4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Guest]

had a packet of these in the drawer for a while now

 

http://seeds.thompson-morgan.com/uk/en/product/227/1

 

just got round to putting some in jam jars as per the instructions etc but do you think the girls would like some? Has anybody tried their chickens with sprouted seeds, did they like them and are they okay to give to them do you think?

[Snowy]

Oh, there was an article in a back copy of practical poultry a few months ago about giving them sprouting seeds. I can't remember the details other than they were very popular and very good for them!

[Guest]

excellent, thanks snowy, looking forward to trying them myself too

[kiwichick]

I sprout mung bean seeds (from the supermarket bulk bins) for the girls and pop them in their yoghurt. From what I've read the nutritional value of a seed or grain increases dramatically once it's been sprouted.

[superjules]

I've sprouted alfalfa seeds - they don't go mad over them but they do eat them.

[Strepsy]

Oh, superjules, I think I read somewhere you're not meant to give chooks alfalfa? Will see if I can find it. I only remember because I have 4 packs of sprouting seeds, one of them alfalfa, so would have to remember not to give them those ones. Could very well be wrong though.

 

Edit: Ha, funnily enough it was you that posted it, so I guess you're aware of it! Here http://club.omlet.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=18433&highlight=alfalfa

[superjules]

Alfalfa is used in a lot of American processed chicken feeds.

 

There's a theory that something in alfalfa affects their growth (I think!) but after they weren't very enthusiastic about it I probably won't bother with it again.

 

Thanks for your concern though Strepsy - it's nice to know it's not just me looking out for my chooks!

[Guest]

They'll probably think they're worms!

 

Louise

[Guest]

i did buy these for the girls originally, started them on wednesday and they're ready already, this is the result of 1 tablespoon of seeds!

 

http://www.liverpoolpoet.talktalk.net/sprouts4.jpg

 

 

they were very well received....

 

http://www.liverpoolpoet.talktalk.net/sprouts5.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

...by us

 

well, they're meant to be a 'super food' full of vitamins, minerals and they tasted lovely with some houmous!

[Jules.]

did you sprout them in a jam-jar with a toilet roll in it?

[Guest]

did you sprout them in a jam-jar with a toilet roll in it?

 

in jam jars covered with pieces of triangular bandage

 

here http://www.liverpoolpoet.talktalk.net/sprouts3.jpg

 

the instructions are in the link in the first post in this thread. I'm going to try different seeds next time, it's fun and good for you! I think I'm hooked

[Jules.]

Easy-peasy. how many sandwiches do you think a whole packet of seeds will fill?

[Blackrocksrock]

Thomson and Morgan do a wonderful 2 tier sprouter and they had an offer - buy lots of seeds and get the sprouter free. I love it

[Guest]

Easy-peasy. how many sandwiches do you think a whole packet of seeds will fill?

 

oh gosh, well there was about 5 tablespoons worth in the packet, 1 tblsp per jar and DH and I had 1 jar's worth btwn us with some houmous and we had 2 rounds of bread each so 2 sandwiches. If you bulk it out with chopped red peppers it would be delish and go a bit further.

 

A whole packet therefore should give you about 20 sandwiches-ish? maybe more if you add other stuff to your sarnie.

[Guest]

Thomson and Morgan do a wonderful 2 tier sprouter and they had an offer - buy lots of seeds and get the sprouter free. I love it

 

i saw some sprouters on the web by a company called Biosnacky but they were expensive. I'm going to stick with my jars for now but if I see a cheap one on e bay or something I might get one.

 

how long have you been using yours and what seeds do you sprout?

[Blackrocksrock]

I had mine for about 8 months or so and use it quite a bit - thomson and morgan seeds, mung beans, alfalfa, radish, sandwich mix, spicy fenugreek(very nice in a sarny). I love them and we had a works meeting in an evening and as I work next door I did the cooking, venison and cranberry sausages, salads and sprouted seeds and boy they went although I did not think they would and only did a small amount. I bought beet seeds from them but they dont work so must send them back.

I was too lazy to use jam jar which does the same thing Enjoy

[Guest]

actually this

 

http://seeds.thompson-morgan.com/uk/en/product/gww9723/1

 

only came to £8.99 for 6 packs of seeds plus the sprouter plus the p&p!

 

I've just ordered one, bargain!

[superjules]

I've got one like that but it's got 3 tiers and it's green and I got it from the health food shop.

 

I've done some beans in it but mainly alfalfa, cos it's easy and I'm essentially a very lazy person.

 

Nearly forgot - the biosnacky is pants, don't bother!

[hipdeep]

For many years I had a green wing macaw. If you think chook fanatics are nutty try a parrot board. Some of those big parrots start in around 10K in the US so folks are forever obsessing about every little thing. God forbid you kill a bird worth more than a car that lives 70 years.

 

I sprouted for my baby, Delicious, and there is a great website in the US called SproutPeople that has a bird sprout mix. If you can't buy it you might want to log on just to see the seed types. They are categorized by seed size, not bird size, so big bird mix isn't just for big birds if you follow?

 

When the seed first sprouts it is much more nutritious than the seed alone or the plant later. I'm not sure about chooks, but the parrot people avoid alfalfa if it comes from the market, because market sprouts tend to be full of bacteria. I think you can sprout it yourself, you just aren't supposed to feed it off shelf.

 

Other tips:

We spray all produce first with white vinegar, then with hydrogen peroxide, let it sit a minute, then rinse. Incredible disenfectant, and non-toxic.

 

Parrot people avoid flesh near a pitted fruit, pits, and apple seeds. They're all thought of as toxic. Also chocolate, salt, and advocado, and any fortified cereal grains such as cheerios. Sources of iron are thought to be potentially lethal as some parrots suffer from a disease that is derived from an excess of iron.

 

I wonder how much of this applies to chooks?

 

Hope that sprout info helps?

-Brooke in Essex, MA- USA

[superjules]

Very interesting - thanks Hipdeep. I like the bit about rinsing them in vinegar first - I've never done that but it sounds like a good idea.

 

OH jumped up and down when I spent £12.50 a piece buying my chooks. I can't imagine his reaction if I bought a bird that cost more than the contents of our house!

[Fleur]

another thing about alfalfa is that it is quite hish in Vitamin K, which prevents blood clotting, it wouldnt affect a human but a high amount might affect a chicken, especially one that gets pecked and then bleeds etc.

[Guest]

not sure i'd want to rinse my seeds in vinegar and bleach first, all the web sites i've read about sprouting don't mention it. Presumably seeds from a seed company (like Thompson & Morgan) will be perfectly safe.

 

I'm glad we decided to eat the sprouts then and not give them to the girls as they've got alfalfa in them.

[Blackrocksrock]

Yes this is what we bought - its great - enjoy

[Guest]

actually this

 

http://seeds.thompson-morgan.com/uk/en/product/gww9723/1

 

only came to £8.99 for 6 packs of seeds plus the sprouter plus the p&p!

 

I've just ordered one, bargain!

 

went to my local garden centre yesterday and they were selling this sprouter for £5.99 and the seeds for £1.99 a packet so this was a total bargain if anyone wants to get one, I;d do it via this link!

 

the £8.99 included everything, even the p&p!

 

It says £12 on the web site (plus £1.99 p&p) but when you go to checkout, it gives you a £5 discount, well it did for me, maybe it's a new customer discount?