Sunflower Seeds

[Paul]

Hi,

Just a quick note about Sunflower seeds. I have read about people soaking them and feeding them so I got some and tried grinding them.

They didn't grind as well as hemp, they kind of split, but they did powder as well. Mixed it with water, left to soak for 10mins and fed.

Well, the snails loved it, the margies even ate it which is odd, they were my only snails that would ignore the hemp. Or perhaps it was coz the tiger muscled in a hogged it all

I will try Flaxseed again now I have my grinder, I boiled it last time coz it is hard, all the latex floated to the top and made a gooey mess!

But I think, you could basically get/make seed mixes, grind it up and the snails will eat it. I'm just finding which ones they like and which ones they don't. If anyone tried any seeds let me know.

paul

[Paul]

Well, flaxseed didn't work because the seeds are so slim, my grinder couldn't grind it.

paul

[Correne]

Wish I had a grinder, Paul. Keep looking out for one in Oxfam.

[Paul]

I looked around, asked in loads of places in town and came up with nothing, unless you buy a brand-new jobby for £15+.

But in the end I tried ebay and got mine. Did need a simple repair job but it works a treat. Still ended up costing me £9 inc p&p but it was worth it.

paul

[anjieburdett]

Hi all,

I was going to ask you about sunflower seed Paul.

I was cleaning out my snails the other day and had the tank on the floor infront of the parrots cage...the parrot flicked a shelled sunflower seed in the tank and i thought ..'i wonder if they would like it'. Well, my margie got to it before anyone else and i'm sure he swallowed it whole. So it seems that you don't have to grind them up at all hehe.

Anjie,x.

[anjieburdett]

unless you have a Balue to shell them for you hehe. Trouble is he eats them before i can get them ;D

[Paul]

I think they can eat them whole, and I suppose the smaller ones can hold them and rasp them away. They are certainly accepted heartily, the grinder just makes is easier for them I suppose. But it's bound to go off quicker. Perhaps feeding them whole will keep it fresher. I'll try that now.

paul

[anjieburdett]

I just sat watching my snails eat for about an hour! It fascinates me...the way you can HEAR them munching and the way the skin on the back of their neck kind of ripples and changes texture.

Anyway....i have been trying my snails with mixed shelled seeds and they love them. I just watched my baby tiger eat a whole sunflower seed then start on a pumpkin seed, he then moved on to munch on half a grape for pudding!

I have started to feed the chicken mash mixture with the ground hemp seed mixed in before i soak the pellets. It makes it much easier for them to eat and none gets left behind!!! They pile on top of each other to get at it.

Anjie,x.

[natrat84]

This is interesting. My son is growing sunflowers at the moment, so its nice to know I'll have a use for all those seeds later on ;D

As for grinder... What about a peppermill Just an idea it might work for powdering seeds and similar up. I can't wait to start offering my snails different things and learning what they do and don't like ;D

When we had the nursery 1 for the weekend I was fascinated that you could hear it eating, and how lovely is it when they rasp at your skin. Awww never thought snails could be cute before ;D

Nat

[Arno]

That is a very good idea,the peppermill...i'll try it tonight and see which seeds it can grind...

[Arno]

Well i tried not the peppermill but a herbgrinder i got from Ikea and it worked great both with hempseed and mustardseed,so that was a brill idea!

[natrat84]

Glad it worked ;D I'll pick up a cheap 1 next time I see 1 ready for mine I do have the odd good idea
Nat

[Leah]

wow. Never thought of giving them seeds. What seeds do they like? Is there any they can't have?

[Paul]

Pretty much any seed that is edible is worth a go. Just soak or grind them. Either way it is best to allow them to soak up as much water as they can so they don't swell after they've been eaten. Although personally I don't think that will harm them but I do it coz they seem to prefer it. Plus it is probaby best for them to get water when you're giving them high protein food. I don't think the pasta deaths were caused by swelling seeing as snails can distend their stomachs. I think it was probably a chemical or bleach in the pasta.

[Leah]

pasta deaths?! ok, I'll get some sunflower seeds at the weekend and try them on it.

[snailywaily]

Mine sometimes have a mix of sunflower and pumpkin seeds. I just take a handful, soak them in water for about 20 mins then give to them. I dont crush them or anything. My adult Fulica will sit and eat and entire seed one after the other. The smaller Blondes and Margies rasp away at them (they are soft enough to rasp as you can see the rasp marks!).

[eric2]

i never thought of trying them whole i will do that now ;D

[sonicsnail]

Can you use the sunflower seeds that you can get for birds?

[Deleted]

sonicsnail said:

Can you use the sunflower seeds that you can get for birds?

they shud be hulled (like that hard outer layer taken off)

[LisaLQ]

They're really cheap in Morrisons. Only problem is I like them too

[snailywaily]

I soak Sunflower and Pumpkin seeds for about 20 mins then give my snails free access to them. All mine (Fulica, Margies and Blondes) seem to like them. I dont crush / grind them as I find soaking them is enough (so they swell first).

I also give mine that seeded loaf you can get from the supermarket - I sprinkle some water on top so its not all dry and they all LOVE it! They sit and munch into it for ages!

[Leah]

When you say sunflower seeds do you mean the ones you get in health food shops because I would have thought they would be to hard?

[Malwen]

my snails dont have a good apetite but i wonder if its because they dont have a big varied diet.
i am very stuck in my ways about the food i buy.
i have wondered about poppy seeds?
i have poppy seeds. problem is i love them, they will have to fight me for them.
mmmmmmm poopy seed salad

[KathyM]

eric said:

When you say sunflower seeds do you mean the ones you get in health food shops because I would have thought they would be to hard?

he ones without their shells on. The ones in petshops etc have their shells on and would need them removing first, but you can by shelled ones in supermarkets etc.

[fi]

i tried the poopy seeds lastnight.
they wern interested in the seeds alone,
but couldnt get enough of the poppy seed an oat mix i made.
Even my most picky snails had a good feast for once