Fermented Feed & Sprouting Questions (NEWBIE)

[Ra_]

I sprout Sunflower seed & then plant it in trays but I just put a patch directly in the chicken's paddock.
It is ready to eat about a week later.
24-30% protein with up to 40X the vital nutrients of the mature plant.
I eat them too! Really delicious.
I'm sure it would work with your wild bird seed mix too.

I just submitted a thread with pics and more info.

 

[redsix]

Keep feeding the starter and grower until they start laying. To ferment the feed, mix the starter and grower with an equal amount of water. I have ten hens. I use a plastic 1-gallon ice cream bucket with lid. I fill it about 2/3 full of the mixture and put the lid on it. Stir the mixture 2 or 3 times a day. By day 3 or 4 the mixture should be fermented. If it smells soured, it's ready. That's usually enough to feed for two days (10 chickens) with some left over. To the fermented feed remaining in the bucket,I add equal amounts of feed and water to refill the bucket to the 2/3 level. The fermented feed that is present acts like a "starter" and the new batch of feed will be fermented usually in 24 hours.

 

[glib]

in my experience there are seeds in the wild bird mix that do n

 

[glib]

In my experience there are seeds in the wild bird mix that do not sprout. but sunflowers sprout always, and I too eat large amounts of sunflower shoots, mostly in winter when the garden is not producing.

 

[SaCollins]

Sorry I didn't reply sooner...I didn't get a notification

Thanks for that advice @Ra_ the wild bird seed works great!! And the best part? They love it!!

Thanks @redsix I've got it going...the first batch after I fed it for several days molded

BUT I think I solved the problem of that...I'm pretty sure it was the frig (not working) that I stored it in...I ditched it all and started over, so far...SO GOOD

@glib I haven't had any issues with any seeds sprouting...the smaller rounder seeds took one day longer than the sunflower seeds, but that's it

So I'm super excited!! My girls LOVE it...I dumped extra sprouted seeds in their run, hoping that they might miss a few and the seeds grow into a fodder...NOPE...they ate EVERY last one

 

[redsix]

Maybe you are mixing up too much and trying to hold it too long. I don't refrigerate mine. A small amount (cup full or so) of the fermented feed when mixed with the new feed will ferment the whole batch in about 24 hours. I add new feed to the mixure about every other day, or 2 days at the most.

 

[SaCollins]

Maybe you are mixing up too much and trying to hold it too long.  I don't refrigerate mine.  A small amount (cup full or so) of the fermented feed when mixed with the new feed will ferment the whole batch in about 24 hours.  I add new feed to the mixure about every other day, or 2 days at the most.

Its not a working refrigerator...just an old empty one out close to my chicks...thats why I used it...I found mold in the frig...so Ive cleaned it out thoroughly and started fresh...hopefully that solved my problem.

 

[stevethack]

I was messing around with lids, jars, and cans over this last week. I already had a big plastic coffee can of scratch soaking (mostly drained after 12 hours...but rinsed every few-6 hours to avoid molding) since Wednesday too. I used to sprout alfalfa sprouts to eat myself a few years ago and figured...why not again? For myself and the chickens. Well, I don't have any human grade sprouts for myself, but there's a possibility for the chickens with the scratch until I can find wheat, etc..
Well to shorten this saga a bit.. I found a large canning ring WILL fit a regular sized 24oz can (like the 24oz pasta sauce cans, but regular canning jars will work with the screening too...but mine are too valuable for this usage! for chicken sprouts!)..the extra little bit of fiberglass screen wire will make it hard to snap on... and the devil to get off! Just cut the "other" end off after ya empty the can, wash and cut an oversized hunk of either aluminum or fiberglass thin scrap screening up...snap the large canning ring around the screen and the end of the can...trim screening (pantyhose..clean...works too) to fit/look good and fill 'er up with pre-soaked seeds of some sort...and it's a drain-able/rinse-able a couple times a day (cheap?) reusable sprouting jar/can of about the size to use for a daily treat/fodder of sorts for a couple of days for 10-15 chickens. I prefer they get the main nutrition from the 16% layer feed..But this way they even eat the seeds they normally ignore...millet, etc.
Warning...the cracked corn in "shorts"/scratch will start to **ferment** in just a little time (hours)... avoid letting it sit in water or soaking under water for more then 2-3 days or your chickens may just get a buzz from it....lol But even with that said... after the first 12 hours or so soak and a quick rinse (removes dirt) and DRAIN I catch the drippings afterwards (the flat plastic pan in the pic) and pour them in a flat watering pan the chickens drink out of...it's loaded with dissolved carbs, some proteins, and of course some hooch but in small very small amounts. Mine love it straight up! lol


There is also an old pickle jar with holes punched in the lid to drain, but the opened both ends cans are easier to mess with and rinse. The flat plastic storage thing has a lost/gone forever top somewhere in the universe...probably right next to all of the lost mates of socks over the years.. The plastic thing with 1/2"x1/2" grid is a section of an old lay-in light grid I had in my shop....it allows excellent drainage. I rinse, and just sit them upside down on top of the gridded stuff in the plastic flat to collect the drippings.. simple enuff I even thought of it..(good thing too! lol)

 

[BBQJOE]

Many years ago, I built an automated sprouter.
It's pretty much trashed now except for the mechanics.
Tomorrow I will post the plans, it's pretty easy, and produces tons of sprouts. Set it, and forget it.
Sprouts galore!

I'll probably make a new one soon.

 

[BBQJOE]

Shortly I will make a post in the DIY forum for the automated sprouter.