In the wild, a budgies diet consists of a large amount of fresh germinating millet and various other seeds. If you do not have the circumstances to grow your own fresh seeds, sprouting is the next best option.

While dried seed has little nutritional value when compared to germinating seed, during the sprouting process all of the dormant nutrients and vitamins come

alive in order to nourish the soon to be plant. The advantage of sprouting at home is you can then offer the germinating seed at the peak of nutritional value.

Since you likely already have a bag of dried seed mix at home, the real question is why not sprout them! What kind of seed can you easily sprout at home, and how can you safely sprout them? Here we will cover these questions, as well as show you step by step how to sprout your own.

Selecting What To Sprout

Any seed you decide to sprout needs to be fresh and un-hulled. Without the shell or hull seed will not sprout and go rancid rather quickly.

Fresh red Millet. white Millet, canary seed and niger.

You probably already have a variety of seeds to sprout in your everyday seed mix. Millets including red, white (proso), and milo are easy to soak and sprout and are very inexpensive to start out. Canary and niger seed are excellent options too. 

Dried quinoa and brown rice

 Quinoa and brown rice are good grains for sprouting. Quinoa is one of the most nutritious and quick sprouting options. When looking for brown rice for sprouting it is usually easier to use the short grain rather than the long, since the long grains tend to break easier, and they will not sprout when broken. 

Dried barley, wheat, corn, oats and milo millet

Other grains such as barley, wheat and rye are good to consider as well. They are sweeter in flavor and are a great beginner sprout for a picky budgie who does not like sprouts yet. Oats are another option too. Again, make sure they are not hulled as many grains are and these will not sprout.

Keeping Your Seed Fresh And Clean

One of the most important things to remember when sprouting seed is to wash, wash and when you are done, wash again! Any seed needs to be cleaned very well before soaking. If the seed is dirty, the water will be dirty and can easily spoil the seed before it even gets a chance to sprout.. 

If you are using quinoa this especially important, as it has a natural coating of saponin which while easy to wash off, is toxic to budgies if not removed. Even if 

you buy pre-washed quinoa, a quick wash or two is still a very good idea to be 100% safe.

During the rinsing process is the perfect time to look over them well to remove any debris that could potentially spoil the sprouts. We like to use a pasta strainer like the one pictured above for washing because it is easy sort and to drain any dirty water away, and unlike a bowl it keeps the seeds from falling out when draining.

You will need a jar or container of some sort to soak the seeds in once they have 

been thoroughly cleaned. Mason jars are great if you happen to have them! We like to place a small piece of paper towel over the top of the jar, but at the same time still allowing some air circulation. Clean the seeds a time or two during the soaking process if at all possible with cool water. The cleaner the water, the better!

To help prevent any bacteria or fungus from beginning to grow during the soaking period we like to use SaniClens in our soaking/sprouting water. SaniClens it is an excellent bird safe anti-fungal/antibacterial product for water safety. It will not effect the sprouting process at all and is safe for daily use for all bird species:

SaniClens (Aviclens)- For Drinking Water Safety

• Available Sizes: 30ml

$5.99

Add to Cart

Keeps drinking water sparkling clean and hygienic. Safe to use every day. SaniClens will retard the growth of yeasts, fungi and bacteria for up to 3 days.

How We Use This Product At Our Aviary: We use SaniClens to soak and sprout all of our seed mixes.

Creating A Place To Sprout

Aside from having fresh and clean seed, another key to sprouting successfully is making sure the seeds stay moist without drowning them. 

You can easily sprout seeds in a number of things you probably already have at home with the product mentioned above. Just about any shallow dish or container can 
work. Here for example we are using a

glass 9x13 pyrex container as you can see pictured above. With this kind of sprouting method we like to use a high grade natural paper towels to line the bottom of the container to absorb extra water and keep the seeds moist, but at the same time avoid their sitting in a puddle of water. Here is an example of the towels we use:

Seventh Generation Natural Paper Towels

After soaking your seeds for the recommended amount of time (more information on this below) spread them out in a thin layer. We like to keep a mist bottle on hand especially for sprouting our seed, filled with fresh GSE water.

After spreading the soaked seeds out, lightly mist them again until the towels are nice and moist. Then place another layer of towels over top of the soaked seed mix. 

Depending on the temperature in your home, you can also place a light weight towel over the top to help hold the moisture in, and provide a nice dark space for your sprouts. 

Check on them through the sprouting process to make sure they have enough moisture, and wash/ mist as needed. The link below will provide you with suggested times for soaking and sprouting, depending on the specific seed, grain or bean you are using:

Sprout People- Sprouting Times And Instructions

When To Offer Them To Your Flock

Each seed and grain has its own unique development time. For example, a grain of quinoa will begin to germinate just a few hours after it begins to soak. On the other hand, some barley can take 48 hours or more to sprout and be ready to eat.

Make sure to look up information on the specific variety you are working with, and sprout/offer accordingly.

The most nutrients are usually found right after the seed begins to sprout. Live growing seeds and grains of any age still have a great amount of nutritional value though, and have their own benefits 

Whether offering seeds that have been soaked, just begin to sprout or are well on their way to being little plants, your flock will no doubt love having these amazingly nutritious little powerhouses added to their diet!