Fodder help!

[mybrighteye]

So I thought I researched enough but guess not. *hides*

I went to a feed store an hour away and picked up a 50 lb bag of barley to grow fodder. Once I came home I realized I didn't ask if it was pesticide free. So I called and the store owner asked me

"Did you buy planting barley or feeder barley?" I told him I had no clue so I said the price and he said its feeder barley and doesn't know if it will sprout or not for fodder. Does anyone have a clue here? Lol I thought barley was just...barley.

He also said if it doesn't sprout I can just toss it to the chickens and they'll eat it anyway.

 

[daisygirlfp]

Try a germination test. Put 10 grains in a couple wet paper towesl in an open ended plastic sandwich bag and put in a warm place like on top of your fridge. If they germinate you are good to sprout them. Unless you are certified organic any possible residue will be greatly reduced by washing or soaking the seeds before sprouting or growing for feed. My feed store owner said seed intended for feed is heat cleaned or heated in storage and will not sprout.

 

[Soylent Chick]

I'm not sure if all feed grains are heat treated. I've been able to sprout feed oats. The birds loved both sprouts and seed.

 

[daisygirlfp]

Producers and mills will use their own protocol for fumigating or heat treating grain. The easiest way here is to do a germination test if you want to find out if the seed is viable.

https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/__data/a...5817/Grain-Storage-Ins-Cont-Stored-Grain_.pdf

If you don't sprout it be judicious about the amount you feed to your poultry.

http://articles.extension.org/pages/68431/feeding-barley-to-poultry

 

[mybrighteye]

am I crazy or do I see tiny sprouts coming out?

 

[daisygirlfp]

Yippee! Those are sprouts. You did a massive germination test!

 

[mybrighteye]

Yippee!  Those are sprouts.  You did a massive germination test!

Lol! I'm so excited! And I'm too impatient to try a germination test so I figured I'd just do a small batch and see if it would take I went ahead and started my second batch, hopefully everything works out. Thank you for all your help!

 

[mybrighteye]

This morning

 

[daisygirlfp]

Watch for mold. Rinsing sprouts will help but holding them too long before feeding will produce mold which can produce toxins. We sprout frequently in small amounts. Your sprouts are beautiful!