Out of curiosity... I noticed that a lot of people feed their birds mashes/gloops, and I do too-- but I was thinking, why a mash or a cooked food over raw? I always thought that raw, sprouted grains were more healthy than cooked ones, since cooked food loses some nutrition, so why cook them at all? Right now I feed mine both, but was just curious as to why mash seems to be so popular. Is it for the convenience of being able to freeze it?

Thanks in advance everybody

I only cook the rice, lentils, grains etc., peas, corn and sweet potato. All the rest of the fruit and veg I have put in the gloop so far is raw. Beans need to be cooked as well but I haven't used them yet.

But why raw as opposed to sprouted?

i think for many owners, the only way they can get their birds to eat certain veggies is in mash form. i think raw is probably ideal, but mash is better than nothing at all!

I just have never done sprouting, they get a dry seed mix separately from the gloop. I may try sprouting one day, but sprouts shouldn't be a replacement for raw fruit and veg 'cause it won't provide everything they need.

Bear in mind the fruit and veg in a mash is still raw unless the person decides to cook it all.

Oh, definitely, I'm not suggesting to replace raw fruit/veg with sprouts but rather, instead of cooking the grain/legume part of a mash, sprouting it instead. So instead of a cooked mash of wheat/quinoa/couscous/beans/lentils/etc., with fresh raw veg/fruit-- sprouted wheat/quinoa/couscous/beans/lentils with fresh raw veg fruit.

Thanks for both your answers though

From what I've read, some sprouts are very high in protein, although obviously there are some which are not so high as well. My knowledge of sprouts is not very good though, so I've no idea past that in all honestly lol.

Actually thinking about it, even some of the grains are not fully "cooked" in human terms. One of the packets (can't remember which once) I think says to cook for 45 minutes but I only do about 15 mins (20-25 for the rice and lentils). I believe Bea does not cook some at all but just adds them whilst the cooked rice and lentils are still hot?

Ruby likes most of her veggies raw, but the Queen won't touch a raw carrot. Those have to be lightly steamed! She really doesn't like "glop" either. She prefers her food to be separated. Go figure!

Some of our flock like raw veggies and some don't so have to be able go either way. Preference is of course raw. Some we have to add veggies to the birdie bread in order for them to get them.