Growing fodder for chickens

[Lacy Blues]

Empty that feed pan and force those girls out to forage... unless your having winter now then there will be less for them to forage. Maybe thats why they're eating more? If there's still forage out there for them, I'd empty that pan and only give them enough to fill up on before going to roost.

 

[yodercountrygirl2]

Starting my first batch of BOSS.

 

[beverly evans]

Empty that feed pan and force those girls out to forage... unless your having winter now then there will be less for them to forage. Maybe thats why they're eating more? If there's still forage out there for them, I'd empty that pan and only give them enough to fill up on before going to roost.

No, no winter here, days in the 80's! Some rain so lots of tiny green grass for them. Two of my layers have stopped laying so I've been giving them some cooked turkey hamburger and some wetted cat food to up the protein and get the feathers of the one that's molting back before she needs them. They are mostly light weights except for my two Marans who are big pigs at the trough! I will separate the layers from the newbies and give those girls the extra and see if the newbies go to forage more. : )

 

[AletaG]

Kassaundra, when you sprout inside the burlap bags (let me see if I got it):
1. you rinse in the bag, under HOT water...
2. Soak O/N
3. Rinse again in hot water
4. spread them out flat to sprout inside the bag. No more rinsing. The bags keep the seed moist; is there perhaps some antimicrobial property of burlap? Here I have to rinse daily w/ a little peroxide or Kapow! mold.

Ok. Not clear on how you feed it to the chickens once it's sprouted. Turn it inside out then lay it flat? Hang it up? Then, how do you get it clean again, just run it through the laundry?

Thanks so much!
-AG

 

[Kassaundra]

Great post, crazyaboutchickens. Quick question guys: what if the barley I get doesn't work? Will chickens eat it or will it be a complete waste? We can't afford to keep paying for fodder-growing mistakes. The barley sacks are $22 for 20kg.

If I got a grain that would not sprout I would ferment and feed the grain fermented.

 

[Kassaundra]

Kassaundra, when you sprout inside the burlap bags (let me see if I got it):
1. you rinse in the bag, under HOT water...
2. Soak O/N
3. Rinse again in hot water
4. spread them out flat to sprout inside the bag. No more rinsing. The bags keep the seed moist; is there perhaps some antimicrobial property of burlap? Here I have to rinse daily w/ a little peroxide or Kapow! mold.

Ok. Not clear on how you feed it to the chickens once it's sprouted. Turn it inside out then lay it flat? Hang it up? Then, how do you get it clean again, just run it through the laundry?

Thanks so much!
-AG

Yes, that is how I do it, I don't know if there is antimicrobial properties in burlap, but if kept at 4 days I never have mold problems. The only caviat to that is boss, I always have mold issues w/ it.


On feed out there will be loose sprouted grains in there that I dump into a feed container, then invert the bag, the root mat will be growing through the burlap, I have hammered a pole into the ground it sticks up about 18-24 inches and I place the inverted bag on the pole. They can pick it off all day. If it stays on the pole it generally doesn't need laundering, if they get excited and get it off the pole I just lauder it in the clothes washer.

 

[AletaG]

They can pick it off all day. If it stays on the pole it generally doesn't need laundering, if they get excited and get it off the pole I just lauder it in the clothes washer.

I can SOO picture this...

 

[fowlsessed]

I was wondering if anyone knows; is growing the grain into fodder, better or worse (nutrition wise), than sprouting? I'm thinking the additional grow time may deplete/change compounds that were in the sprouting seed? No, yes? Thanks for your help, this has been bothering me!

 

[Kassaundra]

I was wondering if anyone knows; is growing the grain into fodder, better or worse (nutrition wise), than sprouting? I'm thinking the additional grow time may deplete/change compounds that were in the sprouting seed? No, yes? Thanks for your help, this has been bothering me!

For chickens sprouting does everything they need and has optimum benefits, for grazers and rabbits, growing it to fodder stage is more beneficial. imo from what I have read, but I don't have links to post about it.

 

[fowlsessed]

Wonderful, thank you.