Re: Re: Saw this on another group site - sprouting sunnies

[Guest guest]

OOOh, and we have to use the hose to water the plants outside.  I wonder if it

is better if we let it run a bit before watering plants.  Let it go on the

grass for awhile, maybe.    And I can't remember a kid in my neighborhood

who didn't drink from a hose when we were kids.  But I do know that people

are warned not to.

 

Carolyn Wilkerson

 

To: sproutpeople

Sent: Tuesday, May 8, 2012 3:09 PM

Subject: Re: Saw this on another group site - sprouting

sunnies

 

I personally wouldn't use this method. First, the buckets used are not likely

food grade and could leach plastics in to the sprouts. Second, non organic seeds

would indeed negate " organic " farming for chickens. Third using a garden hose

would also put chemicals from the hose into the sprouts (hoses actually come

with a warning label on them not to drink from the hose, and that the hose

material contains " known carcinogens " )

>

> If you are raising organic chickens and you give them non-organic sunnies,

doesn't that change the status of the " organic " chickens?   Sounds like a

wayto grow a great number of sunflower seeds. 

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> Carolyn Wilkerson

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> To: sproutpeople

> Sent: Tuesday, May 8, 2012 1:13 PM

> Subject: Saw this on another group site - sprouting

sunnies

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> Thought someone might find this interesting. They are talking about

non-organic sunnies from BOSS (farm supply store). None-the-less, looks like a

good way to sprout alot at one time.

>

> Re: [OrganicChickens2] Black oil sunflower seeds

>

> Several people have asked, so here's the instructions for sprouting the BOSS.

This method will give you a steady supply of fresh sprouts all the time.

>

> I went to the dollar store and bought 4 10-qt. plastic pails, but you can also

use any plastic 5-gallon buckets you have around, or you can use smaller

pails,such as gallon ones. You will need at least two buckets, and they should

be the same size.

>

> Drill many holes in the bottom of one of the buckets for drainage - make it so

it's like a colander on the bottom. Do not drill any holes in the other bucket.

>

> Now, place the " holey " bucket inside of the " non-holey " bucket. Put a couple

of quarts of BOSS in the holey bucket. Fill the bucket with water so that the

water covers the sunflower seeds (they'll probably float, to a certain extent).

Set the whole set-up aside for about 12 hours for the seeds to absorb water and

soften up. The non-holey bucket holds all the excess water/drips, and the holey

bucket is used for easy draining.

>

> Now, after 12 hours (or overnight), just lift the top " holey " bucket out and

set it to drain in the sink or out in the yard. Dump any water out of the bottom

non-holey bucket.

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> After the water has drained off the seeds, put the holey bucket with the seeds

in it back in the other bucket.

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> About every 12 hours, or twice a day, run water on the seeds to cover them and

let them sit and plump up for a little while. Then drain them, as above.

>

> In this warm weather, I'm getting small sprouts in two days and big sprouts in

3-4 days.

>

> I have two of these bucket set-ups so that there's always mature sprouts and

new sprouts just starting.

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> Be very sure to rinse them twice a day in cool water. If you don't, they will

get moldy (not good for chickens).

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> You can put more than two quarts of seeds in the bucket at a time, that's just

the amount that works well for me and the number of chickens I have (15).

>

> I leave the buckets outside in the summer because they will attract fruit

flies. In the winter, I keep them in the pantry.

>

> I give the chickens three huge heaping handfuls of sprouts in the morning, and

the same in the evening. Mix with other food or just throw out on the ground.

>

> If you leave the sprouting seeds out where the sun can shine on them a bit,

they'll green up nice. Please note that I'm in Upstate NY and it seldom gets

over 80 degrees here, so if you live somewhere warmer, you'll want to keep them

in the shade.

>

> You can use the hose out in the yard to rinse and drain the sprouts and save

yourself any mess inside the house. Just keep the buckets of sprouts where

nobody's going to eat them up on you (chickens, wild birds, goats, deer, etc.).

>

> You'll see that a lot of black oil comes off the seeds and is dumped out with

the rinse water. Hopefully this helps get rid of any junk on the seeds.

>

> I used to do this in the house with colanders, but it's so much easier with

the buckets and you can do larger amounts.

>

> Have fun!

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> Carol S.

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