Growing fodder for chickens

[Kassaundra]

Oh my that would be awesome however this is my excavator

 

[Kassaundra]

How will you be building these underground dens? I've thought about something similar a while back but it never went anywhere.

Keep in mind that my budget is shoestring, and sometimes only half a shoe string.

I am starting at ground level and making a raised bed w/ old metal from a building we are tearing down, I am back filling w/ wood and compostibles. This bed will be a large rectangle I am thinking right now 4 or 5 foot wide by 18 ish feet long, (enough room for 5 individual dens). I am trying to figure out if I am going to make the dens out of just old chicken wire and cement formed into a basically 2 foot tube, or if I will stack 2 tires on top of each other (size 14 or 15 seem to be about the right size inside) and make a cement bottom. Secure the tires together w/ stuff Gary has around and maybe a cement and wire "collar" around the area where the tires join. The top will have a removeable lid so I can access from the garden for cleaning and care of the rabbits, and there will be an 8 inch pvc pipe coming out from the den through the metal retaining wall and in to an outdoor individual rabbit cage they will be in front of the raised bed for easy poop removal and placement in the garden. I don't know how much sense all this is making I will try and draw something to show what I am talking about, but I can't upload it from work so it will be a day or so before I can post it.

 

[Lacy Blues]

Those must be some mighty big rabbits!

I'm not going to let my husband see this. This is something he wants to do. Wish we had an excavator like that and some hills. Here, he'd have to dig a MASSIVE hole in the ground and have that box backed down into it! What a headache!

Yours looks great though!

My barley does not seem to be sprouting after 3 days. I soaked it for 24 hours, then have been rinsing it once a day. I started rinsing it twice a day yesterday thinking that maybe its getting too dry. It is this years barley so the seed can't be too old. Any thoughts on this?

My barley seems to take longer to sprout too. Are you keeping it covered so it is dark? Also, I think putting another dish the same as what you are using, on top of it puts a little pressure on the seeds. That, along with darkness, makes the seeds "think" they are underground and I think it helps them sprout a little faster.

Keep in mind that my budget is shoestring, and sometimes only half a shoe string.

I am starting at ground level and making a raised bed w/ old metal from a building we are tearing down, I am back filling w/ wood and compostibles. This bed will be a large rectangle I am thinking right now 4 or 5 foot wide by 18 ish feet long, (enough room for 5 individual dens). I am trying to figure out if I am going to make the dens out of just old chicken wire and cement formed into a basically 2 foot tube, or if I will stack 2 tires on top of each other (size 14 or 15 seem to be about the right size inside) and make a cement bottom. Secure the tires together w/ stuff Gary has around and maybe a cement and wire "collar" around the area where the tires join. The top will have a removeable lid so I can access from the garden for cleaning and care of the rabbits, and there will be an 8 inch pvc pipe coming out from the den through the metal retaining wall and in to an outdoor individual rabbit cage they will be in front of the raised bed for easy poop removal and placement in the garden. I don't know how much sense all this is making I will try and draw something to show what I am talking about, but I can't upload it from work so it will be a day or so before I can post it.

That's a good idea. I was thinking of digging holes and then burying some sort of box that they could use. I like your idea. I still would like to see a sketch though as I'm having a little trouble visualizing how you're going to be able to get to the "nests" to clean them.

 

[Kassaundra]

How will you be building these underground dens? I've thought about something similar a while back but it never went anywhere.

I posted the pics, but since it has nothing to do w/ fodder I posted them to a garden thread here https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/614517/green-thumb-is-itching-anyone-else/840#post_10090533

Keep in mind an artist I am not.

 

[melodyrg]

I really love all the ideas on this thread and I'd love to adopt the idea next winter when my chickens are actually here, mine arrive on the 28th of Feb., but I'm a little confused. Do you just set the tray in the run and let them go at it? Or is there some kind of planting process, also how would you suggest I get started?

 

[DMRippy]

OK, I was at an auction last week end and there was chicken stuff there so we got to talking about chickens.... any way.... the auctioneer was telling me about a brooder box his grandmother had. SHE COULD GROW GRASS IN IT! He said the bottom was wire and the grass grew underneath and the chicks could eat the grass as it grew.... thought that was a good idea... anyone seen one?

 

[Lacy Blues]

I my goodness! You just kicked my creative processes into high gear! I'll be thinking on this one!

Thanks Kassaundra, I'll go look at it.

 

[pawtraitart]

OK, I was at an auction last week end and there was chicken stuff there so we got to talking about chickens.... any way.... the auctioneer was telling me about a brooder box his grandmother had. SHE COULD GROW GRASS IN IT! He said the bottom was wire and the grass grew underneath and the chicks could eat the grass as it grew.... thought that was a good idea... anyone seen one?

I've been thinking about doing this as well for my breeders during the summer months when they can't go out and free range. It seems easy enough.

 

[Kassaundra]

I have been doing research, trying to find grains that I can grow in the summer, as our temps get up to 80F in the house most of the time. I am growing wheat fodder in the winter, and I have done it for the past few winters.

I just got a small (8 watt) pump and timer to water my trays automatically. Pump and timer were $30, so I'm now up to $50 for my system, or 2.5 bags of rabbit pellets. My basic system without the pump has paid that several times over, as I have 12 adult rabbits and 36 growers at any one time (plus poultry, pigs, goats, etc)

Here in Mexico, I discovered, they grow corn, instead of wheat or barley for hydro fodder. Some operations even grow it to 12 days, giving nutrients after the 8th day, to get even more growth out of it (looks to be about 1 ft tall).

If you can read spanish (or you could use Google Translate), do a web search for "forraje verde hidroponico" (hydroponic green forage). The spanish word for corn is "maiz". Lots of systems throughout Mexico, though none in my area, which is kinda strange, as we are the cattle and dairy capital of Mexico.

Corn likes 70-75 for germination, 80+ for growing. That should be doable for me! The resulting fodder is a bit lower in protein than wheat (around 13-14%), but would still be worth it, if you fed with a higher quality hay. This is an alternative to those of us that need something for the summer.

I did find some spanish research papers on feeding corn fodder vs pellets for rabbits. On nearly all of them, fodder+minerals gain weight faster than the control group (pellets)

I was just lurking on rabbittalk and saw that avatar pic and thought I've seen that before! lol lol

 

[velacreations]

I was just lurking on rabbittalk and saw that avatar pic and thought I've seen that before! lol lol

yeah, we are everywhere!