Cooked Wheat can be fed separately or added to other foods. Notice how some of the kernels are split open.
Thawed frozen peas with cooked wheat.
Cooked wheat with dry nestling food processed in the food processor. This is added to my egg containing nestling food at a 50/50 ratio.Time to Start the Finishing Off Process - Adding Wheat to the Mid-molt Diet
Now that most of my birds are mid-molt, it is time to begin the finishing off process by increasing carb's in the diet. Even with cooked wheat fed both in nestling food and as kernels, it is not too much for even rollers during the molt.
Whole kernel wheat is available at a variety of places from health food stores, feed stores, and even directly from the farmer. This happened to come from my local feed store, who sells it for animal food, and it costs $15 for 50 lbs. A farmer will likely deliver twice that much for that kind of money for his grain! His wheat may or may not be cleaned and if dusty it will need to be washed before cooking. Be sure and do not buy treated wheat which is meant for planting.
I cook wheat in a rice cooker but it takes lots longer than cooking rice. If not soaked first, it is probably a couple of hours but if soaked overnight, the cooking time is significantly reduced. It is necessary to keep a watchful eye on it as periodically you will need to add additional water. Usually it takes about 3 times more water than wheat.
Once cooked and cool, I feed some as kernels and process some to add to my nestling food and any extra is stored covered with water in the refrigerator for the next day feedings.
Robin asks "How do I cook the wheat?"
ReplyDeleteI soak one or two cups overnight in water. Rinse well the next morning and place in a rice cooker with as much water as it will hold without boiling water out onto the counter. I add more water as needed during cooking and cook what seems like forever till the some of the kernels break open as pictured. My cooker is really old, small and slow (haven't looked at a clock but it must be more than an hour or two) but my friend Margaret's rice cooker does the job in half the time. I don't think she cooks hers as done as I do. After cooking I cool at room temperature and then use, refrigerate or freeze extra so it will last me longer.
Once I get the birds through the molt and finished off, I will not need extra carb's in their diet..
The birds like the processed wheat with nestling food which I add to their eggfood 50/50 best.
Big Bird likes to eat some too. I put it with fresh tomatoes and cucumbers and in sugar free splenda cookies to reduce flour needed and even in add to my cooked oatmeal for breakfast! I like the texture and taste and I just seem to crave it. Wonder if I am out of condition? Are my feathers loose?