Soaked seeds

[Waxbillman]

hello all,

does anyone use soaked seeds or sproated seeds?

if so what do you do it, to sproat it and kill bacteria.

i have always steered well clear of using the dam stuff, but a friend of mine has had some good success using this.

Matthew

[chris]

Hi Matthew,

one capfull of vanodine to 6 litres of water to sanitise the water, then use that to soak the seeds. you could also use that avigold stuff

Chris;)

[Waxbillman]

thanks Chris,

i use both products, but i think i'll use vanodine as its more powerful, i soak for 24 hours right? and how many times does it need rinsing and how long left to drawn, etc.

Matthew

[chris]

Hi Matthew,

i soak for as long as i like, just change the water every day. it's best to rinse the seeds with the vanodine again as that makes sure there's nowt on it. you'll also notice the water turns a blue/black due to the starch coming out of the seeds mixing with the iodine in the vanodine. i've just discovered groats are great for soaking by the way, soften up nicely and the canaries go mad for it:wink:

Chris:wink:

[kenny]

hi matt
you rinse it at least 3 times ,or at least it becomes clear,i have been doing it the same way for years and have never ever failed with this,but you need to rob some ones tights first as i use the feet part,.............you could always buy a pair .then you get enough seed for as many birds as you will be giving it to and the amount you will be giving each one ,say half to a full teaspoon for each bird (i just use my normal seed mix but you can buy special stuff but i have never done it ) then you put the seed in the foot of the pair of tights ,after cutting it off first.put it in a plastic jug or ice cream container until it is completly covered i leave mine for 24 hrs you can hasten the process by pouring boiling water on the seed first.then i rinse it till it comes clear and then leave it in a light warm place(by the way you can get excess moisture out by going outside and swinging the stuff around above your head but dont let go )the next day especially with rape seed it should have sprouted and if it has you can dip it in clean water again then get rid of the excess and then leave it and the next day the sprouts will be even longer then you can feed them to your birds .i have a new batch ready to use by doing the second batch half way through the first process .you can sprinkle with any thing you like as its a good way of getting them to take vitamins medicine and the like and of course during the rinsing process you can use vanodine or whatever rocks your boat.i know it sounds like a load of messing about but once you get in the swing it becomes automatic.plus you can leave the last lot of water on and add eggfood to it dry and that will take the excess water away naturally.now i am going to write this up for cage and avairys:lol:

ken

[Waxbillman]

thankyou good sir, i shall have to try it soon

Matthew

[kenny]

hi matt
i am sorry it was so long but i thought you would rather have the unabridged version rather than miss something,let me know how you go on with it and dont worry about sourness as mine dosent usually last long enough but if it does sour you will be able to smell it instantly mate

cheers
ken

[kenny]

hi matt
again just something else i remembered you can buy mung beans especially for this soaked seed business , as they are the common or garden bean sprouts you get with your chinese meals............ok i have finished now..............i just dont want you to fail mate and i am also annoyed for you about the redheads leaving there chicks

ken

[Waxbillman]

thanks again Ken

as for the tights i already have a pair for catching birds safely in carry cages.

i will try with normal foreign finch seeds, i'm bllody annoyed with the buggers but there you go.

Matthew

[laurab]

Hi Kenny

I have never done it but I have read that some people add bleach :shock:

I trust that once your article has had an airing on C&A, we will get to see it here too ;)

[kenny]

hi laura
of course you will see it on here first,:lol: i have heard about the bleach thing also but it sounds like one of those old style bird keeping ideas that sounds good in theory.i dont think i would eat anything that was soaked in bleach,as most of the bleach would be absorbed by the seed vitamins or anything else in liquid form i would say yes

ken

[Strawblady2000]

I prepare soaked millet (white or red) for my birds.

It takes about 48 hours total.

I use either Sparkle water cleanser or KD water cleanser.

I put them in a canning jar with a screen as a lid. Rinse thoroughly (until water is clear)

I then mix right amount of cleanser with water and let seed soak for 8 hours (no more than 12 hours).

Rinse thoroughly. Drain all water. Set jar at 45 degree angle and rotate to allow air a few times a day.

24 hours later, rinse thoroughly again and drain all water. Rotate as you did yesterday.

Seed should be ready after another 24 hours. Temp makes a difference, so some sprout faster/slower.

Seed last for 3 days in fridge in a sealed bag or container.

Remember, they should always smell sweet...never like beer, lol.

Feed while sprouts are less than 1 quarter inch long...as this is the most beneficial as the enzymes are the best at this stage.

Birds go nuts for it and it works great when mised with softfood or any supplements, etc.

