Growing fodder for chickens

[Sunflowergirl]

I think even the DRIED MEALWORMS are bad enough about seeming to crawl around one's hands!!!

By the way, I am a bit squeamish with picking up the worms by hand. I use a spoon to scoop them up, lol.

 

[UrbanMamaHen]

So true! The things I do for my chickens.

 

[Redangler]

This is a great thread and I have read most of the pages but I still have one question. Can you feed the chickens too much fodder? I have 10 hens and a rooster and I am starting some trays that are about 6" x 10". I will be using wheat for my fodder. Will one tray a day be to much for them? Thanks for your help.

 

[corancher]

I am going to put in my pump, water lines, & timer on my fodder system today. I does not seem to hard and I hope that is the case. My system is working nicely but it will be somewhat automated once I get this stuff installed.

I fed out 6 pans of fodder yesterday. Most of the birds love it and it was gone in no time.

Aspen, the geese and ducks have decided the fodder is good stuff and are no longer afraid of it.

Update on my seeds. The wheat seed from Walmart is sprouting great. The oats and corn have not done very good so I will put the grain in my fermented grain mix. I am currently just using wheat and BOSS in my fodder. The combination is working nicely and I am getting 3-4 inch growth on the wheat in around 6 days.

My first attempt at the fermented grains was a big awful mess. I had a barrel cut in half filled with ACV water and three buckets of grain with a Plexiglass cover over the whole thing. I guess something (bird, dog, or cat) jumped on the edge just right and was heavy enough to tip the barrel. The water dumped all over the floor, the grain buckets tipped over, and all in all quite a mess. I went ahead and fed the grain to the birds and they all loved it. I will be trying the bucket in bucket system next because I can see that the fermented grains will be of great benefit to the birds.

I also started my own ACV with a pint of ACV with mother and 64 oz of apple juice. After two weeks it is ready to pour off and use. I will of course start a new batch by keeping back a pint and adding new apple juice. It is a lot less expensive to make your own than pay for the ACV with mother.

I am still not sure if I want to mess with the meal worms. I don't like messing with worms much. I have seen the birds go crazy of earthworms and beetles so I have not fully decided. My husband gets fat and trimmings from a custom butcher close by and has been grinding it up for the birds. The chickens, guineas, and turkeys love that stuff. The geese and ducks won't touch it.

 

[Sunflowergirl]

I sprout wheat or barley in a 9" x 22" tray and feed out half to 17 birds, if that helps any, (It would be approx. 9" x 11" I am feeding out.)

This is a great thread and I have read most of the pages but I still have one question. Can you feed the chickens too much fodder? I have 10 hens and a rooster and I am starting some trays that are about 6" x 10". I will be using wheat for my fodder. Will one tray a day be to much for them? Thanks for your help.

 

[DMRippy]

I sprout wheat or barley in a 9" x 22" tray and feed out half to 17 birds, if that helps any, (It would be approx. 9" x 11" I am feeding out.)
Quote:
Some feed fodder as the ONLY feed.... I personally would offer feed too, but I think if they were out free ranging they will eat all they want so I don't know if they could really get too much.

 

[Sunflowergirl]

Some feed fodder as the ONLY feed.... I personally would offer feed too, but I think if they were out free ranging they will eat all they want so I don't know if they could really get too much.

I agree with you DMRippy! I use my fodder as a "good-for-them" treat. They have access to layer crumbles, grit and oyster shell at all times.

 

[fuzziecreatures]

We've been growing fodder for a few months now, I had started with hand soaking each tray daily. Then it got to where I wasn't soaking because I was too tired in the am or pm. We bought a ventilated shelving unit and placed it in the basement shower. Now it is automated with 2 hose nozzles set on mist and a timer. It is currently going off every 4 hours for 5 minutes.





We are having a problem with our 2 oldest trays and would love any suggestions. I soak the seeds for 24hrs, rinse the seeds, spray down with 10:1 water/bleach, and rotate daily. There is a grow light in there because the fodder wasn't green anymore, it turned yellow! We keep getting this foamy mold? Extends into the tray about 4 inches, only one end. When I turned the trays, it formed on both ends. I tried adjusting the timer to every 2 hrs for 5 minutes, or every 4 hrs for 5 minutes, or every 8 hrs for 10 minutes

 

[Lacy Blues]

Had your shower ever been used as a shower for people? If so, did you clean it really good with a good shower cleaner? Is there ventilation down there? The fodder rooms (professional) use fans as well as cool temps and misters. I get mold something like that too and I'm working on a way to put an oscillating fan that is turned on its side somehow so it will oscillate up and down instead of side to side to add ventilation to all my shelves.

 

[sonew123]

I am going to put in my pump, water lines, & timer on my fodder system today. I does not seem to hard and I hope that is the case. My system is working nicely but it will be somewhat automated once I get this stuff installed. I fed out 6 pans of fodder yesterday. Most of the birds love it and it was gone in no time. Aspen, the geese and ducks have decided the fodder is good stuff and are no longer afraid of it. Update on my seeds. The wheat seed from Walmart is sprouting great. The oats and corn have not done very good so I will put the grain in my fermented grain mix. I am currently just using wheat and BOSS in my fodder. The combination is working nicely and I am getting 3-4 inch growth on the wheat in around 6 days. My first attempt at the fermented grains was a big awful mess. I had a barrel cut in half filled with ACV water and three buckets of grain with a Plexiglass cover over the whole thing. I guess something (bird, dog, or cat) jumped on the edge just right and was heavy enough to tip the barrel. The water dumped all over the floor, the grain buckets tipped over, and all in all quite a mess. I went ahead and fed the grain to the birds and they all loved it. I will be trying the bucket in bucket system next because I can see that the fermented grains will be of great benefit to the birds. I also started my own ACV with a pint of ACV with mother and 64 oz of apple juice. After two weeks it is ready to pour off and use. I will of course start a new batch by keeping back a pint and adding new apple juice. It is a lot less expensive to make your own than pay for the ACV with mother. I am still not sure if I want to mess with the meal worms. I don't like messing with worms much. I have seen the birds go crazy of earthworms and beetles so I have not fully decided. My husband gets fat and trimmings from a custom butcher close by and has been grinding it up for the birds. The chickens, guineas, and turkeys love that stuff. The geese and ducks won't touch it.

Wow Anne thats great!!!! On the ACV I mean not the mess;( Please tell me how exactly your making backup ACV I need to do this as I just bought a bottle of braggs a few days ago and will need more Im sure ...making mymown would be great!!! My problem is ...Im visually impaired!!! LOL I f I cant see things as they are getting explained it takes me way longer to learn from re re re reading!! Lol