Growing fodder for chickens

[RisingSun]

Be sure you are not feeding your hens GMO grains!
Love the simplicity! I thought you would need to plant them in soil.
Thanks so much!

 

[ChristineR]

That's a handy little guide. Thanks.

I thought I'd add, too, that my rabbit vet recommend NOT feeding alfalfa of any kind - hay or pellets. One of her specialties is rabbits.

We had a bunny that had an impaction, so he had to stay for a couple days at the vet's for fluids and care to try to get things moving without surgery. She put him on a diet of free choice timothy hay and fresh greens twice per day. His favorite were banana slices (fed sparingly).

 

[tillyita]

That's a handy little guide.  Thanks.

I thought I'd add, too, that my rabbit vet recommend NOT feeding alfalfa of any kind - hay or pellets.  One of her specialties is rabbits.

We had a bunny that had an impaction, so he had to stay for a couple days at the vet's for fluids and care to try to get things moving without surgery.  She put him on a diet of free choice timothy hay and fresh greens twice per day.  His favorite were banana slices (fed sparingly).

did she say why?

 

[ArtGirl]

Here is a totally awesome picture of my red wheat on day 7. The dew drops give it a cool affect.

 

[keita]

How thick do you have your seeds in the trays? Do you have any other medium in there or just the seed?

 

[daverh]

What a great idea! I have heard of this, but had forgotten about it. I am going to get started tomorrow depending on what the feed store has on hand. Thanks for the reminder.

 

[rhackenb]

Can you use any of the bulk grains from stores like Whole Foods?

 

[CATRYNA]

Our family has been feeding our chickens fodder for about 6 months now. It works great. We use a 1/3-2/3 combo of barley to wheat. The wheat sprouts at a higher percentage than the barley, but the combo of both is added nutrition for the chickens. Barley at $16 per 50lb vs $25 for 50lb of wheat, the price difference is quite substantial, but still....you gotta do what you gotta do. And, we buy the wheat berries for bread baking, anyway. Like you, our end result, by weight, is 5 or 6 times the original started with. Such an inexpensive and extra nourishing way to feed animals. Here in SOCAL our weather, this winter, has been unusually warm and that may be part of the fact that our chickens are laying 5 or 6 eggs, per hen, per week, but I like to think of it as their better feed through fodder.

We are perfecting our fodder techniques for future feeding of pigs and cattle, with the hopes that it will supplement them enough on pasture, without having to resort to hay. Happy to hear of someone else's success.

 

[CATRYNA]

Yes, you can but it's much more expensive than buying in bulk from a feed store or from an online source.

 

[CATRYNA]

Those of you getting started, just be sure you spray your pans or trays with a solution of chlorine and water or straight H2O2 and rinse well. That will keep molds from forming as you need to keep your grains and fodder moist through rinsing a couple of times a day. Don't forget to soak the seeds over night beforehand.