[kenny]

hi nikki
roughly the same idea as mine,probably works just the same,you are also right in the fact that the shorter the stems the better they taste,well i haven`t asked the birds but you know what i mean.have you tried rape seed on its own it sprouts really quick and the good thing about it is if you plant rape seed in a pot the birds eat all the plant,it looks a little like nastursium

ken8)

[laurab]

Thanks for that Nikki; by the way, love the name of your aviary ;)

[laurab]

Hey Kenny

I grew hemp last year by accident, made a fortune off the neighbours!! :-P :-P

[chris]

Hi Laura,

i too have grown hemp in the past. it self seeded in the aviary among many other seeds, so avioded detection. then one day when i decided i had better do some weeding i find one that was just over a foot tall hiding among the plants!!! anyway, since i was only tearing out the other weeds by hand it made sense to go get a trowl to get this one out just incase it grew back, upon returning to the aviary i find a stem with no leaves and a fat happy looking greenfinch:shock: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Chris

[PAUL HEARN]

Hello all,

Matthew,

I soak my seed in much the same way as Chris using Vanodine V18 to prevent the seed going sour, and like Kenny I use tights to strain of the excess water as this prevents losing the smaller seeds if you were to use a seive. I rinse and change the water 2-3 times a day and feed it just before or just after the seed starts to sprout, but it doesn't hurt to feed as a greenfood if it sprouts more than Nikki stated.

The soaked seed I feed to my Birds is the same mixture they are provided dry which is a variety of seed mixtures anyway.

Ken,

I look forward to reading your article on this subject in C&A, please don't forget to let the readers where your inspiration came from for the article.:lol:

Chris and Laura,

I grew three Hemp Plants by accident many years ago when I lived in Surrey, my next door neighbour at the time threatened my Mother that she was going to report me to the Police for growing Maijuana,:roll: two of them had grown in the garden and one in my Mothers Jay aviary, the two in the garden weren't all that impressive, but the one in the Jay's aviary grew to about 3 1/2 ft tall until she perched on once too often and it collapsed (the Jay that is, not my Mother).:lol:

Back to soaking seed, I also soak my Millet Sprays during the breeding season using the method above, minus the use of tights for straining the excess water.

Paul.:wink:

[kenny]

hi paul
its surprising how many people this has happened to,as the hemp seed that they supply in bird seed mixtures are supposed to be sterile so they cant sprout but i have a mixture during the breeding season that includes hemp and it all sprouts!:shock:

ken

heavy man !;-) like right on baby

[PAUL HEARN]

Hi Ken,

I too have heard the rumour that the Hemp in our seed mixtures are supposed to be sterile, but I think that it actually applies to seed available in the US, I also read somewhere that Hemp isn't legally available in mixtures in the US?
Maybe Nikki can let us know if any of the above is true?:roll:

Paul.:-D

[Strawblady2000]

Thanks for that Nikki; by the way, love the name of your aviary ;)

No prob, Laura.

You got a new avatar didnt you? Thats a beauty. What kind of bird is it?

Thanks! Hubby raised an eyebrow at the name, lol but I dont think he was thinking what I was!

Also, I found a "recipe" for using the bleach method.

:shock:

It said 5% bleach 95% water. Technically, the bleach evaporates and is only used for the initial 8-10 hour soak and is rinsed off.

Still...it just doesnt sound like something I'd try. I'll stick to the other stuff.

[Strawblady2000]

Hi Ken,

I too have heard the rumour that the Hemp in our seed mixtures are supposed to be sterile, but I think that it actually applies to seed available in the US, I also read somewhere that Hemp isn't legally available in mixtures in the US?
Maybe Nikki can let us know if any of the above is true?:roll:

Paul.:-D

Well, as an ex-hemp-by-product connesuer (lol)...I can tell you that hemp is not legal. Simple seeds can bring jail time. Even hemp products are technically illegal...but usually only the plants or seeds or by-products, lol, get you into trouble. It varies by state, as in some states, it is allowed for medicinal use in terminally ill patients or those with things such as glaucoma, etc...but it is being challenged on a federal level, as federal law outlaws it.

I used to live in Washington (pretty much an abundant supply for those who choose to indulge, lol) and while laws are similar, it usually isnt enforced with anything strict unless you have over 1 ounce or are selling it. In Texas, I wouldnt want to get caught with a roach (the butt end of a joint, in case your teminology is different).

So, hemp seeds are not legal.

I was WONDERING how anyone could accidentally grow them, lol.....and realized they are allowed in your seed mixes, lol!!!!!!!

[laurab]

Hi Nikki

the photo is of my cock Pekin Robin.

