Preparing Sprouted Seeds
Sprouted seeds are a highly nutritious addition to any parrot's diet. Seeds for sprouting can be purchased from most bird supply stores. However, you can also purchase them from covered bulk bins at a health food store and create your own less-expensive mix. Sunflower seeds, lentils, garbanzo beans, whole green peas and even popcorn kernels can be sprouted, although they will need to soak longer. Avoid soybeans, lima beans, and kidney beans which should be cooked instead of sprouted and don't use seeds meant for planting.
- Rinse the mixture well
- Soak overnight
- Rinse again and serve
A mason jar with cheese cloth secured with a rubber band on the top works well for this. The seeds don't need to have growth showing to be nutritious, but can continue to be soaked and rinsed several times throughout the day for continued growth. Serve when short tails are showing. Be sure to sprout small batches to avoid spoilage. A tablespoon of sprouts is a generous serving.
