Growing fodder for chickens

[crazyaboutchickens]

Hm... all those analytical links and studies makes one wonder how chickens survived on only cracked corn a few decades ago.

Anyways, there's a reason folks here experiment with 3 grains. BOSS is famous for it's protein. At 26%, if I remember correctly, it is only rivaled by Flaxseed. The only downside is it's slow growth which then allows mold. Barley is about 12% with Wheat around that number as well. Barley is recommended for it's other nutrients and Wheat for quick growth. There has to be balance in the methods of feeding. I also agree that fodder is cost-effective due to it's increased bio-availability, but people seem to be forgetting the help of photosynthesis making up for the possible deficiencies. Does anyone remember Jan Baptista Van Helmont's willow tree experiment? Plants are essentially, sunlight. Sure, certain vital minerals are required for sustaining plant life. Not within the time used for growing fodder, though. The seed may lose a certain amount of energy from the very process of sprouting, but once chlorophyll is there and exposed to light, carbohydrates are returned to the plant.

 

[WHmarans]

Hm... all those analytical links and studies makes one wonder how chickens survived on only cracked corn a few decades ago.

Anyways, there's a reason folks here experiment with 3 grains. BOSS is famous for it's protein. At 26%, if I remember correctly, it is only rivaled by Flaxseed. The only downside is it's slow growth which then allows mold. Barley is about 12% with Wheat around that number as well. Barley is recommended for it's other nutrients and Wheat for quick growth. There has to be balance in the methods of feeding. I also agree that fodder is cost-effective due to it's increased bio-availability, but people seem to be forgetting the help of photosynthesis making up for the possible deficiencies. Does anyone remember Jan Baptista Van Helmont's willow tree experiment? Plants are essentially, sunlight. Sure, certain vital minerals are required for sustaining plant life. Not within the time used for growing fodder, though. The seed may lose a certain amount of energy from the very process of sprouting, but once chlorophyll is there and exposed to light, carbohydrates are returned to the plant.

I don't think they ever survived on cracked corn alone from hatch to egg laying. They were probably finding a lot if their own food. Which is great. BOSS is good stuff.

 

[Aphrael]

Hm... all those analytical links and studies makes one wonder how chickens survived on only cracked corn a few decades ago.

Anyways, there's a reason folks here experiment with 3 grains. BOSS is famous for it's protein. At 26%, if I remember correctly, it is only rivaled by Flaxseed. The only downside is it's slow growth which then allows mold. Barley is about 12% with Wheat around that number as well. Barley is recommended for it's other nutrients and Wheat for quick growth. There has to be balance in the methods of feeding. I also agree that fodder is cost-effective due to it's increased bio-availability, but people seem to be forgetting the help of photosynthesis making up for the possible deficiencies. Does anyone remember Jan Baptista Van Helmont's willow tree experiment? Plants are essentially, sunlight. Sure, certain vital minerals are required for sustaining plant life. Not within the time used for growing fodder, though. The seed may lose a certain amount of energy from the very process of sprouting, but once chlorophyll is there and exposed to light, carbohydrates are returned to the plant.

I don't think they ever survived on cracked corn alone from hatch to egg laying. They were probably finding a lot if their own food. Which is great. BOSS is good stuff.

I agree with WHmarans. I think back then the chickens were mostly allowed free range over the farm and most of their dietary needs they found for themselves. The cracked corn was likely just something for some extra calories and a way to ensure that the chickens remembered to come home to roost.

 

[WHmarans]

Some might find this interesting. (PDF regarding the amino acid methionine & a bit on feed needs.)

I thought this was great information. Nice format for it too.

 

[crazyaboutchickens]

Hm... all those analytical links and studies makes one wonder how chickens survived on only cracked corn a few decades ago.


Anyways, there's a reason folks here experiment with 3 grains. BOSS is famous for it's protein. At 26%, if I remember correctly, it is only rivaled by Flaxseed. The only downside is it's slow growth which then allows mold. Barley is about 12% with Wheat around that number as well. Barley is recommended for it's other nutrients and Wheat for quick growth. There has to be balance in the methods of feeding. I also agree that fodder is cost-effective due to it's increased bio-availability, but people seem to be forgetting the help of photosynthesis making up for the possible deficiencies. Does anyone remember Jan Baptista Van Helmont's willow tree experiment? Plants are essentially, sunlight. Sure, certain vital minerals are required for sustaining plant life. Not within the time used for growing fodder, though. The seed may lose a certain amount of energy from the very process of sprouting, but once chlorophyll is there and exposed to light, carbohydrates are returned to the plant.

I don't think they ever survived on cracked corn alone from hatch to egg laying. They were probably finding a lot if their own food. Which is great. BOSS is good stuff.

I agree with WHmarans.  I think back then the chickens were mostly allowed free range over the farm and most of their dietary needs they found for themselves.  The cracked corn was likely just something for some extra calories and a way to ensure that the chickens remembered to come home to roost.

Oh, yeah. Well, I thought free-ranging was a given. Providing the owner has land, who wouldn't want to take advantage of the food chickens can find?

That and in certain areas, winters prevented chickens from finding food, but they still survived.

 

[WHmarans]

Oh, yeah. Well, I thought free-ranging was a given. Providing the owner has land, who wouldn't want to take advantage of the food chickens can find?

That and in certain areas, winters prevented chickens from finding food, but they still survived.

Yeah but I'd be willing to bet they werent laying and no young ones if winter was cold. They can get by on a less than optimal diet for quite a while I'm sure. How long and how well just depends on how far off of optimal the diet was.

I'm just trying to make it clear that the claims of increasing protein with sprouting is misleading. Wheat barley and BOSS are excellent foods.. corn too. Add a little milk alfalfa and maybe some bonemeal or meat or forage and they'd be in pretty good shape I think.

Those things aren't too hard to come by. They call em feathered piggies for a reason. Lol.

Some people would just be feeding predators rather than feeding their chickens if they let them out to free range. That's why some people don't do it.

 

[WHmarans]

A friend of mine just went from feeding just fodder (barley BOSS and flax) and a little alfalfa as just a treat ...to fodder plus other stuff that will significantly supplement the fodder diet including goat milk products and alfalfa (and)probably other foods. And now is getting 20 eggs again mid winter up from 3 from the flock on just fodder. So the extras really make a difference.

I'm only making such a big deal out of this because its unfair to you and to your chickens that the protein data in fodder is so misleading due to how it's reported. It's a wonderful thing to do and feed (I do!) but good to understand how it fits in as a feed for chickens.

 

[Lacy Blues]

If I was successful at growing fodder, I'd love to do something like that. I don't have goats though so no milk but if I did...

 

[WHmarans]

If I was successful at growing fodder, I'd love to do something like that.  I don't have goats though so no milk but if I did...

Why? What goes wrong?

 

[Lacy Blues]

They either don't grow or they do and then I get mold before they're very tall at all. I know chickens don't need tall fodder but I'd really like to be able to offer them fresh greens daily. I haven't given up though. When circumstances here in regard to employment changes, I think I'm going to try the bucket method like the guy in Montana shared but right now I have to wait to buy buckets.