Growing fodder for chickens

[wormrun]

I'm going to sprout some veggie seeds. Does anyone have an idea of how long to soak them?

Howdy, from what I have read, animal feed should be used for sprouting. Organic and regular vegetable seeds have been treated for storage, mold, fungus, etc. This may be an organic treatment, but will cause harm to your animals because it was not intended for consumption, but was intended to be planted in the ground. Naturally, if you saved these yourself, you will know they are good to go! Always sprout animal or people feed.

 

[BlueMouse]

These are organic sprouting seeds?

if they are organic seeds sold for sprouting, you're good to go, they should be soaked overnight like other seeds. If they're leftover garden seeds, I might just plant them in a tray of dirt, wait until they're a couple inches tall, and put them out for the girls to go nuts over. That way you avoid any possible issue with seed preservatives or anything else. Good luck!

 

[GreatWhiteAfro]

How big do I let my lentil sprouts get before giving them to my chickens? They are on day five right now and about two inches long.

 

[KHaws]

a week and 208 pages later i have now finished reading this whole thing until current... will continue to keep watching it. I learned a lot of awesome information, and my DH is on board with me to start doing trial runs, as we do not have any chickens currently, but will be getting some in the near future.. now off to read the fermented feed...

 

[h4farms]

What should I do about the patches I have of wheat that have not sprout and some places have mold???

 

[deserthomestead]

I would throw it away if there's mold spots. I'd hate for my chickies to get sick due to mold.
I've been doing a lot of trial and error, and every batch I get that gets moldy I've thrown away/composted.

 

[h4farms]

How can I prevent mold?

 

[Arielle]

You might be surprised what a chicken can handle . . . . .

 

[deserthomestead]

I know some people do a diluted bleach rinse, but I don't.
I had mold issues when my fodder wasn't draining fast enough. I used to use old milk jugs with holes in the bottom, but they drained too slowly for my super hot climate. Now I have little mesh "crates" that I made with a hot glue gun and some screening. They drain almost instantly, and I haven't had any mold since I started using them! Try improving your drainage and air flow.

 

[BY Chicken Lady]

I know some people do a diluted bleach rinse, but I don't.
I had mold issues when my fodder wasn't draining fast enough. I used to use old milk jugs with holes in the bottom, but they drained too slowly for my super hot climate. Now I have little mesh "crates" that I made with a hot glue gun and some screening. They drain almost instantly, and I haven't had any mold since I started using them! Try improving your drainage and air flow.

I agree, if it stays too wet, too long, it will mold. I was getting mold when I tried to sprout wild rice because I was getting them too wet and had the layer of seeds too deep so under the top layer it was not drying out enough between rinses.

I have found that more air and less dampness is the key to preventing mold. One thing I am trying now, that seems to be working, is using a spray bottle to spray my seeds several times a day. The basket they are in has hundreds of holes in the sides and bottom, and the seeds are not too thick now (single layer) so they get plenty of air around the seeds. The misting spray gets them sufficiently wet, without soaking them. I have sprouts in my wild rice after just 3 days and no mold this time!