I will ask my 'Cop' friends about growing hemp here :???:

[Strawblady2000]

Very nice, Laura.

Guess it is evident that I only keep finches, lol...

Very very nice.

[PAUL HEARN]

Hi Nikki,

Thanks for the reply, so what I have read regarding the legal status of Hemp seed in the US isn't a myth at all.:roll:

I wont go into illegal forms of the substances obtained from this Family of Plants etc, but the Hemp that is present in seed mixtures for our Birds, or available as bait for Fishing is far removed from the Hemp/Cannabis Plant used in various forms for recreational use.;-)

The Hemp grown in the UK is used mainly for the production of rope etc, and the Hemp available in our seed mixtures is also far removed from the type that can cause you to giggle like a complete idiot at the slightest mention of something remotely funny for two hours straight.:lol:

By the way, as well as being the name of a Fish in the UK, a Roach also means the same in the context you were using.

Paul.;-)

[kenny]

hi paul
a lot of the tree huggers have clothes made out of hemp,i bet it scratches worse than an army battle dress

ken:lol:

[Strawblady2000]

Hiya Paul...

Well, if you ask me, lol, as if anyone did, the US government is a bunch of tight a**** about the whole thing. Hemp is one of the strongest woven fibers, for material, rope, etd.. Strong paper can be made of it, thereby much reducing the need for trees, etc. for these types of products. If the US government would at least allow production of hemp for these 2 purposes alone, it would be so much more environmental than using forest rpoducts. But alas, hemp is associated with pot...and no politician will touch it.

Personally, I dont care for the look of it, lol, but it would be a way to cut back on using other natural resources.

As for the hemp seeds, youre right, they are different. Many places that cultivate cannibis dont even use seeds anymore. It sounds funny, but true. Hemp seeds should be absolutely harmless, but, as I said, we have a bunch of tight-reared government officials here when it comes to that.

Okay, Im done.

Sorry!

[chris]

Hi Paul,

the hemp grown in the UK has been cultivated for use in ropes, materials, seeds etc. however while the resin that gets you high is far far weaker in our plants than it is in the plants that the drug dealers use, the main reason for it being weaker is due to the fact that the seed pods are fertilised. those who grow it to smoke only grow female plants to prevent the flowers becoming fertilised, then the pods that grow after simply fill up with the resin (THC i think it's called??) which is far more concentrated and used in spliffs etc.:lol:

if you knew what you were doing (before anyone asks i do happen to know what i'm doing:lol: ) then it is quite possible to get a good yeild from the commercial plants grown here in the UK. i've never smoked the stuff and never will, just picked a few things up off friends and various websites to feed my curiosity:lol:

also, the seeds over here aren't meant to be sterile, that's just a myth, they've just been cultivated for other purposes making them almost useless unless your a nutter like me

Chris:lol:

[kenny]

hi chris
thats another myth expoled then as i was always given to believe they were sterile ,maybe they say that so that you will not try and grow any.i wonder if there is any way that you could grow the plants to make nesting material seeing as you can weave it and you can make clothes and the like from it:-D

ken

[chris]

Hi Ken,

i would try it but i doubt when the police see my greenhouse full of canabis that they will believe i am growing it for seeds andfibre, and not for other uses:lol:

[kenny]

hi chris
apparently the actor woody harrelson wears nothing else but clothes woven out of hemp ! he could set himself on fire and sniff his clothes:-D :-D

ken

[PAUL HEARN]

Hello all,

Thanks for the replies on this,

Nikki,

It is a shame that certain Birds in the US are not allowed to eat this valuable seed, but more importantly as you have stated the harmless Hemp Plant is also available for the production of paper and clothing.:roll:

Chris,

I'm really starting to worry about you mate,:lol: you always seem to investigate any obstacle put before you.
And on this subject I think the less said the better, on your part anyway.:lol:

Paul.:wink:

[kenny]

hi paul
he even knows what they call them cigs that they roll from it i have no idea what he is talking about at all and i am a child of the 60s groovy baby

ken

[Strawblady2000]

Hiya Kenny,

You know, that wouldnt surprise me one bit, lol.

Woody is one of the leading activists in California for legalizing mary-jane. It was approved for medicinal there. Dont remember if it was overturned, though.

[kenny]

hi nikki
a lot of people in this country smke it for medicinal purposes and the police turn a blind eye to it as they know they are using it for themselves .people with chronic pain and people with m s have certainly praised its beefits as oppossed to painkillers

ken

[Waxbillman]

speak for yourself Ken :lol: most decent people never go near the stuff apart from the scrubbers and low lifes, and also the upper class students who take it to try and make them look like normal people (David bloody Cameron, the younger clone of mr Blair), a few decades late i'd say, they should stick to their Polo and horsiculture, and drive their wack off range rovers through the city like they always do, etc, your exempt from this Ken being from the crazy long haired pot smoking hippy era (when the AR first reared its ugly head) was a different matter.
anyway, sorry for going off topic.

