Isn't the sprout/grass too tall for chickens to eat safely? I was always told under 3 inches, and if you cut it down to that size and then water it again, would it continue to grow or is Barley a one and done grow?
Thanks.
There is a good root mat on the barley fodder that I grow. So, the chickens rip off bits of the barley grass as they eat it down to the root mat - much like they would eat tall grass if left to free range. Then they eat the root mat of the fodder. Everything gets eaten. I have never seen any negative consequences of feeding them fodder with long grass attached to the root mat.
Some people prefer to cut the barley down to size and let it regrow again. That is an option. I don't want to do that because, in my case, I would increase the chance of growing mold. But it might work for others.
If you plant barley into the ground, then I suppose you could cut and harvest it as you wished. But I already have a riding mower with collection bins to catch my grass clippings, which I fed to the chickens in the summertime. So, I don't bother growing barley fodder in the summertime. My chickens get enough fresh greens from mowing the lawn.
Some people prefer to cut the barley down to size and let it regrow again. That is an option. I don't want to do that because, in my case, I would increase the chance of growing mold. But it might work for others.
If you plant barley into the ground, then I suppose you could cut and harvest it as you wished. But I already have a riding mower with collection bins to catch my grass clippings, which I fed to the chickens in the summertime. So, I don't bother growing barley fodder in the summertime. My chickens get enough fresh greens from mowing the lawn.