what's the deal with germination?

[Mr.Darcy]

What are the benefits, if any, to soaking and germinating seeds for our parrots?

[pchela]

A germinated or sprouted seed contains a lot more nutrition than a dry one.

There are tons of websites about it. Here is an excerpt from one.

In a nut shell (no pun intended) the main benefit of sprouting is that it takes a seed or nut in the dormant state and brings it to life. During the sprouting process new and higher quality proteins and other nutrients are produced. Tests have shown that the nutrients in seeds and nuts are anywhere from 50% to 400% greater after sprouting or soaking. For example, according to Rita Romano in her book Dining in the Raw, millet and wheat contain over 5 times the vitamin C when sprouted and the vitamin B content grows substantially as well.

[Kim S]

Make sure you dont soak them for too long. When the little shoots turn green they use up a lot of that nutricion.
And flush everything out really really well. Fungi and molds love damp warm places.

[minhta]

Hi everyone

This subject is new to me. I'm currently feeding Roger millet as a reward when training him. So if I want to make it more nutritious do I just soak the part with the seeds in water? Any idea how long it should be soaked? Eg: overnight or just a few hours? Thanks

[entrancedbymyGCC]

I don't know a lot about this at a biochemical level, but I think what is basically happening during germination is that the seed kind of starts to digest itself, converting starches, cellulose and proteins into more usable compounds which fuel the growth of the shoot. It's not magically manufacturing something out of nothing, but it is undergoing chemical changes mediated by enzymes.

[Mr.Darcy]

So does anyone here germinate the seeds? If so do you soak for 24hrs, then rinse the seeds well, let sprout a bit (1-3 days) and feed with regular food, or let sprout, then rinse then feed....or does that really matter? And take out in a few hours if not eaten??? I have noticed the wild outdoor birds tend to love the seeds that fall on the deck in the rain as much or more than in the birdfeeder...

[HyperD]

I soak beans for 24 hours, then rinse, leave to sprout, then after about 6 hours, rinse again... then after another 6 hours rinse and they should have sprouted enough to serve

I tend to keep it in a separate bowl from the regular food.