Aussie Finch Forum

The other half has been offered some oat seeds for us to grow at home for green tucker .
I have a few questions ...I know the parrots will like it but will it be OK for the finches ?
How do I grow it without having to use chemicals or ferts ?
And the scary question ...how much seed is in a bushell ? Good grief please dont tell me Im getting truck full of oat seed.

Thats all ...

Hi Deb,
we use wild oats all the time. Some varieties which are grown intentionally as crops have slightly larger seeds or more productive heads, but they are all much of a muchness.
My finches all like it, but especially my canaries and goldfinches.
I've never grown it intentionally, but I imagine it can be grown like any other grass (eg: scatter seed on prepared soil, rake over, keep moist, look out for cockies and galahs)
Shouldn't need any scary chemicals or fertilisers; seasol or the carp one or good old blood and bone should do it.
You would want to fertililse it if you're growing for seed.

A bushel is an armful of grain on long stalks.
Somewhere on the forum someone had a volume it has been standardised to.
If it is a literal bushel, you are getting a lot of stalk with the seed maybe 5-10kg seed max; if it is the volume known as a bushel of seed without stalk you'd be getting maybe 20-30kg.
In any case, you shouldn't need a truck, and I'm sure your birdies will love it.

Thanks Matty