Soaked/Chitted Seed Perishability?

[debbyloo]

I am experimenting with sprouted/chitted seed for the first time. I have never done this before because I was always afraid I might accidentally serve moldy/bad soaked seed, having read all the cautionary remarks about the dangers of this, especially since I do not have any of the anti-mold liquid drops (can't remember the name) that people sometimes add to the soaking seed. Since I have no experience with soaking/chitting seed, I wondered how I would know if it was safe to serve to my birds or not. I have bravely ventured ahead, however and my first batch (without the additive) seems to have turned out alright, and the birds are enjoying it. I was wondering if this sprouted/chitted seed is perishable and should I remove it from the flight after a certain amount of time like you do egg food. Also, my "recipe" says you can keep the chitted seed for up to three days in the refrigerator. Can it also be frozen and then thawed and served? Just trying to figure out how to get a steady supply going. Thanks for any help.

[Foosa101]

If you are soaking the seed there's a good possibility for mold. Once the seed is sprouted you should let it dry to a good degree before misting again. It really comes down to how you are specifically going about sprouting your seeds but I wouldn't actually soak them in water and make sure the water doesn't accumulate in the container and can drain as this will promote decay and mold growth.

[fabulousfinch]

Hello Debbyloo,

Sprouted seed (actually chitted or soaked seed) is a fantastic source of nutrition for your birds. But done wrong you can make your birds sick or kill them with fungal or bacterial growth.

Here is a must see YouTube Video on sprouting seed. Mike Fidler is the CEO of the Save the Gouldian Fund in NSW, Australia and the co-author of the book "The Gouldian Finch." This is how they sprout seed for over 2000 captive Gouldian and Longtail finches at the STGF research facility. This is not a home spun recipe, this is a method developed by research scientists at Macquarie University-Sydney that has been used since 2004. There is a lot of good information in this video on how to sprout safely.

http://www.fabulousfinch.com/cart/pages ... ideos.html

Bill

[Sally]

I use the Mike Fidler method for sprouting seed, and it works great! I have Virkon-S, so I don't worry about mold, and as the seed is resting, waiting to chit, it is actually drying out somewhat too. Once it has chitted, I put it in a container and into the freezer. I then take out what I need at any one time. I leave it in the cage all day.

Watch the video, it will explain it all to you. As Bill said, this is a research-tried method, and I feel quite confident about following this program. Before I used this method, I had a few batches of seed that went sour on me (probably too moist), so I quit sprouting, afraid of killing my birds. Now this is back on the menu, and the birds love it.

[finchmix22]

I watched the videos on sprouting seeds, but I am not sure I understand about the drying process. If you drain the container after soaking, at what point is it dry enough, but not too dry. The video did not show any close ups an I'm not sure i would know when it is ready for freezing or serving. Also, what kind of container do you use for the draining? freezer storage? Trying to learn this and amazed at the process, but afraid to harm the finches.

[Sally]

For soaking, I bought cheap plastic shoeboxes, then drilled very tiny holes all over the bottom and up several inches on all sides. If you make the holes too big, the tiny seeds will go thru the holes.

Then you set this shoebox with holes in it inside another shoebox without holes. You then soak the seed (with the Virkon added) for up to 2 hours, then take the holey shoebox out of the non-holey shoebox, set it on a dish drainer (tilt the box up at one end to enhance drainage), and let it sit until the seed chits. This will vary somewhat from person to person depending on temp in the house. I have trouble seeing when the seed chits, as you just want the tiny tail to peek out of the seed, so I use a magnifying glass to keep checking the seed. By the time the seed chits (you will have stirred it from time to time too), it is pretty dry, and you just pour it into a plastic freezer-safe container. When you want some, you can take it out of the freezer (much of it will be very loose, not stuck together) and feed it right away to the birds.

You are not draining until it is just the right amount of dry, you are draining until the seed chits. At that point, you need to use it or freeze it (or you can put it in the fridge for a couple of days). If you forget and let it sit too long, you will find sprouts! Can still be fed to the birds, but then it has lost much of the nutrition, so you've done all that work for little return.

[finchmix22]

Sally,
Thanks. That was helpful. I get it now.
Deborah

[6finchfriends]

I put mine in the freezer too.

