cnmnnaturalist
06-02-2013, 06:03 PM
For years and years I've watched our wild Chipmunks, Red Squirrels and Gray Squirrels greedily eat any of the sprouts that emerge from buried sunflower seeds. The Chipmunks seem to especially enjoy them.
What's funny is that they don't bite the seed to kill the embryo, like they do with many other seeds that they bury or store. It's almost like they WANT them to sprout. Could it be that these guys are somehow FARMING?
Knowing how much they love the sprouts, I've been giving them to my trio of 6 week old Grays. They love them a lot, so I only give it to them AFTER they eat their formula and squirrel blocks. I know people grow them along with other sprouting veggies to eat, and they're pretty sweet and tender.
I'm thinking about just planting a bunch and farming it for them (along with other veggies I'm going to feed them).
So anybody else have this experience? Is the local food scene something the Squirrels and Chippies have already figured out?
What's funny is that they don't bite the seed to kill the embryo, like they do with many other seeds that they bury or store. It's almost like they WANT them to sprout. Could it be that these guys are somehow FARMING?
Knowing how much they love the sprouts, I've been giving them to my trio of 6 week old Grays. They love them a lot, so I only give it to them AFTER they eat their formula and squirrel blocks. I know people grow them along with other sprouting veggies to eat, and they're pretty sweet and tender.
I'm thinking about just planting a bunch and farming it for them (along with other veggies I'm going to feed them).
So anybody else have this experience? Is the local food scene something the Squirrels and Chippies have already figured out?