Matthew

[kenny]

:-D hi matt
no problem mate,i didn`t say i smoked it myself i have enough with all the pills i take without that rubbish.

ken

[Strawblady2000]

Suuuuurrreee, Kenny...<wink wink>


JUST KIDDING!



Proud to say I'm 6 years clean and sober.

[PAUL HEARN]

Hi Nikki and Matthew,

Nikki,

Please try not to worry your secret is safe with us, I'm so pleased that you are making good progress in turning your back on such a shady past.:lol:

Matthew,

Don't hold back and beat about the bush mate, please tell us how you really feel about this subject.:lol:
I'm just pleased to know that you lead a good clean life Matthew, that you always refrain from making stereotypical comments, being judgemental and putting certain people into pigeon holes.

Mate you would be so surprised if only you knew how many decent people you have met in your lifetime (from all walks of life) that have indulged in what you see to be so low down and dirty.

About 11 years ago I was working with a very respectful lady by the name of Sheila in her mid 50's, one day she very sheepishly mentioned to me that her Parents who were in their mid 70's were suffering from two different, but very painful illnesses, one of them being MS that Ken mentioned before.
Sheila, told me that the medication her Parents were receiving from their GP was doing very little towards helping with the pain they suffered 24/7, she explained that the pain was so severe that they were both willing to try Cannabis to relieve the pain.
She asked me if I could buy some for her Parents, but in the end she decided not to go through with it only because she was afraid of the law.:?

For all you know mate, one day you may be on an operating table being operated on by a Surgeon who smoked a joint the night before he takes a scalpel to you?:shock:

Paul.

[Waxbillman]

:lol: now theres a nice thought Paul. i have decided to change my diet, so i avoid all the future pain (impossible i know) after my breakfast for fried bread and a box of jaffa cakes,

me Make stereotypical comments, being judgemental and putting certain people into pigeon holes???

now where did you get that idea from :lol: but yeh probabily true, i stand by my comments though. Cannibis is not too bad i suppose, but its the other stuff that concerns me, and the way this country deals with them, put me in charge, i'll sort em out.

Matthew

[kenny]

hi nikki
nice new avatar you have there,is it one of your birds

ken

[Strawblady2000]

Hi Kenny,

Thanks! Its my orange headed hen. Thanks for the help in being able to load pics!!!

She's nearly a year. Just have to get here to quick laying eggs on the floor, lol, and in the nest! She's paired with a yellow back red headed male.

Thanks again, Kenny.

[PAUL HEARN]

Hi Matthew,

I reckon if we put you and Chris in charge of the UK we would be sorted in a couple of years.:lol:

I'd like to think you would employ me to be in charge of the law regarding the legality of Animal Rights orgs, and the sentence for running such organisations.:shock:

Paul.;-)

[Waxbillman]

:lol: yep sure thing, you can do what you want with them, no questions asked.

Matthew

[PAUL HEARN]

Lovely jubbly,:lol:

Obviously you know I would treat any such people in an unbiased and fair fashion.
And that I would consider their views on the keeping and breeding of all Animals in captivity with an open mind, and after that I would send them to a Zoo to help feed the large Cat collections, preferably having them sent alone into the appropriate enclosure shortly after taking a shower in fresh Pigs blood.:lol:

So does that clinch the job for me?

Paul.;)

[kenny]

hi nikki
no problem,thats what we are here for to help each other...........paul i think the best thing you could do is throw them in a big vat of acid!:-D

ken

[PAUL HEARN]

Hi Ken,

I have far more sick and satisfying ideas than that mate, but I'm trying my best to be a good boy on the Forum.:lol:

Paul.:-D

[kenny]

heyup paul did you see all those mannakins for sale in this weeks c&a mate

ken

[PAUL HEARN]

Hi Ken,

What did I miss apart from the very old Black Headed Nuns that North Cornwall Aviaries had to offer mate?:wink:

Paul.:D

[kenny]

hi paul
woodlea birds in maldon where jimmy lives as follows.....................
rufous backed mannakins £16 pair
black and white mannakins £12 pair
magpie mannakins £15 pair
if you take 5 or more pairs of black and white mannakins £8pair


ken

[PAUL HEARN]

Hi Ken,

I may take up the offer of Rufous Backed Mannikins?

