I have about half an inch of soaked seeds in the trays, no other medium, just the seeds.
That's what I am using, some winter wheat I bought as part of a group bulk order.
Very nice!!Homebuilt Fodder growing system OK, after experimenting with some seed flats on the kitchen counter top, I decided to set up a full blown automated watering system to grow fodder for my chickens this winter. Total amount in the system is about $175. Bought 150lbs of wheat for feed stock from the local feed store @13.75/50lbs. Components: 1. Rack built out of treated lumber I already had, but I'd estimate about $30 cost. 2. Bulk tank for water storage and pump to sit in was a plastic mortar mixing pan from Lowe's for $14. 3. Pump is an Eco396, Amazon for $20.49 4. Timer is a Titan Apollo 7, Amazon for $15.90 Does max of 8 different settings per 24hrs. 5. Trays are Rubbermaid FG334900WHT, 4 5/8gal, approx. 15"x20"x5", white plastic "bus" (as in restaurant dishes) trays. 6. Misc stuff: Wood screws, 4 casters for the bottom (recycled off something else), vinyl hose between pump and copper, some 1/2" copper, and a few fittings...already had most of this stuff, so I'll guess another $30 would have covered it. Built the wood rack to hold two sets of trays, 4 on each side. I figured based on my kitchen seed flat results that one tray of fodder ought to come off the system every 8 days, so as that one is emptied, it will be refilled to start the process over. Rack is approx 28" x 36", bigger than needed for the trays, but allows the bulk tank to sit on the bottom of the rack. I wanted the tank there so I could roll all of the unit around. That will allow me to roll the rack over someplace like the garage door to dump the bulk tank water and refill it when it needs changing. Slats that hold the trays are sloped slightly from front to back, or back to front, alternating.
I drilled a dozen small holes ( like 1/8" ) in the bottom of the trays on one end with the plan the water enters from above on the un-drilled end, floods the tray, and drains out the bottom end. It then goes into the tray below, which is the upper end of it, floods it, and drains out the lower end. Repeat for the trays below that until it drains back to the bulk tank. Pump submerses in bulk tank, feeds thru a 5/8" vinyl hose to the 1/2" copper line on the back of the rack. I put a ball shut off valve in the line at that point to regulate the water flow in case the pump put out too much, then the line runs up to the top, where I put a T and a short section of capped off copper over the top of the two upper trays. Drilled some 1/8" holes in the copper to for the pump water to flood the tops trays. This is day 5 sprouting. First couple days, I had the trays in the shop while finishing up the rack, and I think the temperature was too cool....in the mid 50's. Based on my kitchen counter growing, at day 5, these ought to have a lot of green showing. So I moved the rack into the basement near the wood stove, and the temperature is a lot closer to 70 there, so I hope to see some improvement in growth rate. Right now, I have the pump running 15 minutes, 8 times a day.
May also need to cut down on the amount of wheat I put in....used two Coolwhip bowls ( weighs about 1 1/2lbs ) in the first tray.....seems fairly 'thick' as it's spouted, so I've cut that back to about a pound a tray in the later trays. It's a work in progress. Hopefully, every 8 days it will look like these grown on the kitchen counter:
I have been doing fodder for my animals for almost a year. We feed 19 chickens, 4 goats, 16 rabbits and a horse. We feed a mix of wheat, barley and a little BOSS. I have found my chickens like it best at about day 4. So I just grow theirs in a small bucket and stir it every day so it doesn't root together. They go crazy for it. The rest of the animals split a tray in the morning and a tray in the evening. We still feed very small amounts of rabbit pellets and layer feed and the goats and horse get cheap cow hay for the roughage. Right now we have it set up in our bathroom where the tub goes. I will be moving it outside to its own area this spring. I will try to get a better pic soon.
