Growing fodder for chickens

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Here's mine on day five (including 24 hr soak)!

I happened to click on this thread about a week ago and loved the idea of growing food for my chickens indoors during the winter months now that my outdoor crops are done. I went to the big chain farm and feed store and they acted like they didn't know what I was talking about when I asked for just plain ol' whole wheat seed. I went home and the first independent feed store I called not only had whole wheat seed, they had two kinds. Red and white. I didn't really know the difference, so I went with white.




I only have 7 chickens, so I don't need full sized flats of fodder. So I got some plastic food storage containers and very gently poked a bunch of holes for drainage. After the 24 hr soak and they are in their containers, I rinse/water them once in the morning and once in the evening. I keep them in my back room facing North, but it still stays about 66-67 degrees during the day when the heat's on in the house. Colder at night and when we're gone. So far, so good.

I do think my initial cup of seeds is too much, so I have cut back to 3/4 cup. I might even cut back to 1/2 cup. I know it sounds silly, but I hadn't really thought of how much the seeds would grow and expand. I mean, obviously they grow into grass and the grass grows, but the seeds spread out too with the help of their roots. What started out as an inch of seeds has more then doubled. My question to the pros: Am I starting out too thick? Should I use even less seeds with such small containers?


 
RainyPeeps said:


Here's mine on day five (including 24 hr soak)!

I happened to click on this thread about a week ago and loved the idea of growing food for my chickens indoors during the winter months now that my outdoor crops are done. I went to the big chain farm and feed store and they acted like they didn't know what I was talking about when I asked for just plain ol' whole wheat seed. I went home and the first independent feed store I called not only had whole wheat seed, they had two kinds. Red and white. I didn't really know the difference, so I went with white.




I only have 7 chickens, so I don't need full sized flats of fodder. So I got some plastic food storage containers and very gently poked a bunch of holes for drainage. After the 24 hr soak and they are in their containers, I rinse/water them once in the morning and once in the evening. I keep them in my back room facing North, but it still stays about 66-67 degrees during the day when the heat's on in the house. Colder at night and when we're gone. So far, so good.

I do think my initial cup of seeds is too much, so I have cut back to 3/4 cup. I might even cut back to 1/2 cup. I know it sounds silly, but I hadn't really thought of how much the seeds would grow and expand. I mean, obviously they grow into grass and the grass grows, but the seeds spread out too with the help of their roots. What started out as an inch of seeds has more then doubled. My question to the pros: Am I starting out too thick? Should I use even less seeds with such small containers?


Click to expand...

Beautiful!! You can experiment with the amount of seed you start with. I like to have a relatively thin layer to allow for expansion and so that the bottom seeds don't start to ferment. I think that those who use the automatic watering technique where there is more water flow can get away with a thicker layer, but I'm doing things the way you do, "soak and drain" 1 to 2x a day.

Another thing I've been thinking about is adding in some other seeds to my trays after the wheat has created a mat to increase variety. Wheat is a great starter as the seed is large and won't get washed out of the draining holes. There are other seeds that will sprout quickly, but they are too small. So....I'm thinking if I add them in after I have a mat on the bottom of the tray, they will sprout in the wheat. I'm researching micro-greens to see what would sprout fast enough. I only need those seeds to sprout, not grow very big. I'll post on this thread if I find something that will work.
 
It's sprouting nicely. How many days old are the sprouts? I had a lot of problems with molding and fermentation with the wash and drain by hand method. Too much grain and they molded/fermented, too little and they dried out. Does yours have any mold at all?
 
growyourbrew said:
It's sprouting nicely. How many days old are the sprouts? I had a lot of problems with molding and fermentation with the wash and drain by hand method. Too much grain and they molded/fermented, too little and they dried out. Does yours have any mold at all?
Click to expand...
They have been in that container for 4 days after the 24 hr soak = 5 days total. I'm keeping an eye out for mold and fermentation. I'm a little concerned because my indoor temp is pretty high and I don't move the seed around when I water, once they start to grow roots they create an intertwined carpet. So far, no mold, but it has only been 4 days. Just a few fruit flies that have moved from circling the kitchen top compost to the back room wheat project!
 
Looking real good RainyPeeps, sure didn't take you very long to get set up. Just got my new grow tent yesterday and can't wait to start setting it up.
 
Last edited:
pawtraitart said:
Beautiful!! You can experiment with the amount of seed you start with. I like to have a relatively thin layer to allow for expansion and so that the bottom seeds don't start to ferment. I think that those who use the automatic watering technique where there is more water flow can get away with a thicker layer, but I'm doing things the way you do, "soak and drain" 1 to 2x a day.

Another thing I've been thinking about is adding in some other seeds to my trays after the wheat has created a mat to increase variety. Wheat is a great starter as the seed is large and won't get washed out of the draining holes. There are other seeds that will sprout quickly, but they are too small. So....I'm thinking if I add them in after I have a mat on the bottom of the tray, they will sprout in the wheat. I'm researching micro-greens to see what would sprout fast enough. I only need those seeds to sprout, not grow very big. I'll post on this thread if I find something that will work.
Click to expand...

This is a great picture. I can do plastic containers. I also have a small flock, but have some babies turning into teens, thinking they will like it too. I see you have the lid under the containers to catch the water. :) What did you soak the seed in? Do you just put all of the seeds in one container to soak? My first time. I have wheat.
 

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