Green (unripe) grain for budgies

[lovedabirds]

I have been researching the diet that wild budgies normally eat.  From what I have found, they eat primarily seeds - but that is a combination of dry seeds, sprouting seeds, and unripe seeds.   It's pretty easy to feed dry seeds and sprouts, but the only unripe grain I can find for sale (at least in the US) is Freekeh.  If you're not familiar with Freekeh, it is unripe wheat which has been toasted and lightly smoked.

I think soaking the freekeh in several changes of water would get rid of most of the smoke.  And I'm not sure that a little bit of smoke would be harmful anyway.

Has anyone else tried unripe seeds/grains for their budgies?  It seems like the only alternative to Freekeh would be to grow it yourself, which is fine but not something you can do quickly!

[Hezz]

Almost any kind of field/meadow grass with a seeding head on it is great, actually the best, budgie food. All you need to be sure of is that it isn’t close to a major road (pollution from cars, tyres and bitumen) and not in an area that is fertilised, or treated with herbicides or pesticides.