Academic article states sprouted fodder not economical on commercial scale

[Vivid Hatchery]

Hello everyone,

I am a chicken farmer, so I read across someone recommending sprouted fodder in a thread. So, I thought I would do some research. I found a scientific article that analyzes the economic and nutritional differences between commercial and small scale, price of feed vs growing, and the nutritional properties of the two, the seed and the sprouts.

In a nutshell, it is not economical. All of the costs that go into it, including labor and materials, electricity, etc, do not counter balance the benefit. Additionally, the article states that until day 10 - 14, there is no nutritional benefit. It states that the plant is absorbing the starch in order to transform to become the plant, and absorbing the nutrients in the process.

The article states, that the only people who would benefit from this, are people who are trying to be independent, and people who do not have access to the grains locally. There is also added benefit in giving the animals you have something more palatable, because it is filled with water, and this can be desirable for the animals who get very specific basic feed, and that they will likely enjoy it more. But once again, not profitable, not cost effective, not more nutritious.

I had no position either way prior to reading the article. What I have read before this were claims by people who were not peer reviewed academics, so for now I am going to put my faith here until something equally scientific and peer reviewed disputes it.

Here is the article. I read all of it, but I did not read much of the comments. It appeared from the first few comments that the author was engaged, so if you have questions or concerns about it, that would be the first place I would go.

http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=11721

 

[3riverschick]

Hi ,
I will agree with you on this on all points . I think you're correct and I think the article is correct .
I find Sprouts fed as Green Feed helpful in bringing hens into lay and helping the roosters create more robust sperm.
This is done by feeding them sprouted oats that are between 4 and 7 days old . no younger no older . on the fourth day , a nutritional change takes place in the Sprout which makes them become Green Feed. older than 7 days is no nutritional Advantage but one runs the risk of the Sprouts spoiling.
For Chicks up to 10 to 14 days old, I would recommend (based on my reading of international commercial poultry research) Hamlet Protein HP Avistart . it's a specialized soy protein , very digestible , and gets the chicks off to a fine start. Hamlet Protein is in Findlay, Ohio USA . They specialize in neonatal nutriton in multiple species. Has a superb website. the articles in the " Feed Your Brain " section are exceptional and discuss this and the many successful trials they have had around the world using HP Avistart on a commercial poultry scale.
The idea behind Avistart is that it's extremely digestible with a minimum amount of anti nutritional factors. Thus, the chick gets more nutrition for the amount of feed it eats and this supports the growth and development of the GI tract and also the the immune system.
Best Regards,
Karen
And the Light Sussex in Western Pennsylvania

 

[3riverschick]

Hi,
in my small flock I have used Bovidr Labs poultry Nutri drench in my waterers to great success . When I put nutri-drench in my chicks water for the first two weeks ,I raised robust healthy chicks. I've never had a sick or a dead chick when raised on Drench water instead of plain water.
it is also used as a supplement to the water by many large poultry Farmers with good success and has positively affected their bottom line . if you read the poultry testimonial page several of them have weighed in there with how much it has helped get their chicks off to a good start and improve their bottom line with heavier weights at slaughter .
Http://www.nutridrench.com
best Karen

 

[Vivid Hatchery]

Hi ,
I will agree with you on this on all points . I think you're correct and I think the article is correct .
I find Sprouts fed as Green Feed helpful in bringing hens into lay and helping the roosters create more robust sperm.
This is done by feeding them sprouted oats that are between 4 and 7 days old . no younger no older . on the fourth day , a nutritional change takes place in the Sprout which makes them become Green Feed. older than 7 days is no nutritional Advantage but one runs the risk of the Sprouts spoiling.
For Chicks up to 10 to 14 days old, I would recommend (based on my reading of international commercial poultry research) Hamlet Protein HP Avistart . it's a specialized soy protein , very digestible , and gets the chicks off to a fine start. Hamlet Protein is in Findlay, Ohio USA . They specialize in neonatal nutriton in multiple species. Has a superb website. the articles in the " Feed Your Brain " section are exceptional and discuss this and the many successful trials they have had around the world using HP Avistart on a commercial poultry scale.
The idea behind Avistart is that it's extremely digestible with a minimum amount of anti nutritional factors. Thus, the chick gets more nutrition for the amount of feed it eats and this supports the growth and development of the GI tract and also the the immune system.
Best Regards,
Karen
And the Light Sussex in Western Pennsylvania

Thank you, all of this information has been very informative. I was reading about that, and it seems very intriguing. They say that they reduce a lot of the costs, so I am curious about how much it compares to other food sources? I am guessing if I bought 500 lbs of the stuff, it would have to ship freight from Ohio which would tack on $100 onto the bill of whatever the cost of the feed is. Do you know much about the costs, off hand?

I use nipple waterers because they are so much more sanitary, but because they only get a little bit of water at a time, it makes me concerned that their hydration level are going to be less than optimal. So I think I am going to set up a fodder system to supplement their feed, just to make them happier, and make them more hydrated. I think if I can improve their hydration, it is likely that I will be able to improve their health, even if the simplified dollar to calorie conversion never competes with pre-packaged dehydrated feed.

