FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[LindaB220]

Chickens are pretty attracted to a food particle that looks like cracked corn ... so I'd think putting them through the mill would make the grains more attractive.

I have also been thinking about how it would be a double-bonus to the nutrition to sprout (or at least soak) and then grind and then ferment all the grains, seeds and legumes in the poultry feed. But that's asking a lot from me. The big-girl-pants-wearing me inside me has dreams of buying all whole grains for everything, even human food, sprouting them, dehydrating them, milling them ... yeah right.

One, but just one of the things we're doing with fermentation is reducing the anti-nutrients in the ingredients (grains, seeds, legumes, and possibly nuts). This article ... http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2010/09/reducing-phytic-acid-in-grains-and-legumes.html ... has a lot of scientific, historical, multi-cultural & easy-to-read information about this particular benefit of fermentation.

One of the interesting things about that article is it discusses how some grains (rye and wheat) have lots of phytase (the enzyme that breaks down one particular anti-nutrient called phytate) and other grains (oats and corn) have not as much phytase but still have plenty of phytate (the anti-nutrient). So ... using something like freshly ground rye in your batch of ferment can really help the anti-nutrient reducing process reach maximum benefits.

But ... using sprouted flours is even more efficient. Here is a quote:

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High Phytase Grain added to Low Phytase Grain: Adding a high phytase flour, such as buckwheat, rye or wheat to a low phytase flour or grain such as oats, rice, millet, and corn, can help break down the phytic acid. Think of cornbread with corn and wheat flour. That’s a pretty classic combination and if you soak the corn and wheat flour together you will be able to more effectively reduce the phytic acid in the corn. You should also do this if you roast grains (the roasting adds flavor as well as reducing phytic acid), since the phyase will be deactivated through the roasting process.

Using Sprouted Flour: Even more effective would be adding sprouted flour as the phytase is already active and ready to do business! From the few studies that I read who used this method, it seems that it could be quite helpful in reducing phytic acid. We can make our own and simply grind it as needed. If you don’t have your own grain grinder you can just buy a cheap coffee grinder and grind enough to add to your projects. The one study that we read about up above used only 5 to 10% sprouted flour, so it doesn’t have to be a high percentage.

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Note the advice in this article to grind the grains to help extract the proper nutrients and assist with the fermentation process. I think whole grains & legumes look great, and I do use them as treats, but for the feed I believe "processed" grains are better for the birds.

It all has a most sound base and I highly approve of sprouting. However, you know your strength. I don't have my grinder put together yet but I do intend to grind oats and corn(because I bought a bag of it) If you can hold up to it sure do it. I know my limits and sprouting is a lot of work. I only tried on one batch of whole oats and it was a miserable experience. I'm going to buy some wheat from Walmart's so I can sprout and grind my own sprouted flour. I think to get flour you have to send it through several times. But how often am I going to make bread?

 

[Tikkijane]

Yep...that would do it.  It was long about the 30s-40s when mine stopped being so active.

Thanks! I've passed it on.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

It all has a most sound base and I highly approve of sprouting. However, you know your strength. I don't have my grinder put together yet but I do intend to grind oats and corn(because I bought a bag of it) If you can hold up to it sure do it. I know my limits and sprouting is a lot of work. I only tried on one batch of whole oats and it was a miserable experience. I'm going to buy some wheat from Walmart's so I can sprout and grind my own sprouted flour. I think to get flour you have to send it through several times. But how often am I going to make bread?

I have a friend who makes bagels in her home to sell at farmer's markets. Her bagels are awesome, BTW, but a lot of people want the "sprouted grains" bagels, and the flour for that is SO expensive she is kind of stingy with them. It sounds "easy enough" to make your own sprouted grain flours, so when I sent her info on how to do it, she just snorted.

She doesn't even grind her own wheat! (I'm only pretending to be shocked ...).

I have one of those little flour mills ... but I admit I've never, ever used it.

I also "want" to make my own salt ...

 

[LindaB220]

I have a friend who makes bagels in her home to sell at farmer's markets. Her bagels are awesome, BTW, but a lot of people want the "sprouted grains" bagels, and the flour for that is SO expensive she is kind of stingy with them. It sounds "easy enough" to make your own sprouted grain flours, so when I sent her info on how to do it, she just snorted.

She doesn't even grind her own wheat! (I'm only pretending to be shocked ...).

I have one of those little flour mills ... but I admit I've never, ever used it.

I also "want" to make my own salt ...

Yeah, I bet you could save a ton of money by making your own salt.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Yeah, I bet you could save a ton of money by making your own salt.

Especially figuring in the trip to the mines or salt flats.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

Especially figuring in the trip to the mines or salt flats.

Ocean! I have an ocean not that far away! There is now a company making salt from our coast waters.

I started wanting to make salt myself when I read about Lewis & Clark setting up a saltworks here ... http://www.seasidemuseum.org/lewisclarksaltworks.cfm

I REALLY fell in love with proper sea salt when I lived in France. I think probably a person could save a (small) fortune making their own sea salt compared to buying "the good stuff" from France. A very small fortune.

 

[LindaB220]

Ocean! I have an ocean not that far away! There is now a company making salt from our coast waters.

I started wanting to make salt myself when I read about Lewis & Clark setting up a saltworks here ... http://www.seasidemuseum.org/lewisclarksaltworks.cfm

I REALLY fell in love with proper sea salt when I lived in France. I think probably a person could save a (small) fortune making their own sea salt compared to buying "the good stuff" from France. A very small fortune.

Yeah, I paid $9 for Himalayan Sea Salt per pound. It lasts me a year or more so cheap at the price.

That's another one of the things to put in you bucket list. Is your bucket heavy yet?

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

Yeah, I paid $9 for Himalayan Sea Salt per pound. It lasts me a year or more so cheap at the price.

That's another one of the things to put in you bucket list. Is your bucket heavy yet?

SO heavy!

 

[beverly evans]

Quote: I just wonder where you're going to put a ton of feed?? I guess you have a silo or something to put it in. Each time I add a new ingredient to what I'm feeding I have to come up with a new can or somewhere to put it out of the elements and possible varmits. But then you have acres to put feed in, right?

 

[Beekissed]

It all has a most sound base and I highly approve of sprouting. However, you know your strength. I don't have my grinder put together yet but I do intend to grind oats and corn(because I bought a bag of it) If you can hold up to it sure do it. I know my limits and sprouting is a lot of work. I only tried on one batch of whole oats and it was a miserable experience. I'm going to buy some wheat from Walmart's so I can sprout and grind my own sprouted flour. I think to get flour you have to send it through several times. But how often am I going to make bread?

That's something to add to your bucket list......making bread is so elemental and soothing, not to mention tasting better than anything you could possibly buy from any deli out there. Just kneading the bread seems to connect me down through the ages with women all over the world...bread is pretty much world wide and is made pretty much the same way the world over. Hands, flour/meal, water, salt, etc. I grew up watching my mother make bread and also my grandmother, as they watched their own mothers....there is just something as old as time in the whole process.

Oh, don't miss out on that experience!