Growing fodder for chickens

[Lacy Blues]

Alfalfa seeds will work, you just have to find something with small enough holes for draining - perhaps window screen would work. Also, you'll need to make sure they're not treated with anything. After all, they sell alfalfa sprouts in the stores, so somebody knows how to do them. I plan on doing some too.

I try to give my birds something "green" every day. If I know I won't have any fodder tall enough for them to have in the morning, I'll toss some alfalfa cubes into a bucket of water and microwave them for about 5 minutes and then let them sit all night. In the morning, I drain that bucket and stir the alfalfa into my fermented grain that I pass out to all the individual pens.

In the evening, I try to make that their most interesting meal as I want them to fill up so they are not starving before breakfast. This is when I add my meats (if I have any) and my sprouts to the mix. They love it!

 

[doubleatraining]

I think my chickens would love it but I can't wrap my head around replacing their feed with this. Lol

 

[Sunflowergirl]

I have not replaced their feed with this. My routine is to give them the sprouts or fodder in the late morning as a "treat". I give them their feed as a warm mash with some protein in the evenings. And, they have regular dry feed available at all times.

I think my chickens would love it but I can't wrap my head around replacing their feed with this. Lol

 

[taizen living]

What type of meat do you feed them with their mash?
I too just started soaking wheat berries. Once I found this thread, I couldn't stop reading it. I wanted to see other peole's posts and their adventure in sprouting I was able to purchase my wheat berries at walmart. they only had one 25 lb bag of montana wheat berries in the flour section. I was afraid they wouldn't sprout, but low an behold, they started sprouting today.
Anyway, I have 58 chickens and am trying to figure out how much to 'fodder' them. I was reading the other posts which have mentioned sometimes the chickens don't touch very much and where another posts gives a suggestion, but what I would like to know is what worked for you (how many chickens do you have? )

My chickens were free range prior to the snow, now they don't want to go outside. I also was thinking about putting in the mealy worms with the fodder to make it like foraging. Have you tried that?

Thanks for your posts, btw ^_^

 

[Lacy Blues]

I get bonemeal from my local butcher that I sometimes add a little in. I also get liver sometimes. I fry it up just enough to make it easy to handle and then dice. Someone in my house bought tuna fish in OIL so thats been in the cupboard forever and I fed that out the other day. Sometimes I buy a can of mackerel to toss in there. Not a lot of meat, just a little. I've started raising mealworms but I'm nowhere near ready to feed them out yet. I also toss them some dry cat food on occasion.

I have roughly 60 birds I'm feeding. I make my fodder in something like a 9x13 foil pan that I've poked a bunch of holes into the bottom of (using a corn handle thing). I have all separate pens for my hens and pullets that are growing up so I tear this fodder pad into chunks for the different pens. They were pretty leary of the fodder at first but it only takes one brave one to try it. I think it was the time I gave it to them for the third time that they really tore into it. Now they don't waste any time on it.

 

[Sunflowergirl]

I only have 18 chickens. I usually mix in either water based tuna or some of their eggs, hard boiled or scrambled. I have a friend who has 42 chickens who scrambles her duck eggs with a bag of frozen mixed veggies for her chickens.

For my 18, I give them half of one of my "fodder" trays which is 9" x 22".

Hope this helps!

What type of meat do you feed them with their mash?
I too just started soaking wheat berries. Once I found this thread, I couldn't stop reading it. I wanted to see other peole's posts and their adventure in sprouting I was able to purchase my wheat berries at walmart. they only had one 25 lb bag of montana wheat berries in the flour section. I was afraid they wouldn't sprout, but low an behold, they started sprouting today.
Anyway, I have 58 chickens and am trying to figure out how much to 'fodder' them. I was reading the other posts which have mentioned sometimes the chickens don't touch very much and where another posts gives a suggestion, but what I would like to know is what worked for you (how many chickens do you have? )

My chickens were free range prior to the snow, now they don't want to go outside. I also was thinking about putting in the mealy worms with the fodder to make it like foraging. Have you tried that?

Thanks for your posts, btw ^_^

 

[Smccau3]

I only have 4 chickens, but boy do they go through feed quickly! I'm going to try this out as a supplement to their diet and slowly I will rethink their diet. That will be a long process for me, though.

To start experimenting, I am using BOSS seeds I already had on hand and drawers from a small desk organizer with holes drilled in it. I'm excited to see how this turns out. Thank you for all the wonderful ideas!

 

[QuirkySue]

My first few sprouting jars and pie plates/ice cream pail lids turned out ok so I increased my little wheatgrass factory. I bought one of those cheesy little wooden shoe racks ($5 on sale) and six foil cookie pans (3 for 1$ - slightly deeper than a pie plate) Each shelf holds three pans so I can either just do six a week or stick the last one underneath with the soaking bucket and small jars of lentils.

I spray and drain two or three times a day by hand. (I only have 11 chickens and I'm probably only doing it on this scale for a few months over winter) They don't have holes but I haven't had a speck of mold (probably too cold!)

 

[sonew123]

What type of meat do you feed them with their mash?
I too just started soaking wheat berries. Once I found this thread, I couldn't stop reading it. I wanted to see other peole's posts and their adventure in sprouting I was able to purchase my wheat berries at walmart. they only had one 25 lb bag of montana wheat berries in the flour section. I was afraid they wouldn't sprout, but low an behold, they started sprouting today.
Anyway, I have 58 chickens and am trying to figure out how much to 'fodder' them. I was reading the other posts which have mentioned sometimes the chickens don't touch very much and where another posts gives a suggestion, but what I would like to know is what worked for you (how many chickens do you have? )

My chickens were free range prior to the snow, now they don't want to go outside. I also was thinking about putting in the mealy worms with the fodder to make it like foraging. Have you tried that?

Thanks for your posts, btw ^_^

S glad you posted as I have roughly the same amount of birds...7 chicken breeder pens and 3 duck...so I would need to have 10 pieces...I wont soley feed fodder as I havent read through this entire thread to see if its being done but im over the moon excited about this!!! also I dont have the space to have 10 trays going! Lol...do you thinks the ducks would enjoy it too??? One more thing...there is not one feed store around me within and hour that carries just grains!!!, All i can get is boss?? Is this good enough???

 

[doubleatraining]

Sadly I don't have the schedule to rinse twice a day so I am experimenting with some alfalfa sprouting seeds in a mason jar. I soaked them overnight and rinsed them twice before leaving them in the jar with a piece of cheesecloth over the top so it can drain. That was 28 hours ago and they have already started sprouting. I rinsed again and will again tonight and tomorrow morning then they will be on their own for another 28 hrs or so.

Hopefully this goes well and I can get some wheat to start sprouting!!