Ground flax everyday?

zERo

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Hello everyone :giggle:

I have a few questions concerning flax seed, specifically ground.
My cockatiels and budgies eat chop like champs, they love it, I have no issues with them, however my Quaker and Gcc do not eat it so well.
When I first got my Gcc he LOVED chop and ate every bit of it, he came from a place where he was only fed budgie seed so I guess he relished it, but now he will waste up to a third of it.
My Quaker never loved chop but he did eat most of it in the beginning but now he will waste up to half.
I give them two chop for breakfast and then for dinner they get birdie bread, 1/4 tsp. seed, and a fresh veggie or two and maybe a bit of fruit. They get 2 tsp. of TOPs pellets and they can eat those when they want to.
I saw someone (BirdTricks? I think.) mix ground flax into an eclectus chop to try and get the bird to eat more of it. So I decided to try it yesterday and today and WOW! Tom (GCC) ate all of it and Tony (QP) ate nearly all of it!
Can I do this every breakfast? Or would that be dangerous? I know anything in excess is bad but would that be excess? I put like 1/8 a tsp. per their chop portion which is about a tbsp. or maybe a little less each.
Advice is much appreciated :giggle:
 

WingDing

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I can't answer how much is ok,, but in addition to flax seed I also rotate in hemp seed and spices like fennel seeds and herbs, sometimes a little drizzle of raw palm or coconut oil. The seeds and oil are fatty so limited amounts, just I add just enough to encourage the birds to dig in.
 
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zERo

zERo

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I can't answer how much is ok,, but in addition to flax seed I also rotate in hemp seed and spices like fennel seeds and herbs, sometimes a little drizzle of raw palm or coconut oil. The seeds and oil are fatty so limited amounts, just I add just enough to encourage the birds to dig in.
Ok well maybe I'll just do it 2 or so times a week, today I did Ceylon cinnamon and they liked that a lot and ate most of the chop.
 

Icca

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Feb 1, 2022
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Try sprouting it. It's easy and changes the nutrition from seed to veg.
I sprout once a week for me and The Rebel
This is the easiest way I found for sticky flax seeds
Get 2 none glazed terracotta saucers the kind that go under flower pots I use 4inch
Add about a heaped table spoon of flax and fill dish with about enough water to make all the seeds float. Then forget about them.
When you remember them sometime the next day they will be really sticky rinse them with water while the are still stuck to the dish then after they are rinsed use a spoon to stir the up and off the dish.
Do the same rinse process for 3 or 4 days till you see good sized sprouts then stop stirring them but keep giving them a spray of water.
By now they are ready to eat and can either go in the fridge or stay on the counter for a little more grow time.

I like the unglazed teraccota since it holds some water in the clay it's good for forgetful people. Every time I sprout in a jar I get mold
 
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zERo

zERo

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Try sprouting it. It's easy and changes the nutrition from seed to veg.
I sprout once a week for me and The Rebel
This is the easiest way I found for sticky flax seeds
Get 2 none glazed terracotta saucers the kind that go under flower pots I use 4inch
Add about a heaped table spoon of flax and fill dish with about enough water to make all the seeds float. Then forget about them.
When you remember them sometime the next day they will be really sticky rinse them with water while the are still stuck to the dish then after they are rinsed use a spoon to stir the up and off the dish.
Do the same rinse process for 3 or 4 days till you see good sized sprouts then stop stirring them but keep giving them a spray of water.
By now they are ready to eat and can either go in the fridge or stay on the counter for a little more grow time.

I like the unglazed teraccota since it holds some water in the clay it's good for forgetful people. Every time I sprout in a jar I get mold
I've tried just putting whole flax or soaked but they didn't seem to care for it, the only like it ground up.
 

Icca

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Feb 1, 2022
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I suppose that's birds for ya. Always got to make things tricky. Well I only have experience feeding it sprouted so sorry not much help
 

HeatherG

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Apr 25, 2020
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My vet had me giving 1 flaxseed for every 30 grams of weight. I think it was for arthritis.
 

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