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Post by tweetiepiesmom on Oct 2, 2020 17:32:32 GMT
Since we all seem to be commenting on sprouts off and on, I thought I'd create a thread where anyone can jump in and post a comment or question.
I've recently successfully grew some sprouts from some budgie seeds I had - Hagen brand. I gave them some of the sprouts but they didn't eat them. Strangely, they eat the freeze dried sprouts just fine. So I started another batch and this morning I could see the seeds were just starting to germinate so I put some in a dish. Buddy jumped right in and chowed down. I'll have to watch and see if Tweetie Pie eats them. My understanding is that the seeds use the fat in the seed to grow which makes them healthier for the budgies. Does anyone have any ideas about the germinated seeds - are they healthier than just plain seeds? I thought I'd try to feed them the germinating seeds at each stage of growth to get them to finally eat the full sprouts.
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Post by birdguhl on Oct 2, 2020 18:21:14 GMT
I have fed my buds on germinated seeds from when I first got them. I also eat a lot of germinated seeds, pulses and nuts myself. I soak the boys' seeds for approx 8 hours (with a couple of drops of Aviclens birdcareco-shop.com/bird-supplements/cage-and-aviary-bird-products/hygiene-and-parasite-control/aviclens/in the water) and then germinate them for 24-36 hours with a few rinses and a further 20 mins or so with Aviclens before they get them. This regime only allows the seeds to swell up and sometimes show a tiny sprout. I have had less success with letting the seeds grow bigger sprouts but that is probably just because the shorter timescale has worked very well and I haven't persisted enough with an alternative. I do currently have some seeds on soil that I am going to allow to grow a decent amount of grass before letting the buds loose on them.
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Post by tweetiepiesmom on Oct 2, 2020 18:39:22 GMT
Thanks birdguhl! I'm trying a variety of things on my guys to get them on a healthier diet. I checked the food dish after Buddy ate but I couldn't tell if he ate the "swollen" seeds or the ones with a tail. I'm assuming that even the swollen ones are healthier (i.e., less fat) than plain seeds.
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Post by mona on Oct 2, 2020 19:12:13 GMT
Sprouts are healthier than plain seeds. My birdies love a few of them. I have sprouted green gram, brown and white chickpeas, yellow mustard, fenugreek. I use sesame, brown flax seed and poppy seed in the powdered form to sprinkle a little on the top. Mix all this with the veggie chop (the ones they don't eat), cooked quinoa and seed mix. Rarely, I sprinkle bits of dry fruit(cashew, almond, pistachio). They love their green leafy veggies hung here and there, so I don't mix it in the sprouts. I didn't get the right way to sprout chia seeds, so have not included that.. They don't love everything out of this mixture, but they eat the germinated part of all the sprouts. Sometimes, I switch it with half boiled sprouts to change the taste. After washing thoroughly, I soak the sprout ingredients in water overnight (approx 8 hours). In the morning, drain all the water, wash again thoroughly and put it in a sprout dish. Depending on the sprout time per seed, it germinates by evening or the next morning. Just be sure to wash them thoroughly till the end. Here's an old snap of breezie munching on the green gram sprout mixed with a few veggies and seeds:
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Apr 24, 2024 6:24:39 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 2, 2020 19:14:25 GMT
Hi TPM, I've grown sprouts to quite a length & my boys pecked at them a few times but didn't seem keen. You mentioned giving the sprouts just as they've germinated or swollen. I'm going to try this & see if they'll nibble at them. Thanks for that, I'd pretty much given up on growing sprouts.
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Post by tweetiepiesmom on Oct 2, 2020 19:28:24 GMT
Give it at try @cal! I was just watching Buddy and he was eating one of the germinated seeds - I saw the little "tail" in his beak. Thanks mona, I'm trying to get them to eat less of the seeds. I planted a grass seed mixture in a pot outside. They love eating the grass and then I let some of the grass go to seed. I've fed them the seed heads at the suggestion of other members here and they love it! Since the winters here are fairly mild, I'm going to try to keep the grass going year round. I have a larger pot that I can devote to grass growing. If you haven't tried the grass, give it a go. I'll bet your birdies will like it.
