Growing fodder for chickens

[eatwhatyougrow]

I have a plot of dandelions getting established.  I was amazed at how long they take to grow.  I planted seeds late last spring.  I didn't get any dandelion looking greens until almost winter.  They're still in there doing their thing and I water them once in a while during the winter when we don't get any rain or snow for awhile.  Hopefully next year I'll be able to  harvest a lot more leaves from them for the birds!

how funny people round here spray so many chemical to kill this weed. I just harvest it. For us and the chickens.

 

[eatwhatyougrow]

Oh an they dont take long to grow here they can over take your yard in about two days it seems

 

[mi2bugz]

Quote:
Metal bins will sweat on the inside and keeping feed in them can be hazardous as it will cause your feed to mold.  I use very large trash cans and/or kitchen trash cans with the step lever to raise the top.  Water does not get in and it will hold 50 pounds of feed.

I have a field mouse problem that we are trying to get under control without using chemicals so at this point the mice chew through the tough rounded plastic garbage cans. The only thing they haven't gotten through is the metal. Is there another alternative? I have mine out of the sun in a shed, off the ground. Any suggestions truly appreciated as i dont want to lose feed or seed. The step garbage cans I have seen have an open bottom so they could still get to the plastic inner piece.

Have any of you had problems with grain weevils?  The last 2 bags of barley that I purchased from 2 different feed stores (the grain came from 2 different sources) have had weevils.  One bag had them within 1 week of purchase.  I have started putting the 50 lb bags of grain in my chest freezer as soon as I bring them home and leave them there for 3 weeks to, hopefully, kill any weevils, larva, and eggs.  

After you freeze it how long is it good for once thawed? Does it add moisture to the grain so it would have to be utilized quickly? Thinking about freezing it in small quantities and take out as needed.

 

[mi2bugz]

Try doing it in one container.  What I do is soak it overnight in a mason jar, rinse it (sometimes with half hydrogen peroxide in the water to kill bacteria), then put it in a tray.

Most of my trays have holes drilled in the bottom and larger holes in the side for air flow, but I am still gearing up and a few times I have just set the soaked seeds in a plain tray.

I rinse three times a day.  I do sniff tests to make sure there's no mold.  And the last rinse is about half hydrogen peroxide, then wait a while, and then a very thorough rinse before feeding.

Just being cautious.

Thank you, great tips! Do you leave the mason jar uncovered?

 

[Amiga]

Yes.

 

[chicksinthedale]

This is simply amazing. Thank you Mr. Pawtraitart!

 

[Lacy Blues]

I have a field mouse problem that we are trying to get under control without using chemicals so at this point the mice chew through the tough rounded plastic garbage cans. The only thing they haven't gotten through is the metal. Is there another alternative? I have mine out of the sun in a shed, off the ground. Any suggestions truly appreciated as i dont want to lose feed or seed. The step garbage cans I have seen have an open bottom so they could still get to the plastic inner piece.
After you freeze it how long is it good for once thawed? Does it add moisture to the grain so it would have to be utilized quickly? Thinking about freezing it in small quantities and take out as needed.

I have field mice too. Too many of them! They haven't gotten into my cans though. I know they can chew through it but they haven't. Wish I could explain it.

Maybe you could keep your metal cans inside an insulated box? Build one with a lid out of plywood and get some rigid insulation to put along the walls, top, and bottom. Do the mice get inside the shed? If not, then it should be fine where it is without building a box for all your cans.

 

[fastdraw7]

can you just grow it any were or does it need to be in a special place

 

[tillyita]

The article addresses numbers that are a concern for larger especially industrial livestock operations. It argues that there is a loss of dry matter in fodder around day 6 or 7 compared to seed (apparently it comes back up another 6 or 7 days later). It also argues that in a high-tech hydroponic setup, there is quite a bit of energy outlay to grow the fodder. The loss in dry matter is a concern for those who are looking only at dry matter fed. It's dollars spent for no return on the spreadsheet. What the article does not do is report on any peer-reviewed papers that look at the actual effect of fodder systems on the livestock themselves. I did not see a reference to feed wastage or consumption (do animals eat more of the seeds when they have been turned into fodder than when they are dry?). The article acknowledges that "[COLOR=333333]There is little doubt that sprouts are highly palatable to livestock–witness the relish with which animals consume it in web photos and videos. High moisture feeds are frequently quite palatable. However, we do not have data to suggest that barley ‘forage’ is superior to feeding other forages with similar analyses, or even better than feeding barley directly. The feeding value of the shoot/seed/root mixture may not be better than the initial barley seeds themselves." The last sentence uses the term "may not." They don't know yet.[/COLOR] [COLOR=333333]And I may have missed it, but they are looking at barley. I would not extrapolate that to mean all fodder.[/COLOR] [COLOR=333333]Then there is the paragraph that relates more to my flock.[/COLOR] [COLOR=333333]Quote:[/COLOR] Where Hydroponic Forage May Fit. [COLOR=333333] Although the economics, the yield, and the quality of hydroponic sprouted grain forage are not highly favorable, the concept has a great appeal to those who wish to be more self-sufficient in feed. It may fit for those producers who do not have local sources for hay or forage, or simply want to be more self-sufficient. For small animal producers (rabbits, etc.), this may offer a ready source of palatable feed. Hydroponic sprouted grain may also be an appealing feed which varies the diet for animals fed only hay and grains, although we should caution that the costs must be considered.[/COLOR] [COLOR=333333]End of Quote[/COLOR] [COLOR=333333]My little setup had a one-time cost of $15 for the containers. That's the cost of half a bag of organic layer pellets. Anyone priced greens in winter? Wheat grass sells in a local shop for $6.00 for the amount of fodder I make in one container. I consider that economically favorable. I am feeding this because I want a more varied diet with fresh greens in midwinter for my flock. It is a non-electric setup. No pumps, no artificial light. $0 extra dollars for energy.[/COLOR] I use a window for the solar energy. If you come across a study about health and body condition on animals that have been supplemented with fodder, that would be really neat! Thanks for posting this. It does make a good point about keeping our eyes open regarding the increase in amount of feed. If that were the only reason to use fodder, then one might want to rethink it.

I don't know about the chickens - it is much harder to quantify... but I've been feeding fodder to my horses for about 3 years now. They get fodder and hay and that's all! - no hard feed - no grain - no pellets. They get what they can forage in the paddocks for about 3 months of the year but for that time they don't get anything else. My feed bills have gone down, the electricity and water usage is minimal. It saves me time (no more painstakingly making up buckets). They need the hay for roughage only - in order for their gut to work correctly. I've had other peoples horses here and with the addition of fodder to their diet they have put on weight, stopped windsucking, have increased energy and their coats have improved. It may not be a cure all but for me the benifits far outweigh the costs. When compared to dry matter - you will always get differences - but what that article failed to mention was that the vitimins and minerals become bioavailable ie the animals actually get the benifit from them, and the natural digestive enzimes found in fodder helps them break down any other food they are eating.

 

[tillyita]

Quote:
Metal bins will sweat on the inside and keeping feed in them can be hazardous as it will cause your feed to mold.  I use very large trash cans and/or kitchen trash cans with the step lever to raise the top.  Water does not get in and it will hold 50 pounds of feed.

That doesn't make sense, most grain (at least in Australia) is kept in metal silos to keep the mice out! The only reason it would sweat is that there is too much moisture in the first place! if it is inclined to sweat drilling some air holes might help (too small for the mice to get in of course).