Fodder Question?

[ColoradoPip]

Well, I just used some scrap lumber I had sitting out behind the garage. I left the fodder tower unpainted just to be sure people would look at the functionality of the design. I am sure one could paint the tower and make it look more presentable. My goal at that time was to make something that was inexpensive to build and worked.

I was not being sarcastic. It looks great, I don't care about paint, maybe I should have not been so short and said it looks great meaning...it looks like it works really well, is easy to build and use, and required little maintenance and effort. It wins in every category!

 

[AgnesGray]

I read that article too and got super psyched about it! Got the trays at the dollar tree and am anxious to get started, but have one hang up. I went to two feed stores who have whole oats they sold me swearing they could be used for fodder, only to get them home and find out they've been steamed and crimped and will rot before sprouting. Where and what does everyone use for fodder? Any online stores?

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

I read that article too and got super psyched about it! Got the trays at the dollar tree and am anxious to get started, but have one hang up. I went to two feed stores who have whole oats they sold me swearing they could be used for fodder, only to get them home and find out they've been steamed and crimped and will rot before sprouting. Where and what does everyone use for fodder? Any online stores?

Well at least you can feed the rolled oats to your birds.
You can try the local farm-store, a seed store, distilleries and breweries. Some "Yuppie food" stores sell whole grains too for people who want to make their own flour or eat sprouts, but those store sell only in homeopathic amounts and sky high prices.
Don't be too sad about your oats, however: My experience with oats is that this is the grain with the worst germination rate. Wheat works best for me, second best is Rye and for @gtaus Barley works best.

 

[AgnesGray]

Good to know! Since my feed stores have failed me, I'll see if i can get some of any of those grains online. What I've found so far has been super pricey, but I've heard talk of $8 for a 50 lb bag here in the midwest so i know it's out there, just gotta find it.

 

[gtaus]

I was not being sarcastic. It looks great, I don't care about paint, maybe I should have not been so short and said it looks great meaning...it looks like it works really well, is easy to build and use, and required little maintenance and effort. It wins in every category!

It's all good. I did not take your comment as being sarcastic. I just wanted to state that the tower would probably be more presentable if painted.

 

[gtaus]

I read that article too and got super psyched about it! Got the trays at the dollar tree and am anxious to get started, but have one hang up. I went to two feed stores who have whole oats they sold me swearing they could be used for fodder, only to get them home and find out they've been steamed and crimped and will rot before sprouting. Where and what does everyone use for fodder? Any online stores?

I get my barley seeds in 50 and 100 pound bags at my local feed mill. I cannot imagine your feed store selling you steamed and crimped oat seeds that could not be grown for fodder. But maybe my local feed mill owners are just more knowledgeable about what seeds can be used for fodder. I don't know if there are any online stores that would deliver 50 or 100 pound seed bags. Probably cost more in shipping than the seed itself. I pay $7.25 for a 50 pound bag of barley seed, and about $11.50 for a 100 pound of barley seed. I imagine the shipping costs would exceed the actual cost of the seeds.

As far as the oats you have already bought, you can just mix them in with some chicken scratch and the chickens will love it. So nothing needs to be wasted. Given your bad experience with your local feed mill, I would ask them to give/sell you a small sample of what grain seeds they say are good for growing fodder and try them out before investing in a 50 or 100 pound bag. From the feedback I have read, people have best luck with barley, wheat, and oats - in that order. But the seed has to be able to grow, or you can't make fodder.

 

[AgnesGray]

I get my barley seeds in 50 and 100 pound bags at my local feed mill. I cannot imagine your feed store selling you steamed and crimped oat seeds that could not be grown for fodder. But maybe my local feed mill owners are just more knowledgeable about what seeds can be used for fodder. I don't know if there are any online stores that would deliver 50 or 100 pound seed bags. Probably cost more in shipping than the seed itself. I pay $7.25 for a 50 pound bag of barley seed, and about $11.50 for a 100 pound of barley seed. I imagine the shipping costs would exceed the actual cost of the seeds.

As far as the oats you have already bought, you can just mix them in with some chicken scratch and the chickens will love it. So nothing needs to be wasted. Given your bad experience with your local feed mill, I would ask them to give/sell you a small sample of what grain seeds they say are good for growing fodder and try them out before investing in a 50 or 100 pound bag. From the feedback I have read, people have best luck with barley, wheat, and oats - in that order. But the seed has to be able to grow, or you can't make fodder.

That is incredible pricing! The Feed Store I went to first had never heard of growing fodder, which seemed odd to me. I am new at this, but they've been there for eons. He quoted me a price on wheat of $18 a 50lb bag, but when I got there would only sell it for $1.50/lb making the bag $75. They also quoted me prices for non-GMO, charged me for the same, and then sold me "natural" feed that contained GMOs. Spent 4 hours between driving and returning the feed to them. Moral of the story, they don't seem to know what they are doing and selling me steamed and crimped oats for sprouting was just further proof of that.

The other feed store didn't know about it, but was sure her oats would work. I would say to you based on my experience so far: you have a great feed supply store! Hopefully I can find one like that eventually.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Good to know! Since my feed stores have failed me, I'll see if i can get some of any of those grains online. What I've found so far has been super pricey, but I've heard talk of $8 for a 50 lb bag here in the midwest so i know it's out there, just gotta find it.

A 50lbs bag of Winter Wheat was $12.79 here in Charleston, Rye and Oats were a little bit more expensive. Online? Fugettaboutit!!! Waaayyy toooo expensive!

 

[AgnesGray]

A 50lbs bag of Winter Wheat was $12.79 here in Charleston, Rye and Oats were a little bit more expensive. Online? Fugettaboutit!!! Waaayyy toooo expensive!

Woooow!! Awesome prices!!!

I asked in a chicken group on Facebook and they're suggesting amazon for $1.25 an ouce! Might be worth it to hook up the trailer and go out of my area a couple times a year.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

@AgnesGray Don't know where in OH you're located, but if Charleston is not too far away, i get my stuff here: