Growing fodder for chickens

[Lisa Harmon]

I'm having problems doing it this way too (ie soilless). Think I'm gonna go back to what I know: can sow my seed in organic potting soil, water it down really well with Nature's Magic and it sprouted just fine. Guess I'm an old-style garden gal. Haven't given up on growing the fodder.
I lost 3 girls to some critter last night, so boo hiss, gotta spend my money on some predator proofing now.

 

[sueblack]

My ducks and geese have quit eating the fodder. It may be one or both of two things. Two weeks ago, I put them in a new pen with 6" of grass so they have fresh pasture. Also, my fodder got bigger than normal (falling over) because I got rid of my cow while I still had several trays started. How high do ducks and geese like their fodder?

 

[Lacy Blues]

You can clip it with scissors to make it shorter and mix it into their food. That way it won't be wasted and it will also continue to grow until you feed out the whole thing.

 

[BY Chicken Lady]

I'm having problems doing it this way too (ie soilless). Think I'm gonna go back to what I know: can sow my seed in organic potting soil, water it down really well with Nature's Magic and it sprouted just fine. Guess I'm an old-style garden gal. Haven't given up on growing the fodder.
I lost 3 girls to some critter last night, so boo hiss, gotta spend my money on some predator proofing now.

Oh my goodness, I would be completely freaking out if a predator ate 3 of my girls. I built a chicken fort knox so I hopefully don't have to deal with such a loss.

 

[BY Chicken Lady]

Fall seems to be the best time to grow fodder because of the cooler temps (but not cold temps) and that is actually when your chickens will need the fodder anyway because thats when the outdoor grasses go dormant for the winter. If you have an indoor area like a basement it will probably stay cool year round because it is down in the earth. I don't have a basement, but I keep my house temps about the same 68 in winter, 72 in the summer, so growing in my kitchen in small batches works for me.

 

[mamashomestead]

I plan on using old dish drainers with the snap bottoms I starated come in the spring when found this site. Am leting everyone free range for the summer so. Staring at an old dish rack I was throwing out it hit me that's what I'll be using n the fUll lawwnsafiling they about 2 cents each

 

[dawnpel]

Can you use BOSS alone or do you have to mix it with other seeds?

 

[Jeanette56]

I've done BOSS by itself & in birdseed mixes.
It is an easy seed to sprout & grows easy.

Jeanette

Can you use BOSS alone or do you have to mix it with other seeds?

 

[wormrun]

Should my feed store carry the seed or am I going to look stupid asking the question?

Howdy,

I started my fodder a few months back. We had super high temperatures (over 112 for a week) that turned my fodder into a nasty under germinated fermented mess! I'm going to start mine up again (slowly) since the temperatures are below 100 again and my house is slightly below 80. At the feed store look for Barley (unhulled), wheat, rye berries, Triticale, should about cover my favorites. I also add a few BOSS (black oil sunflower seeds).

When you buy grains, in particular ask for animal grade feed grains vs. seeds. I learned from reading that seeds are treated with a fungicide which can harm/kill your animals. No, you will not look stupid, you are protecting your animals and you tell them you want animal grade grain for sprouting. You can buy people grade wheat (soft works best for sprouting), rye and Triticale (this is a hybrid cross of wheat and rye) also, but the animal grade is cheaper. Stay away from oats, they also need hulls but you get very little bang for your buck.

Barley is the best for nutrition, and sprouting. For chicken you don't have to get to green, they just like the little hard sprouts that just germinated. For other livestock they like the greens.

 

[wormrun]

To me the crumbles just looked so boring. I added wheat seeds, barley seeds, wild bird seed mix, scratch, I just toss in what ever I would feed them normally. They love the variety.

Crumbles are ground so these won't sprout.