Paul.:wink:

[chris]

Hi Paul,

i think the most satisfying sentence would be to liberate the AR in the country. it must be awfull for them being locked up in there homes all day, and having to go to work and make street collections. how much happier would they be if we released them back into the wild with no form of technology like the cavemen of old. i say we drop a few off here and there in the amazon, africa, asia. they then become like every other animal they've released in having no idea how to survive and becoming top of the menu for tigers, pythons, bears, crocodiles, lions, cannabals..........:twisted:

we could always send in the RSPCP (royal society for the Prevention of cruelty to people) to have them put down, shot, caged up and malnurished.

ofcourse, my ideal plan would be to ship them all off to an uninhabited island, preferably with a large volcano that's about to blow, along with murderers, rapists, illegal immigrants, terrorists, tony blair, george bush etc etc.... and then drop a nice nuclear bomb on em.

alternatively they could be released into the country side over here, and we could pass a new law declaring AR open season all year round. my choice of weapons would have to include a crossbow, rifle, taser, rocket launcher, flamethrower, and the good old favourite mr C4 :lol:

Chris:lol:

[kenny]

hi chris
you are getting to close to a pure resolution there i would like to get tony blair and stick a red hot poker up his bottom and i dont mean the flowering kind.i think every prime minister should be made to wear an electric collar and everyone in the country a button to press to tighten it everytime he makes a mistake.if it was tony blair he would be totally dead by now.i hate him with a passion!:evil:

ken

[Waxbillman]

well its taken 2 months, but tommorrow i am definately going to start soaking the seed.

i am also going to start fruit fly cultures off when i gets some manky old bananas

Matthew

[kenny]

hi matt
whats made you decide to do it now mate.

ken

[Strawblady2000]

Let us know how it goes. Are you sprouting millet first?

Remember, it should have a sweet smell...not one that resembles cheap beer, lol!!!

BTW...I actually found a dried eggfood that has hemp seeds in it. Wow. Imported from our Canadian neighbors, lol. So far, it is the only eggfood in the US that I've seen in stores that has it.

[Waxbillman]

hello Ken and Nikki

i said i would start offering it and now is coming up to the breeding season, i went to a friends set up in Durham and i saw how much his birds loved it

i'm sproating an exotic finches mix that consists of canary, niger, mixed millets and chopped groats

Matthew

[chris]

Hi Nikki,

sounds to me like you've just taken the first steps to becoming a drugs barron:lol:
you'll probably find that your birds throw the eggfood everywhere to get to the hemp seeds as most birds go mad for them - makes you wonder why:lol:

Chris;-)

[kenny]

hi chris
you are right there,but second on the list for my bengies is the groats but they are really fattening.but perfect for youngsters that need a boost

ken

[Strawblady2000]

Morning Matthew,

They do go MAD for it!! I've never sprouted mixed seeds together, as I wasnt sure if different seeds sprout at different rates. But I can only imagine how the birds would go crazy over a sprouted seed buffet!!!

Heya Chris!

Thant's me...smuggling hemp seeds in via bird seed. What a cover, huh? In the state I used to live in, police would always check the vacuum cleaner bag/canister first when doing searches...bound to find seeds in there, no matter how well one's stash is hidden, lol....

Hi Kenny,

Now, you're talking oat groats, right? I've also heard they are a great vessel for administering medicine/liquid vitamins. Never tried them, though.

Also...if they are a bit fattening, they would in deed give a boost for youngers or other birds that need a little weight. I didnt know they were high cal...think I'll keep some on hand, especially for weanlings. Thanks!!!

Oh, if y'all arent talking oat groats, could you specify so that I can find the right thing?

Thank ya

[kenny]

hi nikki
yeah thats the stuff also comes in clipped in this country but swels up to much and goes off to quick,usually when i put my mixture out the first to go is the groats and just the whiute hulls are left as the insides are easier to feed to youngsters.but other people have other favourites as all birds choose different seeds .some like the oilyness of niger etc

ken

[Strawblady2000]

Kenny,

The only groats I've really seen arent very fine...honestly, it looks more like small animal corn cob bedding, lol...

I've never really examined it well, but next time I drive in to pick up bulk seed and dog food, I'll definately ask!

[kenny]

hi nikki
i have a picture here of what our groats look like

ken


http://www.feathered-friends.co.uk/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=361&stc=1&d=1145915588

[Strawblady2000]

Thanks Kenny!

That certainly helps for when I go to find some!!!

Very clever.

[kenny]

hi nikki
dont get it confused with paddy rice though as they are very similar.just download the picture and show it to the seed merchant,if he knows his onions (or groats) he will be able to help

ken