Fodder for the girls

[TheFreemanFarm]

This Is such an excellent resource! How had your chicken's intake of layer changed, if at all?

 

[usedhobarts]

I started feeding fodder prior to freeze and at that point the layer pellet consumption decreased drastically. Now when the chickens are cooped up 12 or more hours a day they are consuming more layer then when I first started feeding fodder. I think part of that is due simply to boredom.

Prior to adding the fodder I was using 50lbs a week. This fall when I added fodder daily that dropped to 15 lbs. Now I'm going thru 50lbs every 12 days or so. I think the thing I really like as a bonus which I did not think of is the water intake. Fodder also contains allot of water so I'm not having to change out the waterers nearly as often.

I personally have yet to find a down side.

 

[Banner Ridge Chick]

Hi Where did you find the trays that you are using for your fodder system. I used plant trays
last year and they worked ok, but like the looks of the deeper ones.

 

[usedhobarts]

Hi, these trays are cambro camwear. They are hotel pans. The size is called " full" and they are 6" deep. I actually bought these at a school board auction. But for that I probably could not afford to use these for fodder as they are about 35.00 each new. I do like the depth. Enitially some of the fodder people thought they were too deep. Knowing what I know now versus back then I assure everyone the depth is not an issue. As a matter of fact if your using gravity irrigation the deeper trays work ten fold better then even the special fodder trays I originally bought.

 

[usedhobarts]

Hi all, I wanted to share some information I have figured out on my fodder growing. The past couple weeks my fodder seems to sprout slower and also mature slower. Usually my day 7 bin is an inch or so taller than the bin. Now it is barely as tall. We got a nasty cold blast here in Minnesota so we're full force using all the heat sources in this old farm house. Electric baseboard and old style radiator heat. I realized these dry heat sources , even though I was maintaining a constant 70 degrees, had lowered the humidity down to 4-5 %. I guess fodder is just like us and does not like low humidity. I turned on the humidifiers which I usually don't run until mid to late January and brought the house back up to 35% and the fodder took of like crazy again not mention the chap stick use is declining. If your experiencing a slower than normal growth consider checking the humidity. Thanks.

 

[ladyearth]

heck Tupperwae is cheaper than camwear.... also bought aluminum disp pans cheaper.. could triple those for the price I paid for 3 of them.. to make them stronger.... They even came with clear lids.. bought at a salvage store
wish I could find bottom Drilled glass baking pans... like 10 inch squared Pyrex. I trust glass the most..... oh forgot I had a bunch of steamer bottom odd and ends pans stainless steel rounded ones, Or cheap colanders, hum....got those from yard sales and flea markets
just saying yall gonna try to make a rack....
Happy fodder making.. LOL

 

[Azbound]

Do you have any pictures of your complete set up? Thanks for all the good info.

 

[lynnehd]

Hi all, I wanted to share some information I have figured out on my fodder growing. The past couple weeks my fodder seems to sprout slower and also mature slower. Usually my day 7 bin is an inch or so taller than the bin. Now it is barely as tall. We got a nasty cold blast here in Minnesota so we're full force using all the heat sources in this old farm house. Electric baseboard and old style radiator heat. I realized these dry heat sources , even though I was maintaining a constant 70 degrees, had lowered the humidity down to 4-5 %. I guess fodder is just like us and does not like low humidity. I turned on the humidifiers which I usually don't run until mid to late January and brought the house back up to 35% and the fodder took of like crazy again not mention the chap stick use is declining. If your experiencing a slower than normal growth consider checking the humidity. Thanks.

Great thread! I, too, would love to see pictures of your set up, and watering/misting system. It just helps to SEE it.

 

[missy1462]

This is all new to me, so I would love to see the set up pics also. Could someone tell me where I can find seed, and what I need to be asking for? I live in Western NC. My girls would love such as this.
I wonder if something such as this would work? http://www.walmart.com/ip/Homz-15.5-Qt-Latching-Clear-Storage-Boxes-Set-of-4/40977738

 

[lynnehd]

This is all new to me, so I would love to see the set up pics also. Could someone tell me where I can find seed, and what I need to be asking for? I live in Western NC. My girls would love such as this.
I wonder if something such as this would work? http://www.walmart.com/ip/Homz-15.5-Qt-Latching-Clear-Storage-Boxes-Set-of-4/40977738

I've only sprouted a couple of trays, but I can tell you that ideally your tray has a flat bottom, so water doesn't collect in little valleys in the bottom. You need ALL of the water to drain out, to really flush through, or it can start to smell.

You can get around this by adding some 3/32 sized drill holes in the little valleys to make sure this happens.
I used the plastic Sterilite shoe boxes and had to do this to ensure complete drainage.