Growing fodder for chickens

[CATRYNA]

That's not true at all, but I'm sure some organic website or something along that line claims it to be.

Any one know of any nutritional benefits of fodder. From what I understand.all you are doing is adding water weight. Photosynthesis doesn't start to occur under the plant begins leafing out. Which is why you don't need light to grow fodder. If you grew it longer and allowed the plant to start leafing out, which is when photosynthesis begins, then you would be adding nutritional value to the final product. Therefor all the nutrients in that plant are whatever was in the seed, and the weight difference between the seed and your fodder mat is strictly water weight. I could see that it's easier to digest and may fill them up faster, but there is added nutritional value compared to feeding them the grain you used to grow it. Which leads me to the question, why are people bothering with this process? Am I missing something?

Here is a link by Weston Price, one of the foremost nutritionist of the 20th century and what he has to say about wheat. http://www.westonaprice.org/health-...s-what-happens-to-wheat-from-seed-to-storage/

The actual plant has much more nutrition than the seed and is easier to digest. And, by weight; the plant and root mass are 5 to 6 times greater than the original weight of the seed. We use 14 oz of seed in a tray and end up with between 5lb to 6.5 lbs of fodder. It is not about the water, although the watered fodder will have that weight included in it's development and finished product. You can well imagine how much farther 5 or 6 pounds of fodder will go in feeding poultry than 14 oz of seed. I have friends who grow fodder for their meat rabbits, goats, cattle and even bison. That's the reason why we are supplementing.

 

[Bradfordj]

So i get that its easier digested, mas is larger (even though at the end of the day its still water weight) and It stretched your food farther, I get it. That being said, I feed milled wheat, but add a carefully measure supplement to ensure a full balanced diet. This supplement contains many vitamins, minerals, protein, and calcium for my layers. The article did state that fodder alters the enzyme's and proteins making them easier to digest and more readily available to the animal. Ok I get that too. Makes sense. My point is other than a couple vitamins listen in that article sprouting your seeds does not add or increase the value of many vitamins, minerals, and proteins that are needed in a balanced diet for chickens. Without photosynthesis the sprouted fodder had very little added nutritional benefits then what was in the seed to begin with, although yes like I said they are altered making them more readily available to the bird, and I agree with that. A chicken requires close to 19% protein. Most wheat purchased is 13.5 or lower in protein. A wheat plant doesn't start creating protein until photosynthesis begins and nitrogen and among other things are needed for that to happen. I'm trying to make the point that fodder is not a balanced diet and little to no more nutritional than the seed it began with. Also that article said nothing about glyphosate killing the nutritional value of the grain. germ yes it can, but vitamins and minerals don't just evaporate at an instant!

 

[CATRYNA]

So i get that its easier digested, mas is larger (even though at the end of the day its still water weight) and It stretched your food farther, I get it. That being said, I feed milled wheat, but add a carefully measure supplement to ensure a full balanced diet. This supplement contains many vitamins, minerals, protein, and calcium for my layers. The article did state that fodder alters the enzyme's and proteins making them easier to digest and more readily available to the animal. Ok I get that too. Makes sense. My point is other than a couple vitamins listen in that article sprouting your seeds does not add or increase the value of many vitamins, minerals, and proteins that are needed in a balanced diet for chickens. Without photosynthesis the sprouted fodder had very little added nutritional benefits then what was in the seed to begin with, although yes like I said they are altered making them more readily available to the bird, and I agree with that. A chicken requires close to 19% protein. Most wheat purchased is 13.5 or lower in protein. A wheat plant doesn't start creating protein until photosynthesis begins and nitrogen and among other things are needed for that to happen. I'm trying to make the point that fodder is not a balanced diet and little to no more nutritional than the seed it began with. Also that article said nothing about glyphosate killing the nutritional value of the grain. germ yes it can, but vitamins and minerals don't just evaporate at an instant!

When the germ is destroyed in any grain, that pretty much destroys most or all of the nutrition. Why do you suppose white bread has so many vitamins added to it? It's because it has little or no nutrition in it, because it has been totally denatured. Anyway, I'm not saying that wheat, barley, oat, etc fodder is the only food, poultry and other animals need. We are just addressing a nutritious and easy way to supplement our animals feed, on this forum, especially if they are not free range. We do feed our poultry a non GMO commercial feed along with fodder (that is 5 or 6 days old and as green as can be), and looks like any kind of grass, along with mustard greens, dandelion greens and other weeds that grow on our property, as well as meal worms. After all, don't most animals of all sorts enjoy grasses?

 

[Bradfordj]

Thank you, that's all I was asking. Fodder is not the entire diet. Supplimentary diet is required. I was under the impression that all that was being fed was fodder. As for flour, the bleaching process, and process done to extend shelf life is what kill nutritional value. Enriched flour is enriched with zinc. Bleaching flour kills the zinc. Anyway the whole nutrition in flour and gmo is a whole other debate for a whole different forum. I got the info I was looking for, guess we just took the round about way of getting there. Thank you for your input.

 

[Bradfordj]

And for the record a vast majority of wheat producing areas don't spray glyphosate for burn down and the germ isn't killed. It's not the commercial farming that kills the nutrients in wheat specifically it's the flour manufacturing process.

 

[CATRYNA]

And for the record a vast majority of wheat producing areas don't spray glyphosate for burn down and the germ isn't killed. It's not the commercial farming that kills the nutrients in wheat specifically it's the flour manufacturing process.

Quite true. That is why I have always bought wheat berries, ground them into flour and made my own bread.

 

[CATRYNA]

Thank you, that's all I was asking. Fodder is not the entire diet. Supplimentary diet is required. I was under the impression that all that was being fed was fodder. As for flour, the bleaching process, and process done to extend shelf life is what kill nutritional value. Enriched flour is enriched with zinc. Bleaching flour kills the zinc. Anyway the whole nutrition in flour and gmo is a whole other debate for a whole different forum. I got the info I was looking for, guess we just took the round about way of getting there. Thank you for your input.

Yeh, sometimes our communication skills get kind of goofed up. Too bad we just can't read each other's minds. Glad we were finally able to have a meeting of the minds.

 

[momofthehouse]

Is there any safe way to sanitize the sprouts before giving to your chickens? Something to soak them or wash them with that will not be harmful to my flock?

Apple cider vinegar

 

[CATRYNA]

Apple cider vinegar

You shouldn't have to sanitize the sprouts or fodder

 

[momofthehouse]

You shouldn't have to sanitize the sprouts or fodder

I know but helps with any mold issues. Some people try and add bleach so if someone really wants to add something they should do acv.