anybody raise sprouts to feed the chickens?

Quote:
WOW...thanks so much for the info. Do I understand it fully?...no...but what I get from this is that tomorrow it will be "green"...I think. I think that's good b/c they need the green stuff too?.

"One of the parts of the mixed feed was called "grain". Instead of using plain seeds from oats or wheat, etc., they could substitute 1,2,or 3 day old sprouted seed as that part of the "grain" part of the mixture.
Green feed was used to condition the fowl ; bring the hens into lay ; and add vigor to the male thru his diet( he would them pass this increased vigor on to his chicks thru robust sperm). For this, they used sprouted grains which were 4 days old and older."
Yup, Lisa, you got it, that's it in nutshell.
Best Regards,
Karen

I've provided sprouts to my chickens as a treat and they love them!

Quote:
a) are they still ok to eat longer than the seed/bean? Yes, I like to feed mine longer as I am feeding for a green feed..Yes for you too as long as the don't stink and/or are slimy

I refrigerate them in a tupperware now? yes, but mine got slimy really quick keep an eye on them

how long are they good for in the fridge? As long as they smell good and are not slimy times vary

do I have to let the chickens slowly get used to them so they don't get the runs (I read that on this post somewhere This is a good idea

can I plant/or leave them in the jar and will they get longer and get green leaves/grasses? Yes, just be careful that they don't rot or get slimy!!! To get green they need to be exposed to light...Chlorophyll is what makes them green!
Have fun!!

Just a thought on storing. I have had good luck wrapping mine in a paper towel and then in a tupperware. This works great for parsley and cilantro and they last weeks instead of days.

Quote:
great idea!

Hey all, since reading this thread I started sprouting for my chickies. I started with wheat. I ran out of wheat and bought some spelt. The spelt is not going so well. I have been doing it just like the wheat: let is soak in water for a day then rinse one-two times a day for the next couple days and feed the third day.

The spelt starts to smell sour on the second day. It sorta sprouts while soaking then it starts to sour and does nothing.

Any advice?

Thanks

Hi,
So last night I was digging around on the Net looking for more stuff on sprouting seeds for chickens. I came across a 1919 USDA Extension newsletter. It was an article on "steamed oats". Takes only overnight and a great supplement for the birds. Basically you take your forage oats and put in a pan of water and let them soak overnight just like for sprouting oats. The next morning, take the pan with the same oats and water in it and put on the stove to simmer uncovered for one hour. Make sure you put at least twice as much water as oats because they soak up at least the same amount of water as their volume, just like rice does. The simmering will kill any mold or bacteria in the oats. After that, rinse with warm water (like macaroni) and serve warm to the birds. Excellent mixed with table scraps if you want, the article said.
Ok, so I thought this looks real easy. I am all for the "easy" part of it. Made it up and fed it to the birds this morning. They went bug ugly nuts for it! Two of the pullets got off their nest where they were laying eggs to go dine. The article says feeding this a a supplement will maintain a regular egg yield. The end result is the the oats about double in yield like regular rice does. I put in 2 cups of oats and ended up with 4 cups of steamed oats. More then enough for my 9 chickens. Oh, the boys were so excited to have a special treat to show their girls, it was really cute.
Best,
Karen

Quote:
Try soaking it for a shorter amount of time. Try overnight. If that doesn't do well try four hours. If that doesn't work just feed it to them as grain or steam it like 3riverschick talked about doing with oats in post # 298, and buy some more wheat.

Quote:
Try soaking it for a shorter amount of time. Try overnight. If that doesn't do well try four hours. If that doesn't work just feed it to them as grain or steam it like 3riverschick talked about doing with oats in post # 298, and buy some more wheat.

I also think feeding it to them a little soured is just fine..fermented foods create healthy guts!!!