Growing fodder for chickens

[pcappy2]

I started my wheat fodder and the chicks just luv it. I didn't realize that the nutritional value was much improved on the 6th or 7th day......I had been feeding it after it had sprouted and the sprout was just turning green. It was easy and very exciting for me! ( I know, I"m easily amused)...my problem now is that "the girls" want there wheat sprouts in the morning and I"m trying to wait until its more of a lush grass. Hopefully, by next week my process will be straightened out. Hoping to add, oat, raddish to the mixture. Also hoping to get a handle on the amount of seed for each pan....is everyone finding a thin layer of seed is best??? The pan of BOSS I have is really coming along.....its seems slower then the wheat....anyone else finding this out. Will post picutres soon.

 

[La Casa de Pollo]

I have just been spreading the soaked wheat seeds out until there are no bare spots, spreading it around with my hand, I am guessing it is 1/2 inch thick in most spots. I am excited to try other types of seeds, I have only done the wheat with little bits of barley and boss sprinkled in. My trays that were a bit thicker seemed more mold prone...the ones that were quite thin kind of fell apart when I took the fodder out, the roots were not as nested and thick to hold it together.

 

[Kassaundra]

I now have 5 trays so that means I'm 5 days in but my oldest try just barely has sprouted. When I had them in burlap sacs for just sprouting not growing they were growing out of the sacs by day 3. I'm thinking about a hybrid system between the two hum............................ have to do some brainstorming here.

 

[Lacy Blues]

Just to let you all know... my oats that I soaked in a 10% bleach solution are doing very very well. The greens are about 1.5 to 2" tall now and turning green for me. No mold, no bad smell and no bleach smell. In fact, the day after I laid them out, I couldn't smell any bleach.... and I have a really good sniffer!

I think I am on day 5 as well. My wheat is about 3 to 3.5 inches tall. I have milo growing (seems a bit slow) and barley too. The other night I soaked about 2 cups worth of an old package of 13 bean soup (I think). Hopefully they will do well.

I'm thinking one thing I might do is go outside with a pair of leather gloves and a bucket, and strip the tumbleweeds of their seeds. The girls really liked to eat them when we pulled them up and tossed them into their pens, while they were still green. The seeds are really small though, I might have to figure out, maybe some screen on the bottom so they don't fall though... hmmm

 

[TNBEARCHICK]

I am using a 4 stack shelf unit from Wally Mart.

I turned everything upside down and re cut the legs,

Each shelf has 16 divided sections on the bottom.

I drilled 5 #35 holes in each section.

Monday night I rinsed and soaked 1 quart of wheat.

Tuesday night I drained, rinsed and left in strainer with weight on top.

Wednesday night I rinsed and spread out on shelf bottoms.
(Most seed had at least 1/4 inch roots.)
Note 1 quart of wheat does not allow for enough depth.
Next batch using 1-1/4 quarts.

This morning I watered, real good.
Several hours later I looked at it again.
I still had water standing in every compartment and a sweet smell.

Tonight I increased the size of all the holes to a #25
To each compartment I added 3 more hole to the center line of the shelf.

My question is what size holes and how many does everyone use?

would love a picture!

 

[TNBarnQueen]

What type and size are you looking for?
Here is a good place to a "basic" greenhouse if you don't mind putting it up yourself.
http://www.greenhousemegastore.com/

I myself built all of mine from the ground up. (can be way cheaper)
The one I'm working on now is a Solar Shed design but I have had A-Frames, Quanset, and "Traditional"

Chris

Hoop coops make great greenhouses...low cost and quick to make. I have a small commercial greenhouse and it is built like a hoop coop!

 

[TNBarnQueen]

OK..I have a question. I went to buy oats for fodder. They did not have the seeds but told me racehorse oats are the same thing. Then I read here that they have a coating on them. Someone soaked their seeds in a bleach solution. Was that to remove what is on the racehorse oats?? If so...would Oxine work instead of bleach. It is a deritive of bleach I believe. I am fortunate to have a greenhouse so I am using plant trays that have small holes in them for drainage. Also...I am wondering if sand could be used to also sprout? It can easily be rinsed from the roots. I use sand in sprouting some seeds and cuttings. Drains well and works great.
Thanks!

 

[Kassaundra]

OK..I have a question. I went to buy oats for fodder. They did not have the seeds but told me racehorse oats are the same thing. Then I read here that they have a coating on them. Someone soaked their seeds in a bleach solution. Was that to remove what is on the racehorse oats?? If so...would Oxine work instead of bleach. It is a deritive of bleach I believe. I am fortunate to have a greenhouse so I am using plant trays that have small holes in them for drainage. Also...I am wondering if sand could be used to also sprout? It can easily be rinsed from the roots. I use sand in sprouting some seeds and cuttings. Drains well and works great.
Thanks!

I do not know what coating is on the race horse oats, but the soaking in the bleach water is about detering mold growth, and I believe oxine would work just as well.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Hoop coops make great greenhouses...low cost and quick to make. I have a small commercial greenhouse and it is built like a hoop coop!

You are so right!

http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/hoop-house-zm0z11zmat.aspx

I ran across this a few weeks ago, i want the full size one for a greenhouse, our house is cramped and not a lot of extra room for my mealie farms, FF, and now fodder. I plan to do a small scale for raising CX and larger for turkey also, very reasonable cost and lightweight. I have my 2nd coop tied up all summer for meat birds, and DH wants me to expand the egg production

Woohoo!

 

[Lacy Blues]

OK..I have a question. I went to buy oats for fodder. They did not have the seeds but told me racehorse oats are the same thing. Then I read here that they have a coating on them. Someone soaked their seeds in a bleach solution. Was that to remove what is on the racehorse oats?? If so...would Oxine work instead of bleach. It is a deritive of bleach I believe.  I am fortunate to have a greenhouse so I am using plant trays that have small holes in them for drainage. Also...I am wondering if sand could be used to also sprout? It can easily be rinsed from the roots. I use sand in sprouting some seeds and cuttings. Drains well and works great.
Thanks!

The "coating" was in regard to barley, I believe. Someone wanted to know if barley from the grocery store would sprout. It won't because the "germ" has been removed. Same with oats. The coating you speak of is just the raw natural oat with its fibrous covering. It's natural... not added. Race horse oats would be the best to sprout with. They're higher quality... and do not have any man-made coatings of any kind. This is what I use.

Like Kassaundra said, the bleach solution was for mold issues. I smelled my oats tonight (just keeping up with any changes) and they smelled like there was dirt in the tray. You know how at the grocery store, you smell the bag of potatoes to verify quality? Well, my oats, tonight, smelled like a bag of potatoes! Strange... there is no dirt in the tray.