Growing fodder for chickens

[TwoCrows]

I am giving this a try using wheat. I have been sprouting alfalfa and mung beans for years for the family and the poultry, but never have a tried wheat. I am only doing a small amount for a test before I start growing larger amounts.

So I soaked my wheat in my sprouting jar over night...



The next morning I rinsed them well and spread them in a tupperware container that I had drilled holes the bottom for drainage. I added a thin layer of paper towels in the bottom to help hold the moisture in as being that the air is so dry right now, the seeds dry out too fast during the day...



Today is day 3 and I am seeing some sproutage! I am keeping them on a sunny shelf where it is warm to help promote quicker growth.

 

[ArtGirl]

Yes it would, you can try any sort of seed in a small glass container to see what happens after soaking, then draining and rinsing. You should see sprouts in 4-5 days. If not, then it will probably just get moldy and ferment. There are seeds that will sprout in scratch, but there are also bits of cracked corn that may sour the mix. Straight seeds are the best bet in my opinion. I chose barley because it has a nice protein content and is very easy to grow a mat of grass in a short amount of time. Here is a photo of my bushel of barley seed:

Thank you. We will try to find this next time we are in town.

 

[desertegg]

My chickens won't eat the fodder I grow! They eat some of the sunflower seed sprouts, but barely touch the wheat or barley. I was so disappointed!

 

[Lacy Blues]

My chickens won't eat the fodder I grow! They eat some of the sunflower seed sprouts, but barely touch the wheat or barley. I was so disappointed!

Maybe they aren't hungry.

 

[TwoCrows]

Quote: X2

Chickens will generally eat anything, especially if they are hungry enough. But on this note, they are also scaredy babies of new foods. So you need to give them time to try it first. If you just leave it there for them to examine, eventually one of them will take a bite. The others should follow.

 

[Jeanette56]

can someone tell me why fresh eggs are so hard to get the shell off after the egg is boiled

armygirl - Here are some links on boiling fresh eggs. Try 2-3 eggs per method and see which one works best for you

http://mtfw.net/peeling-hard-boiled-eggs/

http://www.thekitchn.com/tip-perfect-hardboiled-eggs-47197

http://windyssukiyaki.com/no-fail-boiled-eggs.html

This one is the one I use most of the time now.
http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com...perfect-hard-boiled-eggs-without-boiling.html

Hope this helps!

 

[WalterGerhardt]

25 Banties and 10 Speckled Sussex eat the rye grass better than the alfalfa sprouts.

 

[goosegirl6]

This is so exciting! I have been trying to get fresh greens in my chickens diet, but never though of this! Can I use just regular wheat from the feed store?

 

[TwoCrows]

This is so exciting! I have been trying to get fresh greens in my chickens diet, but never though of this! Can I use just regular wheat from the feed store?

That is what I used. I have a 50# bag of red wheat from the feed store...I make my own chicken feed. So far I have lots of tiny sprouts coming! I am excited!

 

[Robbo]

What seeds are you using, and what temperature are you keeping it at?

I buy bulk wheat to sprout and it is in our house which stays around 65-68ish