Sprouting finch seed will enhance nutrition.
Many finch owners add spouted seeds to their birds' diets to enhance the health of their pets. Sprouted seeds balance the bird's diet by adding a nutritious supply of enzymes, chlorophyll, vitamins, minerals, and protein. Feeding finches an unbalanced diet can lead to health problems such as immune system issues, organ failure and cancer. Spouting seeds is a simple process, but you need to be careful to ensure seeds don't become contaminated with bacteria in the sprouting process.
Instructions
1. Place 5 heaping tbsp. white millet seed in a 1-quart glass jar.
2. Cover the lid with a piece of cheesecloth or muslin and secure it with a rubber band.
3. Pour bottled water through the cloth into the jar. Swirl the water around to remove any dust that may contain bacterial spores. Drain and repeat rinsing process three or four times.
4. Add a few drops of bleach to enough bottled water to fill the jar. A small amount of bleach will kill bacteria and won't damage seeds. Allow seeds to soak for 12 hours at room temperature.
5. Rinse seeds again three or four times after 12 hours then place the jar on its side and allow it to drain for five minutes.
6. Roll the jar on its side to spread seed evenly in the jar. Let the jar lie on its side for 12 hours then rinse the seeds again. Rotate the jar several times during this period to aerate the seeds. Seeds should begin sprouting in 12 to 24 hours.
7. Remove seeds when sprouts are 1/8-inch long.
8. Smell seeds to ensure freshness. Seeds should have a nutty smell. If they smell bad, they may have bacterial contamination. Discard bad-smelling seeds and start over.
9. Feed sprouted seeds to finches. Serve small amounts to begin with when introducing a new food to finches. Experiment to see how much sprouted seed your finch will consume. Remove any uneaten sprouted seeds after a few hours.
10. Add 1 tsp. organic safflower oil to 1 cup sprouted seeds to keep them from drying out.
11. Store unused sprouted seeds in the refrigerator for up to seven days.
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