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Sprouts
Oct 2, 2020 19:33:25 GMT
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Post by mona on Oct 2, 2020 19:33:25 GMT
tweetiepiesmom I have never tried any kind of grass with them. If you have some time, could you please guide me, which kind of grass seeds do you use? I love gardening, so I can try that out..
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Sprouts
Oct 2, 2020 19:38:00 GMT
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Post by mona on Oct 2, 2020 19:38:00 GMT
tweetiepiesmom I'm pretty sure you would already know it.. but don't stop the seeds all of a sudden from their diet.. As per my knowledge, their digestive system gets upset with sudden diet change...and they need gradual diet changes. We are also supposed to observe their droppings during diet conversion..
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Post by tweetiepiesmom on Oct 2, 2020 20:33:14 GMT
Thanks mona! I am still giving them seeds around noontime after I've given them their grass, sprouts, herbs, etc. I'd be happy to tell you how I got my guys eating grass. The first grass I fed them was wheat grass which I found in the organic produce section at my grocery store. Many people use it for juicing which is why they carry it. I just cut some grass blades off and then tie it together using paper ribbon I got from Amazon. My guys went crazy for it. Then I saw a kit on Amazon for growing grass for cats. It has wheat, oats, barley, rye and flax seeds. That grew and again, my guys loved it. Then I took the kit seeds, started them in the kit and panted them outside in a pot where I had herbs growing. I've fed them the grass now at every stage of its growth and it continues to be a favorite of theirs. And finally, here's a picture of them eating the grass seed heads. I've suggested the grass to a couple other people and they say their budgies love it too.
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Post by Hezz on Oct 2, 2020 23:59:21 GMT
I have never tried any kind of grass with them. ... which kind of grass seeds do you use? I love gardening, so I can try that out.. If you live in a city you will need to grow your own, but if you have clean green countryside around you, any field grass with a seed head can be used. Pick the head with some leaves and stalk, give them a wash when you get home and hang/peg up in the cage.
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Post by mona on Oct 3, 2020 4:21:38 GMT
tweetiepiesmom Thank you so much for taking out the time to share and explain everything. Your lil buddies are so beautiful.. 😍🥰 and they seem to relish the grass!😋 Your mini organic garden looks awesome!! ❤ I have wheat, flax and rye seeds at my home. I have planted wheat and rye seeds earlier at home, just for the love of organic gardening 🤩 Never tried flax, oat and barley. I will get started with wheat and rye first!! I have experienced that sprouting the seeds and then planting them, makes it easier for the seeds to grow. My birdies are really good at trying anything that's leafy and green, so I am hopeful and very excited to do this 🤞 but have to keep my expectations low 🙈 Do you provide them with fresh cut grass daily? Hezz Unfortunately, I live in the city, so I don't have access to good green grass. I wish really, if I could stay instead on a hilly area or countryside, amidst nature & far away from "We have no time to stand and stare"! 😍🥰
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Post by tweetiepiesmom on Oct 3, 2020 14:52:54 GMT
Yes mona I do give my guys one of the grass treats everyday. They love it! If I'm not moving my hand fast enough putting it in their cage, Buddy jumps on my hand and starts eating it while I'm putting the clip in the cage bars. Come back and tell us how your budgies like it. Also like you, I live in the city. There are parks and green areas near roadsides but I don't trust that those grasses have not been sprayed with pesticides plus the pollution from cars concerns me. Like Hezz says I grow my own - its fun too.
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Apr 24, 2024 6:24:39 GMT
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Sprouts
Oct 3, 2020 15:40:03 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 3, 2020 15:40:03 GMT
I think I cut my millet grass too short, most of it has died off.
I need to try sprouting some seeds sometime. I only tried once before and it didn't work. But if it can sprout enough in a day then it would be easy enough to have some sprouted for the next day.
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Post by tweetiepiesmom on Oct 3, 2020 15:49:17 GMT
@sillycat84 my seeds take 2 days to germinate - the point at which you can see a little tail coming out. That might be because my seeds are old, I've had them for about a year. They are a budgie seed mixture but my guys didn't seem to love them so I found another seed mix to feed them and just tucked that bag away.
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Post by blue48 on Oct 3, 2020 20:33:28 GMT
Roll on Spring There is nothing much growing round here at the moment. All the seed heads are brown and dry but I have some millet grass on the go. I tried sprouting mung beans, but my boy wouldn't eat them.
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