anybody raise sprouts to feed the chickens?

[PetRock]

Does this much shorter soak seem to be helping them sprout better? Mine are sprouting after a soak of several hours (maybe overnight) but they are very very slow to start and they're in the bag for about a week before I really notice any action going on.

Hmmm....I actually haven't noticed a lot of difference. The info on soaking time actually came from a site on sprouting for human consumption. I also read somewhere that there is a difference between feed oats and crop oats. I can't find where I read it but the article said that some feed oats are treated to prevent sprouting. The oats that I have been sprouting for my chickens came from King Feed and are usually fed to horses. The feed store didn't know for sure whether they had been treated at the mill or not.

 

[Chickens R Us]

Hmmm....I actually haven't noticed a lot of difference. The info on soaking time actually came from a site on sprouting for human consumption. I also read somewhere that there is a difference between feed oats and crop oats. I can't find where I read it but the article said that some feed oats are treated to prevent sprouting. The oats that I have been sprouting for my chickens came from King Feed and are usually fed to horses. The feed store didn't know for sure whether they had been treated at the mill or not.

This could be the problem for me too mine are feed oats for horses. Today I stared a fresh batch of oats to soak I put them under the kitchen sink where the heat register is maybe the added warmth will help.

 

[Kassaundra]

I get the cheap oats at the feed store. I don't know if it is my imagination or not, but I think they sprout better and faster when mixed w/ wheat.

 

[PetRock]

I get the cheap oats at the feed store. I don't know if it is my imagination or not, but I think they sprout better and faster when mixed w/ wheat.

That's interesting! I was thinking about mixing all my grains together for sprouting instead of sprouting them separately. The wheat sprouts the quickest and best for me.

 

[Chickens R Us]

I get the cheap oats at the feed store. I don't know if it is my imagination or not, but I think they sprout better and faster when mixed w/ wheat.

Looks like I will have to try that. I have Wheat soaking too. I do a 24hr. soak

 

[Kassaundra]

Oh I am lazy, I mix them all together whatever I am sprouting goes in the one bag per day.

 

[Lacy Blues]

So, Kassaundra, you don't buy the race horse oats that are full and healthy looking? You get the garbage oats? That's just what I call them. Those bags, here, come with a lot of chaff and the oats are skinny and have next to no weight to the them.

Are they crimped or anything like that?

 

[Kassaundra]

So, Kassaundra, you don't buy the race horse oats that are full and healthy looking? You get the garbage oats? That's just what I call them. Those bags, here, come with a lot of chaff and the oats are skinny and have next to no weight to the them.

I don't know, I go to my local mom and pop feed store and buy a 50 lb bag of oat for $10, it has whole oat grains, they are good looking and sprout like champs.

 

[Kassaundra]

I don't know, I go to my local mom and pop feed store and buy a 50 lb bag of oat for $10, it has whole oat grains, they are good looking and sprout like champs.

I am not home, I'm at work, when Iget home tomorrow I'll take a picture of the bag and the oats.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I just started sprouting for my chickens and I have a question. Can you use dried beans from the grocery store from the bulk section? I just wanted to make sure they aren't treated with anything that would make it so I shouldn't use them for sprouting. I'm really just trying to find the most cost effective method of buying beans and seeds for sprouting and preferably not have to pay for shipping sprouting mixes.

I haven't written anything on the thread in a long time..hi everyone!

I just wanted to state a word of caution when feeding legumes (beans/peas) raw (including sprouting). Many of the legumes are toxic and can cause health issues over time if they have not been roasted or otherwise cooked. The birds won't choose to eat them if they have a variety of other feed available. But if they are forced with lack of other choice they will.

Here are a couple of links that might be helpful in determining what you want or don't want to feed. (For me, there are some things on these lists that I would never feed my birds under any circumstances...but there is a lot of info worth looking at if you get a chance.)

If you look at the "protein sources" (as well as the grains), there are some listed that MUST BE ROASTED (heat treated) AND SHOULDN'T BE FED RAW NOT EVEN SPROUTED, SOAKED OR FERMENTED. (2 examples of this are Amaranth and soy beans. Kidney beans are another I believe.)

"Protein Sources"
http://www2.ca.uky.edu/smallflocks/Nutrition-Protein_sources.html


If you want to get a look at some of the issues with grains and percentages recommended, this is worth reading through

Grains:

http://www2.ca.uky.edu/smallflocks/Nutrition-Grains.html


http://www2.ca.uky.edu/smallflocks/Nutrition.html