Growing fodder for chickens

[Kjordanov]

M

Well, I think I may not be rinsing often enough?  It seems like I get mold no matter what grain I use and I have NEVER had fodder as tall as yours.

I've pretty much decided that until it warms up enough to put trays outside, I'm going to just sprout the grains.  I can get them to about an inch long to where they are just starting to turn green without any mold issues.  Maybe I need to rinse more and maybe its an air circulation thing.  I don't know.

Mine too except I haven't had any mold issues. I'm sprouting alfalfa and it's so easy and great on sandwiches or salads and the chickens LOVE it! Though its more of a treat to the chickens since I can only buy it in little seed packs here.

 

[melwynnd]

Hmmm....

I've never tried to grow Fodder without an automated system (too lazy so I designed one right off

). I haven't had any mold problems, but I set mine to water once every 2 hours, which probably wouldn't be practical if you were watering by hand. Soaking your seeds for too long slows the sprouting process and encourages mold. I only soak mine for 30 minutes, drain them, and then put them in an ice cream bucket for 24 hours, rinsing once if I remember. You can add a little hydrogen peroxide to you soaking water which will help kill mold spores already in the seeds. You can also put a little hydrogen peroxide in the water you water them with to help with mold control.

Sprouting your grains unlocks all the nutrients the same as growing it into Fodder, you just don't get the bulk.

Sherry

 

[Lacy Blues]

Maybe that's it... I'm soaking too long. I get them going and then I unintentionally forget all about it til either later in the day or the next day! Sheesh!

I suppose if I could remember to set the timer when I start them, it might make a difference.

Thanks!

 

[darkside1]

One tablespoon of 3% hydrogen peroxide per gallon of water will help keep mold from forming.

 

[PetRock]

I tried the hydrogen peroxide in the water with this batch of barley but I hand water 3 times/day and didn't put it in every time I watered. Watering more often and for a longer period of time did help but once I got to day 4, the mold/mildew problems started. I'm very careful about not feeding mold to my girls. This has been a hard year already. I just started feeding them fermented feed and fodder in late Jan and I've had several birds with vent gleet and some young ones with what sounds like a mold problem in their lungs. (Suspecting mold because they have gurgling when they breathe, some sneezing, no nasal discharge, not acting sick but respond to oxine in humidifier.) I'm not blaming it on the FF or fodder but adding those 2 things to their diet plus reducing the amount of plain yogurt that they get (exchanged yogurt for FF) are the only changes that I've made this year. So, I am being hyper vigilant when it comes to mold. If my fodder has mold on it, I have been planting it in an unused part of the yard and then letting the birds eat it when it grows 4-5 in. tall.

 

[SowdersHomestead]

Great thread. I started sprouting last year. Rabbits absolutely love it. Chickens eat it but would rather have something else. I'm trying the 4 day sprout instead of fodder for the chickens. I think they will go for it better. Plus by doing the sprout I can do it in 5 gallon buckets instead of trays.

 

[Sunflowergirl]

PetRock, I tried to do FF one time. Fed it to them and they did love it. However, next day, when they would bend their heads down to peck, had liquids running out which said sour crop to me!!! I quit that real quick!! So, I am not going back to FF for my chooks. I don't mind soaking overnight and feeding out. There is still some value in that. Also do sprouts and feed out on day 3 and 4. (I think even feeding out on day 2 and 3 of sprouts is good.) I have not had the problem with fodder that you are having. So, I don't mind letting my sprouts go to day 5 and 6.
I encourage you to try feeding them seeds soaked overnight and your fodder in the sprouts stage.

See how that works!

I tried the hydrogen peroxide in the water with this batch of barley but I hand water 3 times/day and didn't put it in every time I watered. Watering more often and for a longer period of time did help but once I got to day 4, the mold/mildew problems started. I'm very careful about not feeding mold to my girls. This has been a hard year already. I just started feeding them fermented feed and fodder in late Jan and I've had several birds with vent gleet and some young ones with what sounds like a mold problem in their lungs. (Suspecting mold because they have gurgling when they breathe, some sneezing, no nasal discharge, not acting sick but respond to oxine in humidifier.) I'm not blaming it on the FF or fodder but adding those 2 things to their diet plus reducing the amount of plain yogurt that they get (exchanged yogurt for FF) are the only changes that I've made this year. So, I am being hyper vigilant when it comes to mold. If my fodder has mold on it, I have been planting it in an unused part of the yard and then letting the birds eat it when it grows 4-5 in. tall.

 

[Phottoman]

Yup that's disgusting of Walmart to do that! They have now lost my business!!

Hmmm ... two questions, and the truth please.

How often did you NORMALLY shop at Walmart before you made this statement?

And do you REALLY think a few dozen (or less) people buying something talked about on this thread was the cause of this increase? Haven't you read the posts where prices have gone up EVERYWHERE and the costs are almost double what we paid for the same thing last year? Don't you read or listen to or watch TV news and heard that the weather WORLDWIDE is causing food costs to soar?

It really chafes my shaft when I hear anyone blame Walmart, a company that is in business to DO business, for increase costs. BTW, Walmarts whole reason for being is to make a profit. Did you consider AT ALL that their costs have gone up and THATS why they raised their prices?

Skip

 

[ms4runr]

It really chafes my shaft when I hear anyone blame Walmart, a company that is in business to DO business, for increase costs. BTW, Walmarts whole reason for being is to make a profit. Did you consider AT ALL that their costs have gone up and THATS why they raised their prices?

Skip

Walmart has become predatory. It eliminates all small business in small towns. They sell junk, and once they remove competition remove the goods that were competitive so the product is not available and continue to exchange for lesser quality on everything. I have no respect for them. They are also cheap on wages. This is not capitalism, it is predatory.

 

[smfildes]

Hmmm ... two questions, and the truth please.

How often did you NORMALLY shop at Walmart before you made this statement?

And do you REALLY think a few dozen (or less) people buying something talked about on this thread was the cause of this increase? Haven't you read the posts where prices have gone up EVERYWHERE and the costs are almost double what we paid for the same thing last year? Don't you read or listen to or watch TV news and heard that the weather WORLDWIDE is causing food costs to soar?

It really chafes my shaft when I hear anyone blame Walmart, a company that is in business to DO business, for increase costs. BTW, Walmarts whole reason for being is to make a profit. Did you consider AT ALL that their costs have gone up and THATS why they raised their prices?

Skip

By the way, do you work for WalMart? Oh, or do you have a lot of stock in WalMart? Just curious.