Growing fodder for chickens

[Amiga]

thought I'd check into the fodder conversation after almost 2 years. Whew! Was alarmed at the mis info out there. Let me address two: 1, yes fodder is meant to replace commercial feed. 2, one garden flat (22 x 10, sorry don't know metric conversion) is enough to feed 40 chickens. I know, I know, it doesn't seem like enough, however, two years in and none of my hens are underweight or sickly. Oh! Also , please go back to post #1 and start reading. Within the first 5 pages you'll have all the info you need, including a link to plans for a fodder growing system. Within the first 50 pages you'll discover the info one member posted on the nutrient level for every imaginable grain grown. Somewhere in the posts I learned baked potatoe skins are 80% protein. Now my chickens receive potatoe skin bacon grease snacks when ever I have enough ingredients. If this is something you plan to do, I cannot stress enought the need for you to start at post #1.

Thanks for the post!

Do you think the 20% and 50% numbers that I read on other fodder-growing sites is for other animals? What gives?

 

[RoyalPayne]

40 per flat. If you'll start at post 1, all the info you'll need is in the first 5 or 6 pages.

 

[Amiga]

K

 

[RoyalPayne]

don't know Overrun. the posts I readl in the beginning addressed cows and such, never saw any percentage ration of fodder to feed. Snowed in now, I'll fire up the coffee pot and start reading. I've always wanted to do an "important info" post. Consolidated in one place. Maybe now is the time....

 

[SilverDuck284]

thought I'd check into the fodder conversation after almost 2 years. Whew! Was alarmed at the mis info out there. Let me address two: 1, yes fodder is meant to replace commercial feed. 2, one garden flat (22 x 10, sorry don't know metric conversion) is enough to feed 40 chickens. I know, I know, it doesn't seem like enough, however, two years in and none of my hens are underweight or sickly. Oh! Also , please go back to post #1 and start reading. Within the first 5 pages you'll have all the info you need, including a link to plans for a fodder growing system. Within the first 50 pages you'll discover the info one member posted on the nutrient level for every imaginable grain grown. Somewhere in the posts I learned baked potatoe skins are 80% protein. Now my chickens receive potatoe skin bacon grease snacks when ever I have enough ingredients. If this is something you plan to do, I cannot stress enought the need for you to start at post #1.

Thanks for clearing that up. I read thru almost the whole thread before posting but I don't remember seeing a conclusive answer. I've been wanting to get off the expensive layer feed for a while, this seems like a brilliant way to do so, with minimal work. Thanks again to everyone who posted, this has been a wonderful fountain of info!!

 

[MaPa26]

Quote: Thank you for this post. I subscribed to this thread a few weeks ago and have been trying to read it but I am so overwhelmed with so many ideas and opinions. I will go back and re-read as suggested. Here is my biggest question: Someone posted about how to discourage mold growth on the damp seeds. Chlorine VS ACV. I want to find the post that suggested ACV and instructions on how they use it during the sprouting process. It is like finding a needle in a haystack. Does anyone know which post I am referring to? I wish I had bookmarked it. I thought I could remember how to do it after reading. I should have known better! All I can retain is water. If you prefer ACV and can tell me how to treat my seeds, it would save me a lot of time. Thank you!

 

[Lacy Blues]

Thank you for this post. I subscribed to this thread a few weeks ago and have been trying to read it but I am so overwhelmed with so many ideas and opinions. I will go back and re-read as suggested. Here is my biggest question: Someone posted about how to discourage mold growth on the damp seeds. Chlorine VS ACV. I want to find the post that suggested ACV and instructions on how they use it during the sprouting process. It is like finding a needle in a haystack. Does anyone know which post I am referring to? I wish I had bookmarked it. I thought I could remember how to do it after reading. I should have known better! All I can retain is water. If you prefer ACV and can tell me how to treat my seeds, it would save me a lot of time. Thank you!

Under the very last post on your page you will see some links to click on. They say: "Subscribed" "Search This Thread" and "Preferences" Click on "Search this thread" and then enter your search terms. If you remember who posted the info, you can click on Advanced search options and enter that name there. It's pretty easy and works well. Good luck.

 

[Concerned01]

Had someone contact me, said his friend fed his chickens fodder only and they did starve. I would rather have it as a supplement than risk my girls.

What kind of fodder do you feed your girls?

 

[Lacy Blues]

I was going to respond to that too. I think it depends on largely where you live and what kind of other foods are available to your birds. I don't think you could keep them confined and then feed them one square inch of fodder a day and have them thrive. There is so much more that they need. More vitamins, minerals, probiotics, animal protein, etc., etc., etc.

 

[MaPa26]

I was going to respond to that too. I think it depends on largely where you live and what kind of other foods are available to your birds. I don't think you could keep them confined and then feed them one square inch of fodder a day and have them thrive. There is so much more that they need. More vitamins, minerals, probiotics, animal protein, etc., etc., etc.

I agree. Mine were so used to having plenty of grass and weeds. Now they have to really hunt for it; very little available. I felt bad for them, the most, when it snowed. They didn't even want to leave the pen. It was pretty funny one evening when I got home and went out to feed them. They had ventured out as far as our shop porch. It has southern exposure, dry and out of the wind. I went into the pen with the food and they all gathered at the end of the porch and wouldn't cross the snow to get to the pen. You'd think it was a raging river or something. It was only about ten or twelve feet and I guess they forgot they had to cross it to GET to the shop porch earlier! One hen flew across. The others, I ended up CARRYING over to the pen! Silly girls! Anyway, I was wishing I had a bit of fodder growing. I don't want to waste a lot of money buying produce for them, as they are very finicky. I've tried some of the suggestions for greens, and they often turn their beaks up at them. I am sure they will like fodder. Oh---their staple food is layer pellets, that we usually moisten for their breakfast or for a warm evening meal. They waste too much if I use dry crumble and if I don't get it scraped up, it molds on the ground very quickly. We plan to build a PVC feeder, soon. It is "on the list", anyway. lol!