Colorado

[jime]

Just a small drop per chicken.Get a dropper (like the poly-vysol ones) and put the drop I put it in their head almost close to the neck where they can not get to, make sure it goes in the skin and not in the feather because the feather will soak it up.
I buy the big packet and put everyone in the empty poly-vysol bottle, keep it in dark or will change colour I don't know that will mater but just in case.

 

[COChix]

I have a young chicken that looks just like the one you have standing on the cinder block! Except she has a different comb.

That is cool, I am assuming they are EE's? Is yours laying already? This girl, she has no name yet, is pretty shy and doesn't like tone held. I have another one who issuer friendly and follows me around, either way they are fun.

 

[COChix]

So I have been reading all about fodder for chicken and noticed a couple people from this board on those threads. So who all here is growing fodder? I am very interested it and am going to be growing Barley fodder as we have a huge bag of it. I am very curious on the cost saving aspect. So what are people's experiences? Thanks

 

[Percheron chick]

You really need to do the math if you think fodder is going to save you money. Remember that fodder is over 80% non nutritive water so when they claim that 1# of barley produces 6# of fodder, you aren't producing 6# of nutrient dense feed, you still only have the nutrients that you started with in the 1# of grain. (actually less because the sprouting uses up sugar). The values that the fodder companies publish are dry matter values, not as fed.They omit this tiny detail. They also express everything in percentages. If one value goes down (CHO in the sprouting process) the other values fat and protein must go up. When the protein value goes up people clamor all over that not understanding why it had to go up. You must dry and remove all the water to test the forage.

To put it in other terms, an average horse will do fine on 20# of hay a day. Hay is about 12% moisture. Could this horse live on 20# of grass pasture a day? Hardly. He's going to eat over 100# of grass a day because most of what he consumes is water.

If you want to do fodder as a treat, fine, but don't do it thinking that 1# of grain magically produces 6# of feed. You will starve your chickens. If you want something green for their winter diet, you are better off buying a $6-8 bale of 3-4th cutting alfalfa with fine stems and abundant leaves.

 

[trsturself]

So I have been reading all about fodder for chicken and noticed a couple people from this board on those threads. So who all here is growing fodder? I am very interested it and am going to be growing Barley fodder as we have a huge bag of it. I am very curious on the cost saving aspect. So what are people's experiences? Thanks

I did fodder for a short while. I did wheat and had a hard time keeping it from molding. I read a lot of people that bleached the seeds before sprouting but I didn't want to do that. The chickens seemed to like the greens but I would find clumps of it around their run later. They wouldn't eat all of it. I think sprouting or fermenting is a better way to get your grains to go a little further and provide good nutrition, and it's quicker and easier. I ferment a home made mix now and they eat nearly all of it. I say nearly because they don't like the lentils or split peas. My next batch (starting next week) I got whole instead of split peas and I'm going to sprout those and the lentils and add that to the fermented grains each day. We'll see how that goes. It's always an evolving practice.

I agree that the fodder is good greens for the winter and I might try again then to supplement their food then. Good luck! I know there are people that are successful with it.

 

[Mtn Margie]

So I have been reading all about fodder for chicken and noticed a couple people from this board on those threads. So who all here is growing fodder? I am very interested it and am going to be growing Barley fodder as we have a huge bag of it. I am very curious on the cost saving aspect. So what are people's experiences? Thanks

I think your time could be spent growing a garden and tossing them the fodder scraps in the summer or dumping them out on the lawn to mow a bit. Seems like growing fodder for them would be more beneficial in the winter when the natural greens are gone.

 

[maggiemo]

I think your time could be spent growing a garden and tossing them the fodder scraps in the summer or dumping them out on the lawn to mow a bit. Seems like growing fodder for them would be more beneficial in the winter when the natural greens are gone.

X2
My chickens like sprouted grain better than fodder. I have access to spent grain from a brewer so I ferment that year round and sprout grain in the winter.

 

[Minchi]

I was wondering, I made a peach and ginger jam that the recipe had me add way too much sugar and it became solid so I am cleaning them out by boiling them, now I have a peach and ginger juice I was wondering if it was something I could chill and give to my girls on hot days?

 

[Mtn Margie]

I was wondering, I made a peach and ginger jam that the recipe had me add way too much sugar and it became solid so I am cleaning them out by boiling them, now I have a peach and ginger juice I was wondering if it was something I could chill and give to my girls on hot days?

Sure.

 

[Pozees]

I was wondering, I made a peach and ginger jam that the recipe had me add way too much sugar and it became solid so I am cleaning them out by boiling them, now I have a peach and ginger juice I was wondering if it was something I could chill and give to my girls on hot days?

Don't know why not, or add to some club soda and ice for yourself?

trsturslf I will be curious to hear whether yours eat peas, mine detest them.