Growing fodder for chickens

[JodyDI]

Hi Just checking in! I've been growing for about 2 weeks now. I have 12 hens. I use a cup of wheat, soaked 24 hrs, I put it in a Food storage container approximately 7" X 7". I have NO Holes. ( I couldn't bear to poke holes in them) 2 X a day, I soak each one for 5 minutes or so, drain off, using a strainer on the early ones, after 3-4 days, a thick mat has grown no need for the strainer. Containers day 4-5-6 are in the sun, containers day 1-2-3 are stacked inside each other with a lid on the top one. My Temp is definitely in the 70's. No Mold, no bleach, no Peroxide. My girls wasted some of the greens, for about a week. They do eat more but still a little green is wasted. Not sure why, I'm still feeding same amount of everything else, along with lots of scraps. They will gobble up finely chopped kale. All in All, I'm good with it. This is just another treat the beautiful girls get.

 

[Fancychooklady]

Probably because the soluble fibers and starches are left in the water - i haven't done any research on this BTW so could be completely wrong.

I use the chia because it is easy to get hold of, balances the rest of what I feed and means that I don't have to use sunflower seeds for the oil component. I don't like sprouted sunflower - it tastes like it has gone rancid - which would mean that the good oils have been destoyed in the process! Chia tastes clean (rather like alfalfa) when sprouted.

I found that if I only watered my barley sprouts twice a day that they smelled rancid too. Now I'm watering 3 times a day and running my fingers through it, the smell has gone, in fact they smell like alfalfa .it would be nice to know if there is any major impact on the nutritional value though.

 

[chixmix]

Im read on Wikipedia peopled died eating raw sprouts. Any studies or info if birds can get poisened I believe it was ecoli contamination. Any precautions to know about. does upacv do the trick. could you ferment the sprouts. justk trying to learn here

Wikepedia is just not a reliable source, there is so much wrong info on there, they should take that down altogether.

People use this system to feed million dollar cattle and horse operations, let alone alpaca, rabbit, chicken, etc. etc.

With the amount of money and research that goes into those horse and cattle producers, you can rest assured that this has been scrutinized HEAVILY. It is a viable alternative to these gmo infested pellets God NEVER intended for any animal to consume. I will take natural foods over any manmade crap anyday.

I have researched this extensively, I have a lot of money tied up in my Orpingtons and have never heard of any e-coli until just now. I imagine if it is true, it was simply an issue with cleanliness. When I empty a tray, I Clorox the tray before re-seeding it. (I don't know why this all the sudden went into italics, haha)

 

[tillyita]

I found that if I only watered my barley sprouts twice a day that they smelled rancid too. Now I'm watering 3 times a day and running my fingers through it, the smell has gone, in fact they smell like alfalfa .it would be nice to know if there is any major impact on the nutritional value though.

You don't understand, I have one of the large dedicated units. My sprouts get 20 seconds of water 24 times a day. It is only the sunflower, the barley, chia and lupin are all fine. And they don't smell rancid - they taste rancid.

 

[Fancychooklady]

You don't understand, I have one of the large dedicated units. My sprouts get 20 seconds of water 24 times a day. It is only the sunflower, the barley, chia and lupin are all fine. And they don't smell rancid - they taste rancid.

With 50 birds I have to keep it real. Regardless of what I'm sprouting , it has to be cost effective.
I use 6 litres of water a day to water 4 trays in a shelf system. Watering the top tray and letting it trickle down.

 

[cockoftherock]

Wikepedia is just not a reliable source, there is so much wrong info on there, they should take that down altogether.

People use this system to feed million dollar cattle and horse operations, let alone alpaca, rabbit, chicken, etc. etc.

With the amount of money and research that goes into those horse and cattle producers, you can rest assured that this has been scrutinized HEAVILY. It is a viable alternative to these gmo infested pellets God NEVER intended for any animal to consume. I will take natural foods over any manmade crap anyday.

I have researched this extensively,  I have a lot of money tied up in my Orpingtons and have never heard of any e-coli until just now. I imagine if it is true, it was simply an issue with cleanliness. When I empty a tray, I Clorox the tray before re-seeding it. (I don't know why this all the sudden went into italics, haha)

 

[cockoftherock]

So you are saying chickens arent affected by E coli! Im not here to debate if gmos are evil Im just looking for experience. We can live and learn Pathogins are very real whether you like wikipedia or not. It was humans affected not goats and horses therr are things that can make humans sick but npt other animals. The Fda put new guidelines out so Im sure its not mass hysteria. Just trying to learn any precautions so my birds dont get sick

 

[cockoftherock]

By the way people died as a direvt effect of eating sprouts so it might be good to just not assume things here IT WAS CROSS CONTAMINATION so I asked If upacv was the trick to prevent this fermenting ect. Bleach is highly toxic so that isnt a smart alternative except in extreme measures for me. Thank you for any info rather than opinions

 

[Amiga]

The risk of food borne illness is a forum's worth of discussion all on its own, in my opinion. There is a wide range of feeling about all this. I am not about to try to "settle it once and for all." I respect each person's decisions about how to proceed.

In the interest of helping people make informed decisions, here is, from the FDA's food safety web site, their angle on the risks associated with sprouted food.

http://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/types/fruits/sprouts.html

And we all have our feelings about the FDA, I reckon.

But what about people who are professionals in the sprouting field? What do they say?

http://sproutpeople.org/sprouts/safe

 

[cockoftherock]

Thank you this is Most helpful Yes there is good and bad in everything gmos fda sprouting ect Ive come to learn yes people will differ but information is key I appreciate ur info and wisdom. Now I
have some reafing to do smile