Growing fodder for chickens

[WHmarans]

I didn't mention it before but a rinse drain and refill after 12 hours to continue the submerged in water soak for the second 12 hours is nice to do but not necessary. Again it just freshens up the soak water half way through. I do this using a mason jar.

I put Boss on the bottom of an empty jar then wheat over that to hold down the boss because otherwise it floats. and gently fill jar most of the way with water so as not to have the boss float up. Then loosely cap the jar and let it sit. It even looks pretty.

Right now I'm doing a half cup boss and a cup wheat. I think needle point mesh.. I think it's called. ..Might be made into a good tray. ..I'm looking into it.

 

[Lacy Blues]

If you have some of that needlepoint mesh, you could cut out a circle to fit the top of your mason jar and use a lot more sunflower seeds (if'n ya wanna) fill it up, put the mesh on and then pour in the water. The mesh will keep the BOSS from coming out of the jar.

 

[WHmarans]

If you have some of that needlepoint mesh, you could cut out a circle to fit the top of your mason jar and use a lot more sunflower seeds (if'n ya wanna) fill it up, put the mesh on and then pour in the water.  The mesh will keep the BOSS from coming out of the jar.

The wheat holds all the boss down at the bottom.

Thats not a problem. The reason I can't put more in is because the wheat and boss soaks up the majority of the water and nearly fills the jar.. With grain now gorged with water. ..With a little comfort room.

But I don't need to sprout more.

i just remember when I sprout a cup and a half of feed grains...a cup and a half worth of wheat and boss feed value is all I'm delivering to the animals (of that type of feed). Not the five cups or whatever it looks like sprouted. That's just soaked up water making the same cup and a half of feed look bigger. Yes it sprouted and turned into a better form. Which is good that's why I'm doing it. But I'm not getting more than the full benefit of that original cup and a half. I have about 20 chickens. Many are young so I don't rely on this heavily. I could probably feed almost twice this fodder but I need to make sure the little ones are getting enough and the right kind of protein since its winter especially. So other feeds make up the rest.

 

[WHmarans]

Here's one I just started. When 24 hours are up the grain will be near the top. I could of course use a larger container or two of them but no need.

 

[Lacy Blues]

If you have some of that needlepoint mesh, you could cut out a circle to fit the top of your mason jar and use a lot more sunflower seeds (if'n ya wanna) fill it up, put the mesh on and then pour in the water. The mesh will keep the BOSS from coming out of the jar.

It was just an idea in case you wanted to do more.

I use one of my nylon mesh bags for BOSS. I put it in the bag, rinse very well, roll it up in the bag and then stick it in a 2 quart jar I have, fill it up with water and then put the lid on to hold it down.

Your mix DOES look really nice.

 

[WHmarans]

It was just an idea in case you wanted to do more.

I use one of my nylon mesh bags for BOSS.  I put it in the bag, rinse very well, roll it up in the bag and then stick it in a 2 quart jar I have, fill it up with water and then put the lid on to hold it down.

Your mix DOES look really nice. 

That nylon mesh bag is a good idea! If I sprout just boss I think I'd try that too.

 

[WHmarans]

I bought three (3) 12" x 18" needlepoint mesh sheets for $3.47, so a little over a dollar each.. and made one cut in each corner and folded and tied with a tiny bit of fishing line and it looks a whole lot like the sprouting trays I bought for $20. Except my$1 version may or may not be stackable. If not I might use an office stationary stacking system to stack them. The similar trays I've been using have excellent air flow and drainage. So I was thinking a few more might be handy, but not for $20. I would think the needlepoint mesh version would hold up a very long time.

But at the same time I'm sure there is some pre made plastic mesh tray out there that would last a long time too.. I just didn't run across it.

 

[luckydux]

I found this article talking about fodder an its somewhat unsettling. I would like to hear others opinion/debate on this.
It simply states that its not economically sound. Obviously there are benefits for some that dont exist for others, such as those who live in the dryer regions. Can we pick this apart so I dont have to disregard I ever read it..lol

I dont know if its against the rules to link this but it would be silly if so...

http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=11721

The article is pretty short but there are many comments worthy of a read

 

[WHmarans]

The points in this article are totally true as far as my understanding goes. I sprout grains because I have them, I do believe they have different and good benefits sprouted. The claims about fodder that you're getting many times the feed value from the original grain after you sprout it are upsetting to me because animals suffer when people feed the equivalent of a few cups of feed (sprouted to look bigger) thinking it is a complete diet or enough food and the animals basically starve. I wish there was some way to put the info in this article out in front of all information about fodder.

Palatability, bioavailability and moisture content are valuable improvements to the feed that you get by sprouting. I think it's worth it. It isn't really cheaper at all in my opinion if you consider the feed you are getting for the money. If you are growing your own feed it will save you processing time (compared to milling) and make the food more palatable. That makes it worth it right there to me.

Our food/agricultural system is so subsidized that aside from a vegetable garden (depending on how you do it) its is difficult to get any food less expensively that you could buy it at Walmart. If you have really good natural forage for your animals you could do pretty well.

I guess really to me the way to save on resources is to understand them and use them to their fullest. It can only be good to know many ways to fully use these grains if you have or come by them for a good price. Just another trick in the bag of tricks for how to put resources to good use. There are many people who would have no idea what do to with a free bucket of wheat or what the benefit of it would be when used different ways.

 

[NotAFarm]

I read the article and many of the posts following it. It (saving money, more nutrition, or dry matter calculation) doesn't apply to why I use sprouted grains/fodder for my flock. I use them to provide a "green" source for my flock when the weather is like it is now.....17 F with snow cover....and going down to negative 11 and 4 F highs early next week. My flock loves to be out foraging, but this time of the year in Illinois it is not going to happen! I am not replacing my "dry" feed with fodder, I am using it as an addition to it....as a way to let my flock have some variety when they can't get out and find it for themselves. I'm not changing what I do based on anything I read in the article.

If you live in an area where water is scarce, I could see where the cost of soaking, rinsing and watering could be an issue if you didn't make good use of the water after those functions. Saving the water to reuse for other needs would solve that.

luckydux, You said that it states it is "not economically sound"......but they aren't talking about a backyard flock operation or even a chicken operation from what I could tell. And, when it comes to my chickens, not much is "economically sound" if you asked my DH!

"Eggs are cheaper at the store!" he says....."but they don't taste as good" I say..... in my case, I think the quality I get is worth what I spend a bit more time, but not necessarily money, for.