I love this idea. We’re trying a small scale fodder currently. Where did you get your barley? I’m not finding any around here. I’m guessing this could also be done with oats, but a shorter soak time?
I got my barley from the local feed mill last year and these are the results I posted. I was very happy with the results, as you can tell.
However, this year, the barley seed I got from the same local feed mill had a very poor germination rate. I am lucky to get about a 20% germination rate from the seed I bought this year. I talked to the feed store about it, and they said they only guarantee "feed" quality barley, and it may or may not have a good germination rate depending on who they bought the barley from and how long that farmer had it sitting in his silo bin on the farm. They don't test the barley seeds for germination rate, because they only guarantee "feed" quality grain.
The local feed mill did give me the telephone number of a mill a few towns down the road that sells "seed" quality barley that is guaranteed to have >90% germination rate. Unfortunately, that company is not answering their phone and they don't have an answering machine to leave a message.
Good quality germinating seed is vital to growing fodder. If the seeds don't germinate, then you won't be growing fodder in the bins. However, nothing needs to go to waste as I can just mix the poor germinating barley seed into the chicken scratch. My latest purchase of barley seed is only getting about 20% germination, but my chickens at least get some greens during this Minnesota winter and the non-germinated seeds get eaten as well. Since my barley fodder this year has so many non-germinated seeds in it, I just cut back on the amount of chicken scratch I feed to them every morning.
I tried oats and wheat last year, but had the best success with barley seed, so that is what I used. Upon reflection, I now think maybe I just got an exceptionally good germinating batch of barley seed last year and maybe not as good germinating quality oat and wheat seed. So, it may vary from year to year as to which grain would be best for fodder and I no longer will state that barley is the best. I would suggest using any seed that gives you the best germination rate. Next year, I will probably buy a bag each of barley, oats and wheat. I'll grow fodder from whatever seed has the best germination rate and the other seeds will get mixed in to the chicken scratch.
However, this year, the barley seed I got from the same local feed mill had a very poor germination rate. I am lucky to get about a 20% germination rate from the seed I bought this year. I talked to the feed store about it, and they said they only guarantee "feed" quality barley, and it may or may not have a good germination rate depending on who they bought the barley from and how long that farmer had it sitting in his silo bin on the farm. They don't test the barley seeds for germination rate, because they only guarantee "feed" quality grain.
The local feed mill did give me the telephone number of a mill a few towns down the road that sells "seed" quality barley that is guaranteed to have >90% germination rate. Unfortunately, that company is not answering their phone and they don't have an answering machine to leave a message.
Good quality germinating seed is vital to growing fodder. If the seeds don't germinate, then you won't be growing fodder in the bins. However, nothing needs to go to waste as I can just mix the poor germinating barley seed into the chicken scratch. My latest purchase of barley seed is only getting about 20% germination, but my chickens at least get some greens during this Minnesota winter and the non-germinated seeds get eaten as well. Since my barley fodder this year has so many non-germinated seeds in it, I just cut back on the amount of chicken scratch I feed to them every morning.
I tried oats and wheat last year, but had the best success with barley seed, so that is what I used. Upon reflection, I now think maybe I just got an exceptionally good germinating batch of barley seed last year and maybe not as good germinating quality oat and wheat seed. So, it may vary from year to year as to which grain would be best for fodder and I no longer will state that barley is the best. I would suggest using any seed that gives you the best germination rate. Next year, I will probably buy a bag each of barley, oats and wheat. I'll grow fodder from whatever seed has the best germination rate and the other seeds will get mixed in to the chicken scratch.