Growing fodder for chickens

[GreatWhiteAfro]

Here are some pics of the progress so far with my lentil sprouts. As you can see on day 3, they are getting some green. I can't wait to see if the chickens like them once they are ready to eat!

DAY 1 (after 24 hour soak)



DAY 2


DAY 3

 

[BY Chicken Lady]

Hi there.  I'm in northern Nevada.  It was quite warm here last week but thankfully has cooled down somewhat.

Perhaps you just need to rinse your sprouts more and several times a day when its that warm.  I know that 80 is pretty cool for southern Nevada so I guess my only input is to rinse more often with cold water.

My daughter lives in se Arizona, comparable to Nevada I would imagine. When it is just too hot outside she brings her patio plants indoors so you could probably grow your fodder indoors...and rinse them much more often as well.

 

[BY Chicken Lady]

Here are some pics of the progress so far with my lentil sprouts. As you can see on day 3, they are getting some green. I can't wait to see if the chickens like them once they are ready to eat! DAY 1 (after 24 hour soak) DAY 2 DAY 3

Do you have holes in the bottom of this dish for draining?

 

[GreatWhiteAfro]

Do you have holes in the bottom of this dish for draining?

Yes, lots of them.

 

[greenhorn]

I haven't read all 205 pages of this thread, but does anyone have any ideas on how to sprout in high temperatures?
I'm in southern NV and it's about 80 degrees in the house right now. I've tried sprouting the red wheat available at the feed store, but I had some major mold issues.

Should I just try fermenting feed instead, since it thrives at higher temperatures?

I would say, most definitely, we feed our chickens fermented grains, fodder, scratch, table scraps, their predators (sometimes), dry bag feed, egg shell etc. They love a well rounded diet. We are working on raising crickets and are also working on the solar lights over a bun pan filled with water. I guess the light attracts the insects and a bunch drown in the water every night. They say first thing the birds do when let out is run straight for the bun pan to eat the previous nights catch.

All kinds of good things to feed your chickens and lots of BYC members offer great ideas in these threads. That's where i figured most of these cool ideas out, like growing fodder....

80 degrees is perfect for fermenting, it's very nutritional and chickens just love fermented grains.

 

[Arielle]

Quote: THey are favs with my kids and my DH !! THe girls are sweet and busy bodies if they think I have found a cricket! Rooster nearly has a hemorage when they race to me-- I didn't raise him so he is very on the ball watching over his girls. lol

 

[SigningChickens]

Do you have holes in the bottom of this dish for draining?

I've had good luck sprouting lentils but my girls aren't fans.

 

[BY Chicken Lady]

I can't wait to go into town to the feedstore to get something to grow...until then I am experimenting with different things in my pantry. Today I am soaking some wild rice...there are lots of goodies in the wild rice mix I get at the organic grocery. Wonder what that will become?

 

[deserthomestead]

I would say, most definitely, we feed our chickens fermented grains, fodder, scratch, table scraps, their predators (sometimes), dry bag feed, egg shell etc. They love a well rounded diet. We are working on raising crickets and are also working on the solar lights over a bun pan filled with water. I guess the light attracts the insects and a bunch drown in the water every night. They say first thing the birds do when let out is run straight for the bun pan to eat the previous nights catch.

All kinds of good things to feed your chickens and lots of BYC members offer great ideas in these threads. That's where i figured most of these cool ideas out, like growing fodder....

80 degrees is perfect for fermenting, it's very nutritional and chickens just love fermented grains.

I love the bun pan idea! I'll keep trying with the fodder. It's set up in the bottom of my spare shower, lol.

 

[Lacy Blues]

I've had good luck sprouting lentils but my girls aren't fans.

Keep offering them. Mine looked at them sideways the first few times but now they are the first thing gone out of their feed pans.

I would say, most definitely, we feed our chickens fermented grains, fodder, scratch, table scraps, their predators (sometimes), dry bag feed, egg shell etc. They love a well rounded diet. We are working on raising crickets and are also working on the solar lights over a bun pan filled with water. I guess the light attracts the insects and a bunch drown in the water every night. They say first thing the birds do when let out is run straight for the bun pan to eat the previous nights catch.

A bun pan? Do you mean just a shallow pan? This sounds like a fantastic idea. Does anyone know if a mosquito will drown in the water? I know they lay eggs in stagnant water (what about fresh water?) but after that do they die or go get some more blood?