Growing fodder for chickens

[beginnergirl]

Oats rarely sprout well (except in the paddock where you've had hay - for some reason they sprout really well there). Most of the oats that you buy from feed stores are clipped and dressed. It makes them transport much better but takes some of the kernel off the oat - they tend not to grow after that. The rare batch of oats that does sprout well has a tendency to go slimy and mouldy really easily. I think oats just like it much drier than the fodder system allows for (at least my fodder system).

You can grow most grains together. Some of them need something to grow into (like lupin or sunflower), you get around this by growing your base out of wheat or barley, the other grains put their roots through the root mat of the rest of the seeds - they just don't do well on their own. Seed them all at the same time though. Alfalfa and chia grow well with a base mat too.

Great info on using grains as a mat for other grains! New information for me. Thanks

 

[jessbe]

I found some non GMO and organic grain and free shipping from Mulberry Lane Farm

http://www.mulberrylanefarm.com

They have barley, oats, buckwheat and wheat among other stuff.

Hulled barley is $40.99 for 20lbs

 

[jheasley]

We have 15 Indian Runner Ducks, they have been eating wheat & rye grain fine for a couple of weeks, here about 4 days ago we tried switching them over to well sprouted wheat & rye fodder. They don't seam near as interested in the spouted grain as they are in the un-sprouted grain. We are a little disappointed! Our chickens love fodder and I've seen other ducks eat it fine.

any suggestions would be appreciated!

 

[jheasley]

finally after about 6 day the runner ducks are tearing up the fodder. Can't figure why it took so long for them to take to the fodder. Only problem now is how to keep them out of the melon patch. They are eating the cantaloupe & watermelon leaves.

 

[jessbe]

LOL well that's good that they are eating the fodder once we put up our privacy fence I need to make another fence for some of the non chicken veggies and melon so they won't get to that.

finally after about 6 day the runner ducks are tearing up the fodder. Can't figure why it took so long for them to take to the fodder. Only problem now is how to keep them out of the melon patch. They are eating the cantaloupe & watermelon leaves.

 

[jheasley]

This is in North Central Indiana

If anyone's interested, the farmer I'm getting my Non-GMO Wheat off of for $7 per 50lb & Non-GMO Rye off of for $12 per 50lb will be planting Barley for me next month (October 2015).

He is planting one acre of Non-GMO Barley for me this October 2015. He said he will charge the market price when it's ready to harvest in July 2016 to me. I think the market price should be somewhere between $14 & $25 per 50lb. He expects to get 50 to 60 bushels per acre. I don't expect to use more than 10 bushel per year.

This prices are with you supplying your own bags. Once I get my grain home, I transfer it all over into airtight seal-able 55lb food grade barrels.

Let me know if anyone is interest in these prices and I'll do my best to help you.

 

[AnimalLover99]

This is probably already answered but I didn't have time to go through the whole thread, how much fodder per chicken per day? Im going to have about 20 chickens and I wanted to sprout fodder, so how many pounds would I give them a day? also is there anything else I would need to give them besides oyster shell and grit? They will also get scraps and free range part time. Thanks!

 

[Baby Chick Farm]

Another way is to stack them on racks. Tilt the top container a bit one direction and drill holes in that edge only, then tilt the one below it in the opposite direction, and it forms a sort of zigzag. Then, you can easily circulate water through the whole entire column of seeds so you don't have to water every single one. But your method is easier to prep and works totally fine!

 

[Baby Chick Farm]

I am sorry that I cannot answer the question of how much fodder is need for each chicken per day (I would experiment or wait for more answers, because I was thinking the exact same thing!), but I would say you probably won't need much else except a small amount of regular grains (such as hulled oats) because fodder isn't enough for such a huge percentage of your chickens' diet. It depends on how much they free range and how much they eat from free ranging (free ranging in barren soil vs free ranging in lush grass, etc.)

 

[Chick-magnet64]

LOL.. I am new to this thread and the idea of growing fodder. But when I read your comment, I LITERALLY laughed out loud. And I subscribe to the following theroy.....IF you have more pics of your chickens on your phone..than you do your granchildrern..then YOU might be a crazy chicken lady

Maggie