anybody raise sprouts to feed the chickens?

[Kassaundra]

If you are using whole grains when you ferment the grains will sprout while you are fermenting them. The trick is how sprouted do you want them. I use a large quart size jar and put two tables spoons of seeds (varied seeds a bunch of different ones) in the bottom and soak them the first day and then I will let them grow for up to a week after that to get good and long before I feed them. I have heard that sprouting the grains will increase the vitamins and minerals in the grains. And the chickens seem to love them.

I have been both sprouting and fermenting whole grains for over a year and have never had a fermented grain sprout, ever. As to whether you could ferment an already sprouted grain I have never tried that and do not know.

 

[Chicks Galore3]

Has anyone sprouted wheat berries? I would like to try, that and BOSS.

 

[ArnucaChooks]

on my farm we allow our chooks to forrage in the open grass paddocks which has a mixture of legumes , wheat rye oats grass clover during the day and also feed them sprouts spinich silverbeat and sunflower seeds and veggie scraps from the house. the flavour of the eggs is amazing.

 

[Sunflowergirl]

Has anyone sprouted wheat berries? I would like to try, that and BOSS.

Yes, I bought a 50 lb. bag of white winter wheat berries from my health food store. (I have also tried PlotSpike oats from Tractor Supply, some old barley seed I had left over, and the 88 cents pound bag of brown lentils from Wal-Mart.) The wheat berries sprout beautifully for me! I soak about 1 1/4 lb overnight. The next day I put it in my 22" x 9" tray that has 1/8" holes drilled in one end. Start counting day one as the day after that. I rinse 2 to 3 times a day. I feed half on day 3 and the other half on day 4. (I have 17 hens and 1 roo.) I have even enjoyed the sprouts in my salad! They taste like cucumber!!!
Do NOT get the PlotSpike!!! It is a very dirty bag of oats!!! I had problems with the black mold and white fuzzy mold growing on it!!! The lentils work very good. My old barley seed was ok, just had a lower germination rate.
Hope this helps! (I have not tried sprouting BOSS.)

 

[choptank330]

So i am fairly new to raising chickens. How do you do sprouting? What type of things to do you use? Beans? I am confused? soak them for 6-8 hours pour the water off and then what do you do? Would someone be willing to help me with this and walk me through what to do?

 

[Sunflowergirl]

I am certainly no expert! However, I can give you a little guidance. I recommend starting with something like the brown lentils you can get from your local grocery store. I just do an overnight soak. Most people then put the soaked seeds in a tray with some sort of mesh on the bottom or, in my case, I have a solid tray with SMALL holes drilled in one end for drainage. The idea is to have the seeds in about a 1/2 inch thick layer to help maintain some moistness so the seeds don't dry out completely. Then, 2 or 3 times a day, flood the tray and let it drain out. You will have to figure out what works for you according to how humid or dry your area is. The lentils, I like to feed as pretty small sprouts which only takes a couple of days. You are watching out for things like mold or bad smells. Good flats will smell like cucumbers or have a nice, earthy smell.
Other seeds I have tried (I listed above also) are PlotSpike Oats (don't do these!), Barley, and Winter Wheat Berries. I have just found some Triple Cleaned Oats at my local grain bins I hope to try soon.

So i am fairly new to raising chickens. How do you do sprouting? What type of things to do you use? Beans? I am confused? soak them for 6-8 hours pour the water off and then what do you do? Would someone be willing to help me with this and walk me through what to do?

 

[vmdanielsen]

I am certainly no expert! However, I can give you a little guidance. I recommend starting with something like the brown lentils you can get from your local grocery store. I just do an overnight soak. Most people then put the soaked seeds in a tray with some sort of mesh on the bottom or, in my case, I have a solid tray with SMALL holes drilled in one end for drainage. The idea is to have the seeds in about a 1/2 inch thick layer to help maintain some moistness so the seeds don't dry out completely. Then, 2 or 3 times a day, flood the tray and let it drain out. You will have to figure out what works for you according to how humid or dry your area is. The lentils, I like to feed as pretty small sprouts which only takes a couple of days. You are watching out for things like mold or bad smells. Good flats will smell like cucumbers or have a nice, earthy smell.
Other seeds I have tried (I listed above also) are PlotSpike Oats (don't do these!), Barley, and Winter Wheat Berries. I have just found some Triple Cleaned Oats at my local grain bins I hope to try soon.

Sunflowergirl, I understand that you were unhappy with plotspike. I, however, have had excellent luck with plotspike oats and the kale/clover mixture. I would hate for them to get a bad name if you got a bad bag......I used the same bag for 2 years with no discernible drop in germination. I would not hesitate to buy another bag!

 

[Sunflowergirl]

Sunflowergirl, I understand that you were unhappy with plotspike. I, however, have had excellent luck with plotspike oats and the kale/clover mixture. I would hate for them to get a bad name if you got a bad bag......I used the same bag for 2 years with no discernible drop in germination. I would not hesitate to buy another bag!

I am wondering if I got a bad bag. Does your seed have a lot of black mold on it? Mine was just SO dirty that way. I even soaked in 2 TBSP of bleach to 1 gallon of water. It did clean them up some, but then the black stuff would start growing along with some white stuff!!!

 

[vmdanielsen]

I am wondering if I got a bad bag. Does your seed have a lot of black mold on it? Mine was just SO dirty that way. I even soaked in 2 TBSP of bleach to 1 gallon of water. It did clean them up some, but then the black stuff would start growing along with some white stuff!!!

Sunflower, Mine were not dusty, not black and sprouted easily. Maybe yours got wet while awaiting sale. I had spoken with someone from the company before purchasing the oats to see if they were sprayed with any antifungals or antisprout compounds. They were not so I bought them, but without these sprays, they could be more susceptible to molds. I would try to contact the company and see what they say!! I found them to be very professional. Good luck!! ginny

 

[choptank330]

Thank you for your help!! I am going to try this for my chickens.. I cant wait. I am sure that they are going to love it.