Growing fodder for chickens

[CATRYNA]

We are having high 90 to 100+ temps...I am having mildew and smelly stinky issues. I am wondering if more frequent rinsing would help? I started 3 months ago and everything was good. I am set up outside in the shade. Inside is not an option. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

When our temps, recently, got in the high 90's and 100's, we were having smell problems. But, by rinsing more often and for longer periods, at least a minute or so for full saturation, helps. Be sure and spray or rinse down your trays or containers with a chlorine solution or Hydrogen Peroxide before adding the grain.

 

[Albatross]

Make sure you drain the grains well when you rinse and then they won't get stinky. Also, you can make a fruit fly trap, but hey, with fruit flies, you're adding a little more protein to the hens' fodder.

 

[Don P]

yes if you leave a little water on the grain and it drips off slowly and puddles under one end you will get ferment and the CO2 will attract large flies too.

Soak and rinse the grain well the 1st couple days and drain well each time to get all the dirty water out.
Maybe add a touch of vinegar.


And yes flies are more prevalent in the summer.

 

[debbiegt]

Thanks. I guess I will need to make more holes.

 

[allilind]

Put a bowl of apple cider vinegar and oil next to the trays. The flies are attracted to the acv but can't climb out of the oil.

 

[butch vb]

i use fodder for horses built rack for trays with 1 inch slop front to back alternating slop and holes in oppiste ends pump water with pond pump to top trays and let water drain down through 5 trays to catch pan i dont reuse water or i get a bad smell i soak with bleach and spray with acv before feeding acv is good for horses digestion and helps as a fly and mosquito repelent the leftovers are feed to chickens the seeds and fodder in bottom of buckwt are soakwd in acv and chickens dont mind i will give them fooder after grass goes away this fall but for now they ff and fodder scrapsthey leave free range to eat both chickens also get acv in water in one of their two waters ff is easier and better than fogger for chickens you can use chicken feed scratch wheat corn barley bird seed and about any other feed you feed your chickens it takes less time and space to do it hope it helps

 

[zarafa121]

This is interesting! I joined just today, and the reason I went online in the first place (and found this website) was to find out if I could make my own chicken feed. I have four hens who have not yet started to lay, and I presently am feeding them from the garden - tomatoes, cucumbers, etc.), but that will run out in a couple of months. Growing fodder for four chickens should not be difficult, and it will keep me busy over the winter. Thanks for all the interesting reading!

Harriet

 

[butch vb]

the most economical way for me to feed is ff i can add many differentgrains to it plus ican use layer crumbles to keep protein high enuff i also feed fodder left over from horses along with osyter shells grit meal worms for treatesmine are healthy happy and we get great eggs

 

[LindaB220]

This is interesting! I joined just today, and the reason I went online in the first place (and found this website) was to find out if I could make my own chicken feed. I have four hens who have not yet started to lay, and I presently am feeding them from the garden - tomatoes, cucumbers, etc.), but that will run out in a couple of months. Growing fodder for four chickens should not be difficult, and it will keep me busy over the winter. Thanks for all the interesting reading!

Harriet

Great to have you. Start looking around the different threads. There's a great amount of info out there. I plan to grow mine the short time and feed at 4 days. It's more of a grain ration than fodder but you get a lot of extra nutrients. Also I ferment my feed and that's wonderful. Check out the threads on it.

 

[chrissyr]

what are the best trays to use? i was using aluminum foil trays, but since they buckle here and there, i think that traps water.