Growing fodder for chickens

[dubwise]

Arielle:I was talking about the runoff from the fodder...not household grey water. I would imagine that household runoff would be fine for non-edibles, but I'm talking something different. I have 10 trays running at once, and I'd love to capture the water after the trays have been watered and use it in the garden. I'm wondering if there is any value to the water that has already passed through the trays of sprouting seeds. I can't imagine there being any real gain for nutrition, but I don't have a clue...sorry if I wasn't clear.

 

[BY Chicken Lady]

Yes please Karen, photos would be great!

Jeanette

Ditto! (in my day that meant duplicate, lol I bet the folks in their 20's don't even know what a ditto machine is -er, was)

 

[thedollysmama]

Ditto machine?
Love the smell!

 

[Arielle]

Arielle:I was talking about the runoff from the fodder...not household grey water. I would imagine that household runoff would be fine for non-edibles, but I'm talking something different. I have 10 trays running at once, and I'd love to capture the water after the trays have been watered and use it in the garden. I'm wondering if there is any value to the water that has already passed through the trays of sprouting seeds. I can't imagine there being any real gain for nutrition, but I don't have a clue...sorry if I wasn't clear.

Sorry.

I don't see how the water would gain anything of value. Vitamins are not absorbed by plants, though minerals could be. THough I can't see the grwoing fodder willing to give up any minerals, in fact it needs more of them.

If nothing else, it is great recycling and reuse of the water!!

 

[Arielle]

Ditto machine?
Love the smell!

Oh I can smell the ditto machine now!!

 

[BY Chicken Lady]

You all are silly. I am a child of the.60's, the cool way to say 'me too' was to say 'ditto' which was a machine that made duplicates of one page with a carbon print that was attached to a round cylinder that you turned with a crank that fed paper in. The copies were all printed in blue ink. We learned how to use this machine in our office machines class, lol.

Boy I feel old just remembering this, lol.

 

[icbleu]

You all are silly. I am a child of the.60's, the cool way to say 'me too' was to say 'ditto' which was a machine that made duplicates of one page with a carbon print...

Also Ditto's were some sweet pants. I remember my old saddle seat Ditto's very fondly.

 

[BY Chicken Lady]

Also Ditto's were some sweet pants. I remember my old saddle seat Ditto's very fondly.

Really? Well that's cool ;-)

 

[Debs55]

hey yall!
I've been reading these posts because I am interested in starting a fodder system for my chickens because they have scratched their run barren and I think this will help them get some much needed nutrition. Anyway, I just want to make sure I understand the basics before I jump in feet first

So from what I've read this is what I understand
step 1: Buy wheat seeds, bird seed, or BOSS (just the plain BOSS like we throw to the chickens anyway?) - then soak it in a bucket with holes in it placed inside another bucket for 24 hours, rinsing it before and after
step 2: put the rinsed seeds into a tray with holes in the bottom (wouldnt they fall out? and do they need to be placed on a rack or can they be on a solid surface like a table?)
step 3: put somewhere they will get light and stay around 60 to 70 degrees.
step 4: water 3 to 4 times a day but not to much- then 6 to 8 days later it is ready to go?

Please let me know if I am missing anything. Thanks!

 

[BY Chicken Lady]

hey yall!
I've been reading these posts because I am interested in starting a fodder system for my chickens because they have scratched their run barren and I think this will help them get some much needed nutrition. Anyway, I just want to make sure I understand the basics before I jump in feet first

So from what I've read this is what I understand
step 1: Buy wheat seeds, bird seed, or BOSS (just the plain BOSS like we throw to the chickens anyway?) - then soak it in a bucket with holes in it placed inside another bucket for 24 hours, rinsing it before and after
step 2: put the rinsed seeds into a tray with holes in the bottom (wouldnt they fall out? and do they need to be placed on a rack or can they be on a solid surface like a table?)
step 3: put somewhere they will get light and stay around 60 to 70 degrees.
step 4: water 3 to 4 times a day but not to much- then 6 to 8 days later it is ready to go?

Please let me know if I am missing anything. Thanks!

Most of that is correct.
1) I found that wheat grows best of all and the quickest.
2) You can buy cheap baskets with thousands of holes in the bottom and sides. If you can't find them then drill lots of tiny holes in the bottom of whatever flat bottom tray you are using. Don't make them big enough for the seeds to fall through. No, don't place the basket on a flat surface...it needs space underneath. If I am staking baskets sometimes I will put a stick of wood (chopsticks or shop pencils work good) between the baskets. If they are on a table the water won't drain underneath and what does drain will just run off the table. Put a tray without holes under your stack of trays.
3) I don't keep mine as cool as 60...72 is about as low as I go, and it works for me.
4) Rinse by running water over the top basket and allowing it to run through the baskets below. If you are not stacking them, then you just pour water over the top and let it run out the bottom. Some of the water will stay in the seeds, that helps to keep them slightly moist. Yes, usually 6-8 days til they are ready to feed. If I am sprouting rather than growing wheat grass, I serve them up at about day 3 to 5.

Good Luck!