California - Northern

[EZFarms]

Two more dominiques arent doing to well. they havent eaten and are only drinking if i dip their beaks. they are just laying in my hand with their eyes closed. one is still chirping and lively the other is just laying their quiet. could they just be really tired? The rest arent as lethargic

 

[PetRock]

I spouted the seed mix you were getting from that catalog. That was in the big black cement mixing trays with the hardware cloth frame on top. I did that all outside. That worked well but they were heavy for me to handle & the chickens made such a mess eating off the tops of them.
Now I am using perforated trays with 1 pound of grain (i am using Barley now $13.50 for a 50 pound bag) in each (about 10" by 12"). I soak the grain over night then divide it up into the trays about a pound per tray & water them twice a day. I have them set up on my unused breakfast nook tile counter on a 2 shelf plastic rack. It hold 3 trays per shelf so counting the counter I have 9 trays. The bottom 3 trays are doubled with the bottom tray solid to hold the runoff water. I put sections of cut PVC pipe in the solid trays on the bottom to keep the top tray elevated from the water. It takes just minutes to soak each tray twice a day. I was using a big watering can & watering the top trays & letting it drain through to each tray beneath (like You Tube does it) but I think I like the soak method better. It is a little more trouble but I get a lot better results. This method is actually fodder feeders & not just sprouted grain but if I dumped the trays at 3 or 4 days it would be sprouted grain. In a week I have 9 trays of thick green grass about 5 inches tall. They eat it all, grass, grain spouts, roots everything.
I am eager to try the oats, $18.95 for a 75 pound bag. My daughter is on her way to pick it up at the feed store now. I have been using cheap aluminum trays from the $1 store 2 for a dollar but bought the expensive ones,$1 a piece, ( LOL ) plastic trays the other day & will switch to them this go round. Not a big investment at all. I have been reusing the cheap aluminum trays for weeks now. Maybe I will sprout oats in the aluminum ones when I switch my fodder feeders to the plastic. I have lots of holes to drill today in the 9 plastic trays........LOL.
Now I off to study more on Beehives while I wait for my daughter to get back..........LOL

Just watch for mold when the weather gets warmer. I was growing fodder in trays like you are and it was a constant battle. Through trial and error, I found what worked for me was to presoak in a bucket or other container then allow the germination process to start in the container, spread the germinated seeds in a thin layer, and do a long rinse 3 times/day. I also kept a tray over the top until the sprouts were about 1 inch or so tall. Even with that, I would sometimes get mold in spots on the root mat. I have the chicken forage growing in dirt in the containers in the yard so I decided to just feed the sprouted grain to the flock instead of battling the mold with the fodder trays. From what I've read, the optimal stage for increased protein is at around 3 days. I need to research that again and bookmark that info so it is easy to access.

 

[ronott1]

Two more dominiques arent doing to well. they havent eaten and are only drinking if i dip their beaks. they are just laying in my hand with their eyes closed. one is still chirping and lively the other is just laying their quiet

Cackle likely has a replacement policy so check to see the time limit for live shipment. It is usually two days. Let them know and they will send you a replacement shipment.

Chicks that die like that for two days after shipping died from the shipping. Other than sugar water and vitamins there is nothing you can do. Even with that, they still die because their organs have shut down.

Keep doing what you are doing and contact Cackle.

 

[sewandgrow]

Just watch for mold when the weather gets warmer. I was growing fodder in trays like you are and it was a constant battle. Through trial and error, I found what worked for me was to presoak in a bucket or other container then allow the germination process to start in the container, spread the germinated seeds in a thin layer, and do a long rinse 3 times/day. I also kept a tray over the top until the sprouts were about 1 inch or so tall. Even with that, I would sometimes get mold in spots on the root mat. I have the chicken forage growing in dirt in the containers in the yard so I decided to just feed the sprouted grain to the flock instead of battling the mold with the fodder trays. From what I've read, the optimal stage for increased protein is at around 3 days. I need to research that again and bookmark that info so it is easy to access.

So far so good but I may switch to just sprouts as time goes by.

 

[chiqita]

I wou
I would love to see your setup next time I come over. I want to find a way to feed my chickens for less, still guve them a healthy balanced diet, and simething not too time consuming. I don't have any extra time available right now. Once I graduate this summer and my 8th grader goes to high school (she's homeschooled now), it will free up some time.

You can sprout wheat in 1 set of buckets if you dont mind feeding at different levels of doneness. It wont work if you want long grass but if you just want sprouts and roots it works great! Ff can be done the same way. It does need somewhere not cold however.

I just started sprouting for this year this week too cold in the house over winter. I stuck it out in the new greenhouse! I need to start ff again today!

your welcomed anytime Wendy but if you call first I might even do the dishes before you come.......LOL

Should we bring info on our systems to the party? If someone can bring a drill I can try to get my hands on a lot of buckets!

 

[EZFarms]

Cackle wont do replacements if its less then the minimum. the most they will do is refund. the chick price. their policy is only on dead on arrival birds

 

[EZFarms]

could these guys just be really exhausted? ive been holding them cuz i dont want them to die. in the brooder with the other birds

 

[chiqita]

could these guys just be really exhausted? ive been holding them cuz i dont want them to die. in the brooder with the other birds

If they are stressed and sick I would let them stay under the heat lamp and sleep. Have you checked the temps under your heat lamp? I always do that if there is trouble sometimes it can be way off from one time to another.

 

[EZFarms]

Ive got two thermometers in their and the temp is 95-96

 

[chickee]

Thanks for sharing. The auction is for 6 eggs and OR has a bad reputation on shipping also. I got an old breeder listing for our Western district but no luck contacting anyone with phoenix. With my luck I would end up with another lone rooster from the bunch!

You can buy extra eggs from him to add to your shipment @ $4.00 and egg. And he does send extras. That is what I had him do for me. He does have auctions for 3 different colors of Phoenix. His Ebay prices are much better than ordering from his website. His birds are worth the risk. Super quality! He is so nice and helpful too