[debbyloo]

I have seen that video about sprouting seed before - it was very informative. But, I am not looking to sprout that much seed at one time and found another guide which seemed to be better suited to a smaller amount. It instructed you to put a small amount of seed (maybe 1/4 c?) in a clean small glass jar and use cheesecloth with a rubber band around the top to keep the seed in while rinsing and draining (I didn't have any cheesecloth, so used a clean piece of nylon kneehighs instead). You rinse the seed well 3 or 4 times, then fill the jar with water and let it soak for 8 to 12 hours, then drain the jar well, and place it at a 45 degree angle and let it sit on the counter for 24 hours, shifting the seed around every once in a while if possible. Then, rinse again, and repeat the draining, sitting at an angle for 24 hours. After that you can see many of the seeds have begun to sprout. Also, the seed should smell sweet and fresh and nutty, but not sour or moldy. I rinsed again at that point, drained them and dried them on some paper towel, and feed them to my finches. They seemed to like them. I was just wondering if I could freeze some, were I to make more than could be fed in 3 days since that was as long as was recommended to keep the sprouted seed in the refrigerator. I wondered if the sprouted parts would be "mushy" when thawed out and lose their nutritional value. Sounds like freezing is okay as long as they are dried well enough to still be "loose" and not stick together in a big ice cube. Thanks for all the helpful advice. Still wondering, does everyone use some kind of liquid drops to prevent mold or is it okay to forgo that if your water is chlorinated, safe, city tap water?

[wellingtoncdm]

http://www.fresh-network.com/acatalog/g ... r-jar.html

I bought two jars like this and start a new one everyday. I use grapefruitseed extract (GSE) to keep seed from souring. I tried a batch without and it smelled bad. With GSE it smells nutty and doesn't spoil.

[nelloyello11]

I have seen that video about sprouting seed before - it was very informative. But, I am not looking to sprout that much seed at one time and found another guide which seemed to be better suited to a smaller amount. It instructed you to put a small amount of seed (maybe 1/4 c?) in a clean small glass jar and use cheesecloth with a rubber band around the top to keep the seed in while rinsing and draining (I didn't have any cheesecloth, so used a clean piece of nylon kneehighs instead). You rinse the seed well 3 or 4 times, then fill the jar with water and let it soak for 8 to 12 hours, then drain the jar well, and place it at a 45 degree angle and let it sit on the counter for 24 hours, shifting the seed around every once in a while if possible. Then, rinse again, and repeat the draining, sitting at an angle for 24 hours. After that you can see many of the seeds have begun to sprout. Also, the seed should smell sweet and fresh and nutty, but not sour or moldy. I rinsed again at that point, drained them and dried them on some paper towel, and feed them to my finches. They seemed to like them. I was just wondering if I could freeze some, were I to make more than could be fed in 3 days since that was as long as was recommended to keep the sprouted seed in the refrigerator. I wondered if the sprouted parts would be "mushy" when thawed out and lose their nutritional value. Sounds like freezing is okay as long as they are dried well enough to still be "loose" and not stick together in a big ice cube. Thanks for all the helpful advice. Still wondering, does everyone use some kind of liquid drops to prevent mold or is it okay to forgo that if your water is chlorinated, safe, city tap water?

I do mine similarly to this. To pull more water out when it's sprouted, before you serve or freeze, hold a folded papertowel underneath the stainer/cheesecloth and it pulls a lot of moisture. I do this a couple times, depending on how big the batch is and how much water is left.
I use a couple drops of ACV during the soaking phase and have not had a problem with mold. I tried it once with just plain water and it did mold. I think a lot of it depends on the humidity and temperature where you're sprouting.

[debbyloo]

ACV - apple cider vinegar, right? I will give that a try. Thanks for the tip!

[Ursula]

I don't need big amounts either and soak the seeds in a snapple bottle. I fill it about a quarter, then fill up with water plus a few drops of Sparkle. I put the original bottle lid on top. Shake and let it sit for 8-12 hours, then drain off the water by holding a little sieve against the opening. Close the bottle and let it sit on the counter for another 24 hours. Then I rinse it well in a sieve under the faucet and let it drain a little and put it in a plastic container with tight lid and put in the fridge. I keep it up to 5 days or so, I make about the amount that I need for that time. I feed in the morning and toss the leftovers at night with the other perishable food (veggies and egg).

I use the abba soaking seed for that and this is also the abba method from their website. I think if you use normal finch seed it might contain additives and pellets etc that can spoil. With the soaking seed my chitted seeds have never gone bad.

[Diamond Sparrow]

I soak 50% mix and 50% white millet in a bucket of water ,add a little bleach for 24 hours ,seive and rinse the seed ,then put it into at headed box for 24-48 pull it out rinse it again.I then mix this with blended peas,corn,carrots and kale.freeze in small portions and give the the birds daily.I have not had any problems over the years