Growing fodder for chickens

[OHhappychicks]

Thanks signingchickens! I may try that next time. I will try to rinse my tray more and see if that helps. I'm rinsing by hand, so it is hard to do when I work. Leaving on vacation next week. When I get back, will try the seed bags. Thanks again!

 

[SigningChickens]

Thanks signingchickens!  I may try that next time. I will try to rinse my tray more and see if that helps.  I'm rinsing by hand, so it is hard to do when I work. Leaving on vacation next week. When I get back, will try the seed bags. Thanks again!

I think you will like the seed bags. The rinsing is easier for sure! Keep me posted when you get back!
I just started soaking some different veggies and I'm excited for them to sprout. It is sad that my life is that boring LoL!

 

[Fryze]

I think you will like the seed bags. The rinsing is easier for sure! Keep me posted when you get back!
I just started soaking some different veggies and I'm excited for them to sprout. It is sad that my life is that boring LoL!

lol your life is not boring just on a different learning curve than most people who do NOT raise chickens!

 

[kjisanne]

I've been reading this thread for awhile and I've been convienced! I found a bag of deluxe bird seed mix at the feed store. It is a sunflower, wheat, millet, milo mix. I currently have a small batch soaking and will spread into my small to-go boxes that will be my growing trays. I only have 5 chickens but I'll give it a go.

On top of this, I've started a micro red wiggler farm. Micro in that I'm using the same small to-go type plastic box that i'm using for my fodder tray and I only have less than 20 worms. I had left overs from a fishing trip and didn't want them to die or throw them out. It will take a while till I have so many that I need to move them to a bigger container but can't wait for that day to happen!

My chickens will have worm and sprouted seed! So spoiled!

 

[Fryze]

I just bought a 25lb bag of BOSS, will start the soak tomorrow morning, I am going to use plastic shoe boxes to start with and see how it goes, I didn't think about the bird seed mix so next time I go to the feed store I will check to see if they have it. And I am planning on trying my hand at the worms also. Been looking at this site ( http://mypeoplepc.com/members/arbra/trshop/index.html ) to get the european earthworms. I also want to start a meal worm farm. LOL my chickies haven't even hatched yet! June 3rd seems so far away! Talk about obsessed! (my first time Raising chickens)

 

[OHhappychicks]

lol your life is not boring just on a different learning curve than most people who do NOT raise chickens!

 

[dollarbill]

Since reading this post a few days ago i have some scratch grains growing roots at day three! Trying barley that we had in the cupboard too. They look like small Dig em' smacks. Super sugar crisp for the younger crowd. Haha!

I cant find whole barley here.

 

[OHhappychicks]

I just bought a 25lb bag of BOSS, will start the soak tomorrow morning, I am going to use plastic shoe boxes to start with and see how it goes, I didn't think about the bird seed mix so next time I go to the feed store I will check to see if they have it. And I am planning on trying my hand at the worms also. Been looking at this site ( http://mypeoplepc.com/members/arbra/trshop/index.html ) to get the european earthworms. I also want to start a meal worm farm. LOL my chickies haven't even hatched yet! June 3rd seems so far away! Talk about obsessed! (my first time Raising chickens)

You are on an exciting adventure, my friend!

It's a few chicks now, and then "Oh, how cute!!, I must have one of those, and one of those, and this one, and that one", and well, you get the picture!!

It's like something you would not imagine! I'm into my 5th year with chickens, and I never dreamed I would love chicks & chickens so much. Every year I think I'm not going to get any more for a while, but I can't RESIST! RESISTANCE IS FUTILE!!! I've ordered 15 from murray mc. due to arrive week of june 3. Bought 6 at Troy, oh swap meet about 3 weeks ago, and bought 6 Buckeyes a week later! I already have 10 adults. Oh, I almost forgot, I have 30 meat chicks at a friends house, until we get back from vacation! DH is working like crazy to get places for all of them!!!

Have fun! There's nothing like it! Forgot to mention, I also purchased 1000 mealworms during this time! Just found my first beetle today!!!

Trying to grow fodder. I never new what fodder was until a couple of weeks ago!!!!

(crazy chicken people!!!

)
Silly me!! I also forgot I have 12 French copper maran eggs in the bator due to hatch Monday!!!!

Talk about chick overload!!!

 

[CrosStitching]

I'm going to plant a few of these tomorrow. I figure that means free BOSS.

Absolutely! I love growing sunflowers! They are so pretty. Just watch out for squirrels... those rotten no good fluffy rats came along and beheaded my last crop of sunflowers and dragged them off leaving a massacre of yellow petals behind. And they will dig up the seeds too, so if you have an abundance of them in your neighborhood like I do, you may want to cover your seeds with a box or some chicken wire until they have sprouted. I have several BOSS plants too and will have some Russian Mammoths growing as soon as I get my next square foot garden set up and will use the sunflowers as posts for my cucumbers in the three sisters method.

 

[CrosStitching]

So I have determined that the best soak time for my BOSS seeds are overnight, about 10-12 hours. This seems to make them germinate and take off the fastest with the highest germination percentage in my opinion. I also tried 24hrs, 6 hrs, and 1-2hrs. 24hrs was too long and caused some of the seeds to split prematurely before roots were sent out, 6 hrs was ok, 1-2 hrs wasn't long enough and the seeds needed more water throughout the first and second days to keep them from drying out. I soak in plastic yogurt containers overnight, then transfer to another of the same containers with lots of 1/8" holes drilled in the bottom and pick out any broken seeds and chaff before dumping the seeds in and rinse rinse rinse (day 1), then rinse a couple times on days two, rinse a couple times on day 3 then transfer to a clear container to green up towards the end of day 3, and feed on the morning of day 4 usually.