Growing fodder for chickens

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This is really great! A bobcat moved into the area this summer and has eaten 4 of my chickens. So I've had to keep my birds locked in the run most of the day. I've been kind of stressing over their nutrition since they can't free-range like they used to, plus feed prices have gone up. I was looking for something just like this! I read all 70 pages and took notes.

Thanks to all of you who have contributed! Now I just need to get my supplies and get growing!

p.s. sounds like my goats are gonna love this too :)
 
Food grade plastic never had it when I was a kid. The same question could be ask about the upside down table method as well as the gutter method. Is it food grade plastic?
I'm going to look for something just as convenient in food grade plastic. Just more research. I will find something similar to the gutters in food grade. Or at least water grade but not pipe I want it square on the bottom. Or on the other hand maybe I can make PVC pipe work. I would think that water grade is the same as food grade.
 
LeslieDJoyce said:
I am resorting to Craigslist. I might try freecycle, too ... though it seems there is a bit of a local sub-industry of people collecting and reselling food-safe buckets and barrels, so am not holding my breath for "free." The going rate seems to be about $15 to $25 for a 55 gallon barrel which might then need some modifications to get it open at the top ... Meh. I haven't figured out the password for getting the inside scoop on what local industry is generating these containers for the recyclers.

For the gutter style feeders, I'm thinking taking a large potable water pipe, cutting it in half the long way, and capping the ends. Not sure how large of a water pipe I can find as a "regular" person. Just about any scrap would do ...

I was having a little fantasy about finding a huge glass barrel to use for fermenting ...

(go ahead and google "water pipe" ... I'm so drab I was actually surprised by the top hits I got for this
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Click to expand...
Hahahaha sooo not googling it, oh my gosh i can imagine
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Well, night before last, I soaked some wheat and put it in foil pans last night.

Last night, I started some oats soaking in a 10% bleach solution and rinsed really really well and set in aluminum pans tonight. When I did that, I noticed that the wheat already had little sprouts coming out!
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I hope the oats grow alright.

Tonight I started some milo. The birds really seem to like it fermented. We'll see how it grows.

Tomorrow night, I plan to do some barley. That will give me four pans.

I bought some little shelves, I think they are 14 x 30. Need to get those set up asap and start using them. From what I could tell (still haven't opened the package) there are lots of little divided areas on the back.
 
Personally I think there is little need for "food grade" plastic and feeding these birds,,,do you keep them in a cage? then maybe they don't eat dirt or peck at poop, or get into anything they can find to investigate

my birds free range every day when possible,,,there is no way I can control what they eat or eat out of when this is happening

are factory chicken waterers or feeders made of "food grade"?

just ppl worrying about things that aren't necessary imo
 
I don't worry about non-food grade plastic. I would only be concerned if I was planning long term storage. Pet dishes are typically NOT made out of food grade plastic.
 
My favorite fodder blend so far is a base of wheat, some lentils, oats, and boss. The oats don't sprout for me very well, but the small amount that is in there doesn't give me any problems with excess starch, either. After a few days into the process, I've added some radish seeds as well. Once the wheat base has formed a bit of a mat, you can safely add smaller seeds on top without worrying about them washing out of the drainage holes.
 
Fermented feed stays in the container pretty much "forever." The fodder sprouts stay in the trays for nearly a week.

When making choices about materials for both these projects one might as well make "food grade" choices, IMO. If one has no choice, then there is little point in thinking about it. As long as I have a choice, I think. And then sometimes I rethink. Especially if I'm choosing on behalf of someone who doesn't have a choice, like the chickens.
 

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