I feed seed, dark leafy greens, veggies (65% orange and red), fruit, grains, some legumes and various treats like Goldenfeast Petite Hookbill Legume. And some birdy bread. No animal proteins.

(I also started giving Foundation Formula because they LOVE IT TOO MUCH so I figure there's something good in there they crave, and one budgie with lipomas gets harrisons hi po mash AND alot of fresh)

But I also feed soak seed or sprouts. Sprouts are everyone's favorite. Here's how I prepare the soak seed (what you have prior to sprouting) and the sprouts. I don't think there's any better food, it's a living food, with amino acids, enzymes and active vitamins and minerals. Sometimes it can trigger a breeding response, imo, ime, so you want to watch how much and what time of year etc. And it has enhanced protein so watch that, too.

NOTE If you do beans (I don't) you need a 1/4 inch tail on the lentils and 1/2 inch tail on the other legumes. I prefer to be safe and cook mine.

NOTE: Sprouts are also good because you can leave some in the cage when you go to work and they wont get "bad" like veggies will. They just continue to sprout (but they dont last that long lol).

I stopped using China Prarie, it changed AND there are too many beans and I dont sprout beans.

This month I'm using :

Totally Organics All in One Seed Mix (TOP)

[ It comes all in one bag - barley, rye berries, spelt,kamut,buckwheat,millet, sunflower seeds,pumpkin seeds, rice] they have two sizes of bags . They also make an organic pellet that is like Foundation Formula you can order at the same time.

Sproutman's Organic:
Organic Garden Salad

[golden alfalfa, red clover,daikon radish, cannola seed]

Organic Buckwheat

Organic Broccoli Blend:

[broccoil, broccoli raab]

Sproutpeople:

Brassia Seeds

Mustard Seeds (Piper's favorite)


PROCESS:

I think everyone does it basically the same but there are a few different ways and vessels to use. This is what I've settled on and works for me and it's fast and easy. We have to be concerned with bacteria so please be aware of that and use clean implements, fresh water, rinse properly, and store in the fridge after sprouting.

1. Basically I soak the TOP 14 hrs, the rest of the veggies only about 8. In distilled water.

2. I rinse again and put them (TOP seperately from veggies)...in two fine mesh strainers in a dark room like the dining room. The kind with the handle and they each sit over a large pyrex glass bowl. (you can dump together if you want but it's better when you're starting out to watch seperately)

Sometimes I use an EZ Sprouter, too, it's pretty good. But I get better results and think the strainer is better, they get more air.

They sell alot of different things, like mason jars you turn on the side, but I think the strainer is easiest and cleanest.

3. I rinse and shake every 8-12 hours.

[Actually after the soak, you can feed them as soak seed. But I let them sit out and sprout. ]

You get full tails in 24-48 hours and long tails in another day. IT depends on what you're sprouting.

You want to sprout things with a similar time in one bowl but it doesnt hurt if one thing has a long tail and the other doesnt. Just dont do beans with grains.

Keep rinsing with clear clean water NOT TOO OFTEN and shake gently dont beat them up.

4. Some people use a touch of Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar (in the rinse and some even in the soak) or something like Sparkle or Sanicleans in the rinse water. It's a personal preference.

I only use that depending on my house. LIke if I vacuum near the sprouts by mistake I will use a "cleansing agent" water in there. I try and keep them in a relatively clean area where airborne stuff won't mix in. But even my kitchen is fine. Without bright sunlight.

You want them to smell nutty and sweet ...fyi using ACV sometimes it masks that fresh fragrence.

5. When you feel they are "enough" of a sprout dry on a paper towel and then when dry, throw the towel out and put in the fridge. In a container with a tight lid. I keep them three days. By then I have a new batch working. You can also bake leftovers in birdy bread.

6. I DONT SPROUT ANY LEGUMES. THE TAILS HAVE TO BE 1/4 TO 1/2 INCH AND I'M PARANOID ABOUT GI DISTRESS and poisoning them. I JUST COOK THE LEGUMES AND FREEZE.

7. Wash your strainer out and soak in a weak 10% bleach solution let it sit at least 20 minutes to clean all possible bacteria out. Rinse it out really really well. I also run mine through the dish washer.

If you're using a plastic EZ Sprouter, make sure your water isnt boiling hot and dont use a ton of soap, it will damage the plastic material and smell like soap or bleach forever.

Misc:
I serve 1/3 legume to 2/3 grains max. For a complete protein. But I also give the veggies sprouts alone as "extra".

I give a heaping tablespoon for every 60 gram of bird (ha ha). I think that may be a bit much. I think most large bird caretakers give 1 large tablespoon per bird. I give more, so they can share bowls and have alot to pick from. Small birds, Budgies and Parrotlets.

But they would LOVE to eat them mostly all the time. But I bury the sprouts under the veggies at the 2:00 feeding. After that, they pick at seed and the pellets when dusk is approaching.

Sometimes I give it for 7:00 breakfast depending on what's going on that day.

I brought some in for a coworker with gi problems and it was the funniest thing she ate them all afternoon and wanted MORE. And she's not even a health nut. I have to admit they are really tasty

__________________
Cindy

The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated."
- Mahatma Gandhi

Thank you Cindy. I have some of the Totally Organics All in One Seed Mix soaking right now and plan to order the other mixes later today. Is the Sproutman's Organic available on the Sprout People site?

Karen, I think I ordered them here (but I'm not home to double check):

Sproutman Publications

[He has a nifty looking sprouter but I wouldnt order that because it's for growing long wet sprouts and for birds we dont want that because of bacteria. Just a small half inch or less tail is best, imo.]

If you order from sproutman, they send you a paper catalog with alot of cool stuff in it.

Thank you for posting this, Cindy!

I forgot to say I spread them out around the strainer with a small toothpick like skewar or fork gently. Not left in a giant lump. They will still sprout in a giant lump but I think it's cleaner to spread all around.

I also have a baby size strainer like for tea...I use that to do a quick rinse before serving out of the fridge.

The little tails will grow between the fine mesh holes out the bottom on, say the veggies...so just carefully plop your strainer in a bowl, pour some clean water in on top so they sorta float in the strainer, lift out and and shake gently and they'll come loose. Especially when you dump on a paper towel to dry out before putting in the fridge.

I hope I'm not making it complicated it's really not.

And the first soak you have them crack open and start germinating so you really could stop then if you wanted to. (you're welcome sarah, anything for my comedian friend Jerry)

Here's two photos. The plastic EZ Sprouter. Its nice cuz you can rinse and soak all in the one container. The end result sprouts are next to it on a paper towel.

And the fine mesh strainer. Those are feedable if you look they are just sprouting tails, it was probably day one after soaking. My strainer may be a bit too full that time but they can be baked in breads.

I use a larger pyrex bowl now than in that photo, more air circulates with a larger bowl.








]

I'm on a photo cleaning up binge.

Sorry about the size, I tried to resize but it didn't work!

Here's a bowl I LOVE for small quantities. It's 4X4. This bowl is from Kmart in the Martha Stewart stuff. It keeps everything REALLY cold in the back of the fridge and these veggies last me three days for four birds or so. They stay crisp not soggy like in plastic. It's for when I prep ahead in the food processor. I dont add the fruit. OR the sprouts. I rinse the sprouts before adding.