Growing fodder for chickens

[SilverDuck284]

When you finish one batch, do you sanitize your bin, or just rinse it out to start over?

 

[Amiga]

I rinse with hot water, wash with detergent (an all-natural brand), rinse again, then use a little oxo-brite and rinse again. Maybe overkill, but I haven't had anything go icky on me. Vinegar might work just as well, or the hot water and detergent may, also.

 

[nguyenkinhphuc2]

Can chicken digest soy bean growing fodder?

 

[Concerned01]

I have an iPad, took me a bit to figure out how to upload pics. I feel your frustration, been there.

 

[Boondocks Farm]

Hi, what is the best mix of seeds to use? I really want to try this out! Thanks

 

[Concerned01]

Here is what I did as I couldn't buy what I wanted. I bought treat that had barley, wheat, and other seeds and picked them out leaving the veggies. It was time consuming and I didn't do the whole bag. It was experiment . It grew wonderfully and the girls loved it. I just hand feed the first bite and then put it around the yard, they don't share well, they ate it up.

 

[MaPa26]

Here is what I did as I couldn't buy what I wanted. I bought treat that had barley, wheat, and other seeds and picked them out leaving the veggies. It was time consuming and I didn't do the whole bag. It was experiment . It grew wonderfully and the girls loved it. I just hand feed the first bite and then put it around the yard, they don't share well, they ate it up.

I have thought about doing that so that I wouldn't have to buy a huge bag of wheat (if I can even get it locally). Our Atwoods has large bags of oats, of course, but I read that they are harder to turn to fodder. I have only used oats in grass form (planted in dirt, in a flower pot) for my cats. I did buy a bag of BOSS to try sprouts. I just haven't gotten around to it yet. I better hurry up. More cold weather coming this week

Anyway, I know my hens would love wheat . I was still feeding wild birds last winter. We got the chicks in March and decided not to encourage wild birds any more. By then, their food sources were better, so I didn't feel guilty about removing the bird feeders. I noticed a large green patch under the feeder. The birds did not like the wheat in their mix and had kept picking it out and dropping it. My hubby mowed one patch, but I talked him into letting another area keep growing, as an experiment. Then hens never touched it until it developed seed heads. This photo was taken May 10th, before seed heads had even formed. We had a very late Spring in Kansas. Wheat fields were late in ripening.
The hens never touched the wheat grass (they had an entire yard full of grass and weeds). But when the seed heads appeared, they enjoyed it picking through it every day until they had finished off every last seed! One of my cats loved hiding in the middle of the patch!

 

[michaelf]

It's amazing at how fast it grows from one day to the next!

 

[marvegal]

SO you are growing them hydroponically ? This is so cool!!! Going to try

 

[GrammyJean]

Wow, those completed trays of greens look so good, I might try a bite! Thanks for the growing info., though, as I have only been sprouting greens in jars for my chickens, and feeding them the sprouts. I've mostly just been sprouting black oil sunflower seeds and sometimes lentils for them.

I'm going to try to rig a way to grow some of the seeds in soil in my front window... since it's the only one that really gets any sun. I'll just call it my Living Room conversation starter. LOL