Fodder

[AxisOfBeagles]

Here's one I bookmarked a while back - http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=11721

It's a bit overly negative in tone, but you can find others that say the same thing with less bombast. Bottom line, to my mind - hydroponic fodder is not adequate as a sole source feed, but is a perfectly good supplement, and can help drive costs down by reducing dependence on more expensive packaged feed. Like I said above, I feed sprouted barley (fodder), some packaged feed, and have the luxury of full time free ranging for the birds - not everyone has that option.

 

[wyoDreamer]

Here's one I bookmarked a while back - http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=11721

It's a bit overly negative in tone, but you can find others that say the same thing with less bombast. Bottom line, to my mind - hydroponic fodder is not adequate as a sole source feed, but is a perfectly good supplement, and can help drive costs down by reducing dependence on more expensive packaged feed. Like I said above, I feed sprouted barley (fodder), some packaged feed, and have the luxury of full time free ranging for the birds - not everyone has that option.

I agree with you, it is not a sole source feed. It is very palatable to the animals though.

The article I was reading was talking about the enzymes of a seed, which are there to prevent spoilage, and how they change when the seed is sprouted to enhance the amino-acids available within the sprout. Most grain has a hull that is very hard for animals to digest, so that is why the grain is "cracked" before feeding, to provide access to the goodness inside the seed. Sprouting also breaks that hull.

Interestingly, in my research I found that it is estimated that when whole barley is fed to beef cattle, 48 to 50% of the grain is crapped out whole. I knew the whole grain in horse poop is why dogs tend to eat horse apples, but I didn't know it would be that much.

 

[lolliandpaul]

I am going to start sprouting fodder for my chickens as that will be their access to "greens". Purchasing greens, even through Costco, gets expensive. I do not free range my chickens and turkeys as I live in a remote area replete with bob cats, coyotes and mountain lions. So they "range" a 10' X 20" fenced in and roof fenced pen. I am going to sprout a combination of barley, alfalfa, BOSS and was thinking of also mixing in a little white clover. Has anyone heard if white clover has any drawbacks for chickens? Wouldn't think so. Also, for those looking for grains to sprout at a good cost, check the bulk foods at your grocery store, like WinCo, and possibly azurestandard.com.

 

[lolliandpaul]

I forgot to add that I will not be using fodder as total food. I am also making my own chicken feed from a recipe I found on another site. The grains are actually for human consumption so I am confident in what I am making. I also supplement the grains with kelp granules, flax seeds, sesame seeds, brewer's yeast, lentils, etc. So the hens will have a true balance of protein, calcium and minerals. I can customize this recipe for extra protein for my meat birds and over all, this recipe is much less expensive, pound for pound, than commercially produced feed. I get the grain, etc., from Azure Standard and as I have 50 meat birds and 60 egg layers, I can buy the individual elements in bulk to get an even better price. I like having control over what my animals eat.

 

[jklyles1]

Im having an issue with sprouting Barley seeds. Only about 40-50% are growing the green grass. others are sprouting way slower. How do I get the "carpet" like growth?? Why are mine growing at such different rates??

 

[nayeli]

Im having an issue with sprouting Barley seeds. Only about 40-50% are growing the green grass. others are sprouting way slower. How do I get the "carpet" like growth?? Why are mine growing at such different rates??

Try wheat seeds. Barely any of my barley took, but the wheat came up great!

 

[AxisOfBeagles]

Can't speak for wheat, but with barley I find that being very careful about my process, and frequent watering, are key to getting decent results.

Best results for me come after I rinse (to get rid of chaff), soak for 24 hours, and then keep them moist - often requiring watering 4 or 5 times a day.

I'd give wheat a try but for the 300 lbs of barley I've already got!

 

[RichnSteph]

So just for grins I took a cup of wild bird seed and rinsed it, then let it sit in water for a few hours and then drained the water and let it sit. Twice a day I rinsed it off with just a little water and in 3 days the darn things sprouted! The sun flower seeds sprouted like crazy and when I put the bowl down in front of the chickens they went nuts. This got me to thinking. Since the land we are on is almost 100% sand and bare of any grass other than small spots of native coastal can I sprout say..... 100lbs of barley or wheat and just broadcast it out around the house? Would it grow like that? I'd like to get some kind of ground cover and don't want to pay for sod.

Thank you for your time.
RichnSteph

 

[ducksanddoxies]

Trying some lentils now. Definitely gonna do the birdseed.