 

[lazy gardener]

Without taking time to reading the article, I find this particular statement to be very telling: Additionally, the article states that until day 10 - 14, there is no nutritional benefit. It states that the plant is absorbing the starch in order to transform to become the plant, and absorbing the nutrients in the process.

All of my research states that the best nutrient benefit occurs before the fodder stage is reached. If you wait 10 - 14 days, any nutrients in the seeds are going to be used up b/c the seedlings have no soil to begin their active growth. They are depleting their reserves merely to stay alive when in the normal life cycle of the seed/plant, they would have sunk roots and begun actively growing. However seeds at sprout stage are power houses of nutrients b/c of the enzyme action of the germination process.

Agreed, producing sprouts or fodder is time consuming, and perhaps labor intensive. However for the small flock, it is well worth the time and effort. I am not competing against mega farms. I am merely providing my flock with the best nutrients I can by giving them free range, fermented feed, and during my 6 month snow season, they get sprouts of various kinds. I do not grow to the fodder stage b/c IMO the nutrient benefit does not equal that of sprouts.

Of further interest, I wonder who paid for the "research" of that article???

 

[Folly's place]

LG, did you go on to read many of the comments to that article? Very interesting, I thought. Apparently not cost effective, but tasty for the critters.
Mary

 

[lazy gardener]

https://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/diet-tips/ask-diet-doctor-benefits-sprouted-grains

Sprouted grains have partially started this growth process. The deactivation of anti-growth enzymes leads to a greater availability of vitamin C, folate, and minerals like iron. The sprouting process also results in a reduction in carbohydrates along with an increase in protein.Aug 4, 2017

https://wholegrainscouncil.org/whol...ole-grain-refined-grain/sprouted-whole-grains

Sprouting grains increases many of the grains’ key nutrients, including B vitamins, vitamin C, folate, fiber, and essential amino acids often lacking in grains, such as lysine. Sprouted grains may also be less allergenic to those with grain protein sensitivities.

The pace of research is quickening, with studies documenting a wide range of health benefits for different sprouted grains. Here are just a few:

• Sprouted brown rice fights diabetes.
  
  
• Sprouted buckwheat protects against fatty liver disease.
  
  
• Cardiovascular risk reduced by sprouted brown rice.
  
  
• Sprouted brown rice decreases depression and fatigue in nursing mothers.

• Decreased blood pressure linked to sprouted barley.
  
  
• https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/trending-now-sprouted-grains
  
• 
  
• Sprouted grains are whole-grain seeds that have just begun to grow and aren't quite plants yet. Inside the seed's outer shell (the bran), the plant embryo (the germ) relies on the seed's endosperm — the starchy food supply — to fuel its growth. "This germinating process breaks down some of the starch, which makes the percentage of nutrients higher. It also breaks down phytate, a form of phytic acid that normally decreases absorption of vitamins and minerals in the body. So sprouted grains have more available nutrients than mature grains," Secinaro says.

http://www.nola.com/healthy-eating/2015/10/5_benefits_of_sprouted_grains.html

the resulting sprouted grain has a higher ratio of protein to carbs.

Sprouted grains are easier to digest. According to the Whole Grains Council, the enzyme activity of sprouted grains helps to transform the endosperm's starchy carbs into smaller, simpler components that are more easily digested.

Greater concentration of nutrients. Sprouting has been shown to increase the concentration of a grain's key nutrients, including protein, fiber, antioxidants, B vitamins, vitamin C, and folate.

Better absorption of nutrients. Not only does the concentration of certain nutrients increase, these nutrients tend to be more bioaccessible in sprouted grains, meaning that they're easier for our bodies to absorb and use. One study, for example, found that iron was three times more bioaccessible in a sprouted grain, compared to the regular, unsprouted grain.

Improved blood sugar control. Preliminary research suggests that sprouted grains may improve blood sugar levels. One study, for example, saw a correlation between sprouted brown rice and improved fasting blood glucose levels. Another study found that sprouted wheat bread has a milder effect on glucose and insulin levels than other types of bread, including multigrain bread.

 

[lazy gardener]

Mary, I did a "quick read" of the article. It seemed to gloss over a lot of the finer points of the nutrient benefit of sprouts. Focusing mainly on "dry matter". That they are talking about growing to the 10 - 14 day fodder stage was a point that quickly caused me to shut down on the validity of the "scientific research", as well as the non mention of the benefit of the sprouting process in breaking down the anti-nutrients of the grain, or the increase of B vitamins, C, folate, and lysine.

 

[Folly's place]

The article about sprouted fodder for livestock was very interesting, as were the comments about it. Discussing food value per dollar spent in production was valid as presented, I thought.
Articles about the value of sprouted grains for human consumption were also interesting, but not focused on the same issues.
Mary

 

[Folly's place]

So true, but nowhere were actual numbers given for those nutrients, so left for another project some other time. For large flocks or herds, cost is a much bigger issue, than for small farm flocks. If there's more research out there relating to feeding poultry, it would be interesting.
And I'm likely going to continue the 'easy way' of feeding, rather than adding complications to my life by either fermenting or sprouting grains for the chickens.
Mary