Feeding chickens only sprouts

[Jan Croot]

I think the big problem here is that we don't know which precise breed of chicken we're talking about. I favor heritage breeds which don't produce as many eggs per year and are much more self-sufficient. If we're talking about one of the new sex-linked birds that are focused on maximum egg output then those were definitely built to feed on processed food for their short brutal lives.

Of course since there was never such a thing as a pellet tree to feed the poultry from, what goes into to those pellets is basically anything the factory can get away with unless the government wants to spend enough money to catch them. We can trust the feed factories, after all these are the same folks who brought us mad cow disease. Pretty much meaning that those male chicks that get sorted out most likely end right back up in the feed you are giving your hens.

Remember, you can trust the marketing blurb on the package, when was the last time an advertiser lied to you?

One does wonder what that "protein" is.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

my vet would look it up on the internet. Poultry are not a focus for vets here

And mine would say to just give it the pellets. My vets are for large animals and traditional pets. Chickens and other poultry are not taught to them

 

[Jan Croot]

I was. I also ferment feed but I've never seen it really sprout. I was thinking green sprouts like it was growing.

My oat, barley, wheat combination puts out roots and the beginning of sprouts at 3 days on a window sill. One-inch green sprouts in seven days.

I find that large pickle jars work better then open pans, Rinse once a day, RELIGOUSLY, and don't overcrowd.

 

[Jan Croot]

I was. I also ferment feed but I've never seen it really sprout. I was thinking green sprouts like it was growing.

The bit of green has more B vitamins, which silkies need.

 

[Jan Croot]

How many would you like?

Here's one:

https://the-chicken-chick.com/sprouting-grains-for-chickens-fodder/

 

[Jan Croot]

Please provide a link to the data that supports this claim.

https://the-chicken-chick.com/sprou...ick.com/sprouting-grains-for-chickens-fodder/

 

[Jan Croot]

Sprouts alone would never fulfill their dietary requirements.

They require at least 16% protein as well as calcium, amino acids and more in a correct ratio to maintain their health and laying ability.
The answer is no they would not be able to maintain laying on just sprouts. They would be malnourished instead.

Just spouts? I agree, too narrow.

However, for a long time I was mystified why people were so amazed at free range eggs. To me, they tasted and looked the same as Walmart's eggs.

Then I realized that in my high salt alkaline sagebrush world, with 6 months of winter, my birds were basically free-ranging on dirt. Their only food was commercial pellets, for all their scratching and ranging.

When I added a good sized daily dose of green sprouts, which are easier to digest and add B vitamins, I saw an immediate change in the size, quantity and quality of the eggs.

Why bother raising chickens for eggs, if they are living off of the exact same food as Walmart chickens?

 

[pargue]

Yeah I got it from someone I bought a chicken from that I should not have, they are not stressed at all and I don’t understand how it is malnourishment it’s natural and I would be able to supplement anything I needed I could supplement vitamins, minerals, protein and calcium so I really don’t see the problem if all their needs are met

Free range chickens eat what they need grubs, worms, bugs, mice protein. They also eat seeds, grass, sprouts etc. They know where and how to find grit as needed. A balanced diet is attainable, it's just easier for some to scoop it out of a bag and call it a day!

 

[Jan Croot]

I feed a lot of sprouted oat, barley and wheat. However, every once in a while my sprout crop goes south, shows a little mold, or I just forget to start new ones for a few days. I'm human.

If I feed ONLY sprouts, the birds would be stranded with no food at all, or with food their bodies are not used to processing. For food security alone, I wouldn't go with any one anything.

I don't think that we can assume that we really know what our birds need, what is in commercail food, or in our own sprouts. Therefore feeding a little of everything and you've got a fighting chance of providing what they need.

 

[Jan Croot]

Free range chickens eat what they need grubs, worms, bugs, mice protein. They also eat seeds, grass, sprouts etc. They know where and how to find grit as needed. A balanced diet is attainable, it's just easier for some to scoop it out of a bag and call it a day!

In much of the nation grubs, worms, anything green does not exist for much of the year. Their world is snow or wind swept dirt.

free ranging on dirt has not a lot of nutritional value