Growing fodder for chickens

[NotAFarm]

Quote: No mold problems here.
I think that is because:
- Air inside the house during the time of year I grow fodder is dry. The dry air is why I use the damp paper towel the first couple of days. Once I see the root break-out, I know they don't need the extra moisture (usually about 48 hrs after soak-the "third day").
- I do a very good winnow and rinse on "dirty" seeds.
- I don't put too many seeds in the box, a thin layer, a few seeds thick is all I do.
- I drilled lots of holes in my boxes. Being aware to put the holes in the lowest parts of them to allow the water to drain off. NO SEEDS SITTING IN WATER.
- I don't reuse water. Fresh clean water for the soak and each rinse. We have a well with a water softener so no high water bills if I use lots of water. I know the availability/cost of water can be a problem for others.
- I don't close up the "greenhouse". It is open and gets good air circulation.
- I don't stack the boxes on top of each other so good air circulation.
- I don't grow them for very long, mine are fed when the green leaf/blade is just starting.
- I scrub the container thoroughly and spray with diluted oxine or vinegar water after I feed from it and let it dry until the next morning before reusing it.

This may be time consuming but I am an empty-nester working part-time and have the time. I spend extra time during the nicer parts of the year out in the yard doing all kinds of things. I look at the extra time spent on fodder well worth it during the not-so-nice part of the year. I know the flock is getting something good for them and it keeps them healthy and ready for the breeding season.
Just want to say that I don't heat the coop or use artificial lighting for egg production during the winter. I have Icelandic chickens that want to brood their own chicks in the spring and the pullets born in April and early May will start laying October and lay through winter.....unless they try to go broody in February.

Pullets hatched after May will not usually start laying until January when the days start lengthening. It is important to me to keep some "live" food available to them during winter and fodder is not that much work once you have a system down. Depending on where you live, getting the seed will be the hardest part.

 

[grannyh]

NotAFarm, It sounds like you have a great system worked out! I tried doing something like this last year and I wasn't really happy with it. About seed: I have just a few hens and 3 geese. I feed organic mash. Would just organic seeds from my co-op be good to use? They are sold for human consumption...

 

[lynnehd]

NotAFarm, It sounds like you have a great system worked out! I tried doing something like this last year and I wasn't really happy with it. About seed: I have just a few hens and 3 geese. I feed organic mash. Would just organic seeds from my co-op be good to use? They are sold for human consumption...

Yes, those would be more than fine.

 

[NotAFarm]

NotAFarm, It sounds like you have a great system worked out! I tried doing something like this last year and I wasn't really happy with it. About seed: I have just a few hens and 3 geese. I feed organic mash. Would just organic seeds from my co-op be good to use? They are sold for human consumption...

The kamut I started with came from Azure Standard. Is that your co-op? I've used their kamut and wheat, for human consumption, and also used their barley and wheat sold as animal feed. The grains sold as animal feed have a lot of broken pieces and some chaff so needs quite a bit of cleaning but is cheaper.
Next summer, I will be traveling to Indiana to pick-up barley that is being grown for BYCer @jheasley
by a local farmer. The plan is to use it in a feed mix and to have enough to sprout next winter.

 

[NotAFarm]

NotAFarm, what a great summary of your process. I am going to copy and paste that (since I am an empty nester who works part time, too!)

I'm happy to share what works for me.

 

[lynnehd]

I'm happy to share what works for me.

BTW, how exactly do you winnow your seeds? That seems important. Do you just sift through them and remove the dirty seeds/chafe? (I did look at your definition).

 

[NotAFarm]

Quote: I use a strainer. I put the seeds in it and shake outside or over the garbage can. The holes on the strainer are small enough that the seed doesn't fall through but smaller debris does. As I shake it, the lighter chaff and stalk pieces and larger debris will come to the top. If I'm outside, I can usually blow the lighter stuff off the top (doing this on a day with a breeze works best-facing downwind of course) and then I pick-out the larger pieces. If I'm inside, I try to pick the pieces off the top....this takes longer and isn't as effective so outside is my first choice. I try to winnow enough for a week or more at a time. The chickens like to hang around when I'm cleaning the grains, just in case something good happens to fall

 

[lynnehd]

I use a strainer. I put the seeds in it and shake outside or over the garbage can. The holes on the strainer are small enough that the seed doesn't fall through but smaller debris does. As I shake it, the lighter chaff and stalk pieces and larger debris will come to the top. If I'm outside, I can usually blow the lighter stuff off the top (doing this on a day with a breeze works best-facing downwind of course) and then I pick-out the larger pieces. If I'm inside, I try to pick the pieces off the top....this takes longer and isn't as effective so outside is my first choice. I try to winnow enough for a week or more at a time. The chickens like to hang around when I'm cleaning the grains, just in case something good happens to fall

OK, thanks. I just saw a TV show where people were 'winnowing' their seed using the wind, outside in a field. I thought that might be hard, lol!

 

[grannyh]

Thank you both for the info!

 

[kaycountry1016]

11.9.15 Perhaps some of you would like to see oats that we planted two weeks ago. I did not soak them. I mixed oats and some yellow clover seeds together.
First we made frames 4x8 covered with hardware cloth (some are smaller) so the seeds could come through the squares and the chickens could not reach the roots. We put a brick at each end to keep frame off the ground or we nailed wood at each end to keep frame off the ground. We prepared the ground & threw out the seeds, then put the frame on top.. In two weeks we have lots of oats coming up and we let the chickens get to oats yesterday in their backyard..
We've done 4x8 frame at 5 places in the area near them. Also I had an old red wagon and old wheelbarrow and I planted oats & clover in them and we made a smaller frame with hardware cloth. Some days we wheel in the red wagon in the run and let the chickens eat and then take it out and let green stuff grow and then back in.
In their run we have three 4x8 frames and we leave them there all the time. Each day we see our 8 chickens on top of the hardware cloth eating any green oats they see poking through the wire.
Here's some photos. Kay in NC 11.9.15


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