One of our wonderful customers sent through an email asking if they could sprout our Whole Hemp Seeds for their pets recently. Is a great question and I thought its probably one that many people wonder..
You may have seen or even eaten sprouts yourself, alfalfa sprouts are probably the most common, I remember when I was growing up, my mum used to add them to everything :) .. She wanted to add extra nutrition to our meal and they were a great way to add extra crunch to a salad or sandwich. So why not feed them to our pets for the exact same reason!!
Sprouts are seeds that have germinated and that are in the process of becoming plants. It can be any seed really, as long as the seed is viable, it can sprout! When seeds are exposed to the right combination of temperature and moisture, they sprout and become one of the most nutritious foods you can feed your bird and or poultry. Birds, like humans, require greens to obtain a balanced nutritional diet, so providing birds with fresh greens like sprouts and vegetables daily, greatly increases their overall food value.
The sprouting process stimulates the seed starting to grow, and therefore it releases essential enzymes that are easily digested. Sprouts also allow the body to absorb the rich source of proteins, vitamins and minerals, making it a super food for birds.
So now we know that sprouts are great for our pets overall health, can we use the the amazing SUPERFOOD of WHOLE HEMP SEEDS to create nutritious sprouts for our beloved pets?? We know that Hemp Seeds provide an explosion of Omega 3, 6 & 9, not to mention highly available protein and a huge fibre content, so it makes it a complete no brainer to want to sprout them!!
Unfortunately, Australian regulations prohibit the sale of Whole Hemp Seeds that are viable for germination (unless sold under license for cropping purposes) so we have to heat treat the seeds prior to sale, to ensure they are unable to produce a viable plant. Not all is lost though! Feeding our Whole Hemp Seeds in their raw form still packs a mighty punch!!! Your birds will still gain the amazing benefits of Hemp Seeds - the essential fatty acid content (Omegas 3, 6 &9) and the highly digestible protein and fibre content! So feel confident that although at this time we cant sprout this power house of nutrition, we can certainly still give our animals the benefits every day!
