Seed Cleaner

[CandoAviary]

Hubby built me a super duper seed hull remover. I connect the black hose from my shop vac to the contraption, I adjust the intake at the top right (black handle) for the size seed I am cleaning. Lots of air for finch seed, Medium air for grasskeet seed mixes. If I had large hookbills then I would turn knob even more for less air. The larger the seed the more vacuum needed.... the less bypass air.
I then poor the collected (waste) seed into the red funnel and the hulls go into the shop vac and the good seed falls to the bucket below. We have been experimenting and like this design the best. We added the "T" handles for attachment of rope/chain and can hang it anywhere....from a tree brach, nail in the wall..or here I have it mounted in one of the walkways through some of the outfdoor aviaries where there was a handy nook in the turn of the walkway. When I am done I move the shop vac and bucket and the cleaner is not in the way at all. If I do want to move it I just unhook the rope. Weighs about 8 pounds.
I usually feed the zebras the recycled seed from the gouldians, parrot finches, and goldbreast. I simply dump their seed cups daily into containers and refill their dishes. Once the containers are full..about once a week I have a batch to clean. the 3/4 full bucket in the last picture is from about 2 weeks of seed collection from the finches.... A weeks supply for the zebras. The zebras will get other foods just like all the others, eggfood, greens, etc. They also get pellets and fresh canary seed and millet is also furnished.

[Pukasand]

Very clever, Candace. Tell Hubby, too! Good job Anything that makes the 'work' part of a birdkeeper easier is appreciated.

[SuzE]

Candace,

Boy, All I can say is get thee to a patent offfice. If you could shrink the size (say to a hand held vac), put those on the market. I know I'd buy one in a hurry. So much seed is wasted but I'm never sure just what my guys are eating when I try to save some of it. Way to go What a money maker

[tonysr09]

Boy I can imagine the work involved with working with all the birds. I've one cage and vacuum everyday. I use the vac to remove husks from seed dish and cage bottom after I do the floor. Just how big is that honey dew list?
Great job.


Tony

[cindy]

Beats blowing out hulls the old fashion way...DON'T INHALE while doing it!!!! Patent the device!!! Bird lovers everywhere will use this. He can make them in different sizes!

Candace, what kind of pellets do you feed your birds?

[Domenic]

Blowing hulls from the dish is horrible. It gets all over your face and eyebrows and hair - just a bad experience. I use a small vacuum to blow them out now. But that there fancy contraption is ge-nee-us.

[JohnBoy]

Those have been around forever.
http://www.thecanarysnest.com/seed%20cleaner/index.html

[B CAMP]

When you blow the hulls out if you blow thru a soda straw much easier it don't get in your eyes as bad

[cindy]

Bill I have inhaled or taken a deep breath by accident...yuk!!!!!

[CandoAviary]

Those have been around forever.
http://www.thecanarysnest.com/seed%20cleaner/index.html

I don't know about forever...Forever is a mighty long time

I built one of those from that canary breeder's diagram. My vacuum was too strong and it sucked seed, hulls and all into the vacuum canister. No air flow control. Also you have to put the hose at the top...ackward and most hoses crimp. The funnel was at such an ackward angle that while pooring the seed it would spill onto the floor unless you did cup by cup. Not very time effecient. And it did not hang....
The BIGGER BETTER contraption Hubby built is far superior. You can mount the vacuum hose easily at ground level. We have different adaptors for diffenet vaccum sizes from regular house vacuums to heavy duty shop vacs. Also the air intake adjustment controlled by the ball valve make for perfect air velocity. We also added the holes in the funnel holder to slow the filtering of the seeds and hulls.
This is a larger model fpr handling lots of seed.
John, You may come to appreciate one when you get tons more birds, but I guess most of your seed could easily be recycled as is to the quail. Some I don't bother cleaning myself, I just give to the wild birds.

[CandoAviary]

Candace, what kind of pellets do you feed your birds?

Cindy,
I feed Rowdy bush nibbles, zupreem fruit flavored finch size and ABBA pelleted diet made with fish, chicken and every otherthing under the sun

[CandoAviary]

Thanks SuzE, Puckasand, Domenic and Tony.


Tony,
Hubby's honeydew list is never done. I always tell him I am glad he loves my birds....he reminds me that it is me that he loves and he loves to see me happy. And yes...this contraption makes me sooo happy. Tom is the best.

SuzE, no patent but I have made different attachments to fit a variety of vacuums and plan to offer these for sale at the bird fairs.
I tried looking for one to buy and well they just aren't out there. I did find one metal one for a ridculous amount of money and I found some plans but they did not work worth a darn. This item is just one of those things that if you don't build it ...then forget it. So maybe someone will appreciate being able to buy one already made and tested.... We made several models before settling on the one that worked best.

[lovemyfinch]

Let your hubby know he did a great job Candace.

I have just been giving whatever is left at the bottom of the seed hopper to the outside birds, this has been my way of recycling.

[Rayray]

an old but good idea but .... what if one bird in your cage is sick and you don't know ( yet ) , you"re giving the maybe contaminated seeds to the rest of the healthy birds , is it worth that risk for only saving a few cents ... well i wouldn't even think about the idea , but thats me

Ray

[CandoAviary]

Ray,
Thankfully, I don't have much problems with sickness. I rarely bring a new bird into my facilities... then it is quarentined in a seperate house. I also feed this cleansed seed only to the outdoor zebra colony. Nothing could possibly make them sick it seems. My gouldians and Parrot finches always get fresh... it is what is recycle from them that the zebras eat.

It is not so much the money savings as I just don't like to be wasteful in general. If I don't feed it to the zebras then the wild birds get it....doesn't seem to make them sick either.