

[dfcauley]

It changes the color very quickly. I dilute it and clean all my perches with it along with mopping the tile floor of the aviary. I love it!!

Got to order some more!!

[Animal Quackers]

So any idea how long does it hold the amber color??

Thanks for the info, Debbie. I believe that since Vanodine comes in a dark bottle, it must be light sensitive. What I have done is take an empty hydrogen peroxide (which is also light sensitive) bottle - a brown one, the same color as the Vanodine bottle - and make my mix, pour it in there, and put a sprayer from a clean spray bottle on it. It stays amber MUCH longer in the dark bottle, where it is shielded from the light!

[batuhan]

Hi All,
How often you rinse and drain will be that much better(for spoil and mold)
If you use boiled water when it is sprouted then might be loose some properties of the product.
but if you use cold water do not worry ,nothing happens..
when you prepare herbal tea must be used boiled water ..Do you know why ?chemical dissolution happens in boiled water easily and in short time(from 5 to 20 munites).. but if you use cold water dissolution never happens or it takes weeks or more...
so if you rinse your seeds with cold water you won't loose anything of your properties of products
before you offer the soaked or sprauted seeds to your birds rinse your last rinsing with A.C.V (a table spoon)

batuhan

[AndreasLon]

The idea behind soaked seeds or spouted seeds is that in the wild birds find seeds often in unripe state on seed stalks or in sprouted form as the fall on the ground and begin to sprout. They also often find them in the dry form when they have fallen on the ground and waiting for rain to arrive, which in Africa or Australia can be LONG time.

Adult finches can handle dry seed quite well, but chicks do better with softer seeds. All seeds contain a combination of fat, carbohydrates and protein (macro nutrients) and vitamins, minerals etc (micronutrients). Soaking seeds provides these same ratio of ingredients (albeit with some loss of nutrient in the water, so always better to soak them in as little water as possible) but in an easier to digest form. An alternative is boiling them for a 4-5 minutes.

If you leave soaked seed for more than, say one day, then the protein content starts to go up. This is natural process as nutrients stores inside the seeds are being converted into building blocks –the protein. Effectively a little plant is being born. The longer you leave it, the more the protein content will become less concentrated and spouts effectively become a fortified type of green food.

You can play around with all versions of these, bearing in mind that soaked/boiled = easier to digest, especially for chicks. Sprouted = good source of vegetable protein, good for all birds and of course growing chicks. Sprouted to leaf level = good for adding green food to finch diets, especially those finches that are not very experimental with food like gouldians.

As everyone else has suggested on here, rinsing them very well before serving them is essential as the combination of water, fat, protein and carbohydrates is good for birds but also for bacteria and fungi. I also rinse mine in a weak disinfectant solution, just to be sure.

I’m really bad at leaving sprouts to grow for too long, so I prepare them in handfuls and freeze them in bags at the 3 various stages, already pre-rinsed and disinfected, ready (in my opinion) to be served.