AUSTRALIAN POULTRY FORUM™

hello to all

I am wondering if anyone has given their poultry sprouted seed

I tried sprouted wheat some time ago after reading about it in a self sufficiency book...but the chooks were not that keen on it...

keen to hear about anyone's experiences/ recipes

Hi Julie,

Sprouts are at their most nutritious when the shoot has just broken through the seed, not when the sprouts are longer.
It is best to feed it at this stage.
You can sprout various seeds, grains & legumes
There are many different ways to do it but in general there is no need to soak the seed for more than 12 hours, and often 4 hours is enough. I generally soak them overnight.
Then strain them in a strainer & rinse them & leave them to sit in the strainer which sits in a plastic bowl over which I loosely place a cover. This stops them drying out. I then rinse them every 8-12 hrs & feed them just when they sprout. The time for this to occur depends on the ambient temperature If you have excess you can refrigerate them.

Always check that the sprouts smell sweet & earthy & not sour. Otherwise throw them out. The big risk with this sort of food is spoilage due to bacteria and mould, especially in warm, humid conditions.

Many people use various safe disinfectants in the soaking water to prevent spoilage eg Milton's Baby Steriliser ( 5ml/Litre water), chlorhexidine etc.

So, to answer your question, satisfy yourself that you've prepared the sprouts properly, try a variety of grains & seeds & give them time to get used to the new food.

At the end of the day, if they don't like it, feed them something else & save yourself the time & effort!

Hope this helps.

Parvo

thanks Parvo...

just food for thought really....

I do a lot of it. I have a 20 litre drum with the top cut out. I usually half fill this with wheat and then fill it with water and leave it for between 12 and 24 hours. I then have a couple of other drums with a few small holes drilled in the bottom, which I tip the wheat to be drained. I usually fill these draining drums each day to keep the wheat fresh, as the water takes 10 mintes to drain out and rinses the shot grain while keeping it wet. The speed it shoots is very different from winter to summer as the cool weather slows it right down.

Recently I have started mixing Lucerne chaff with watered down molasses and mixing this with the shot wheat.

I was shooting my wheat but it's a hit and miss game in that, depending on the temperature and weather, it can take much longer to sprout in cold weather or the wet grain can go dry quickly in very hot weather.

These days, I shoot my grey and black sunflower seeds (they love them and sunflower seeds are easy to shoot and I need less of them) but I have been cooking my wheat for a few years now.

I boil it in a deep saucepan for about 50-60 minutes in molasses water, and drain the remaining water of to reheat in their wet morning mashes. By cooking the wheat, the birds can utilize *all* of the grain including the husk. They get all of the vitamins without the problems of shooting the grain.

I realise that I may not be getting the protein levels (commonly a rise of about 2%) by shooting, but as I add meat meal to their mash, I am not concerned about it.

I cook up about three days feed at a time and it cooks while I shower and eat breakfast.

My birds are very healthy and vital and I was able to get eggs from my Sussex hens and pullets right through winter (all but for about 4 weeks for the moult).

Linz

thanks for you opinions.....
it is sunflower seeds I am thinking of sprouting...

I throw my old seed out of a small field and its shoots in a few weeks and when its about 3 or 4 inches I pick punches for the birds. All the birds love it and its a mix of different seeds like sunflower and wheat ect... You just have to watch the rabbits don't eat most of it

Millet is a good one to grow its very easy and the birds love the stuff I feed it green but you can dry it and feed it as a spray

I have used this one

Aristopet Sprouting Seed

Provides your birds with a high energy, fresh, nutritious, easy to prepare food. The mix contains seeds and legumes including mung beans, sunflower seed, safflower, barley, corn, wheat, beans, lentils and peas with a variety of other high quality seeds. 19 in all!

Sprouting Seed Mixture is a popular treat for birds and can enhance a bird's diet by providing essential vitamins, minerals, enzymes and protein. The mix consists of high quality seeds like mung beans, sunflower seed, safflower and barleys. Each seed contains all the nutrients necessary to sustain plant life, but will remain dormant until placed in the right environment to begin germinating.When air, water and suitable temperature are provided, seeds begin to sprout. It is at this time that their energy is released and all of the essential nutrients are made available. The normal dried seed is turned into a fresh vegetable and by this process the overall food value is greatly increased. The highest food value is obtained when the sprouts are around 5mm in length.

Sprouting Seed Mixture is made from chemical free, fresh Australian seeds.

Preparing Sprouting Seed Mixture is as easy as 1,2,3.

Directions:
1. Soak 12 hours in warm water with added Aristopet Waterguard. (1drop per 30mL cold water). Change water once or twice during the soaking time.
2. Drain into colander, rinse well and cover with plastic or tea towel until seed sprouts to 3-5mm. Around 24 hours. During this time,rinse with cold water with added Waterguard roughly every 8 hours to encourage sprouting.The seed should have a nice nutty smell and taste sweet. Discard if gluggy or sour smelling and start again.
3. Leave in colander to drain well until dry. Add chopped fresh fruit and vegetables like carrot, broccoli, spinach, apple. Add small amount of Aristopet Avi-Vite Multi Vitamins and Minerals, Aristopet Egg and Biscuit and Aristopet Small Parrot Seed Mix. Can be served on its own.

Makes a tasty meal for birds filled with protein , vitamins and minerals.

Allow 1 tablespoon of Aristopet Seed per bird. Serve once or twice daily. Do not leave uneaten food for more than a few hours.

http://www.vetnpetdirect.com.au/aristop ... ed_mixture