Growing Fodder

[jthornton]

After watching a ton of putube videos this morning during free time I get the gist of growing fodder.

Soak for 12-24 hours and some mention adding some bleach to the water. Those that grow fodder do you add bleach to the soak water? Do you just drain or do you rinse well the seeds after the soak?

Some water twice a day and some more often, how often do you water the fodder?

I have 10 chickens, how much should I grow for daily consumption?

I got a 50 pound bag of wheat for $10 at the local feed store but I see most grow barley, what seeds do you folks use?

Thanks
JT

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Adding bleach was a bad idea for me. It ruined my batches. Perhaps I added too much.
I had much better success with a 2 or 3 hour soak. 8 hours was ok but not as good. 24 hour batches never recovered to where the 3 hour soak growth was. Soaking too long over swells the seed.
The key after the initial soak is rinsing as frequently as possible. The first day or two, I rinse about 4 times a day. You just don't want them to dry out or sit in water. Following that routine will get the fastest growth.
I'd say one flat for 10 birds would last 2 days.
Barley worked the best for me. Probably wheat and sunflower were next. I've done buckwheat and flax. Oats for some reason don't make good fodder in my experience.

 

[Rick&chickTampa]

JT, I haven't even got my grass planted yet and now I am going to have to watch this thread too because your last thread made me want to grow fodder too. You sure are keeping me busy.

 

[shartnett5]

We just got started with this. I hope more pitch in

 

[jthornton]

I'd say one flat for 10 birds would last 2 days.

Thanks so much for that information. How big is a flat?

How many days do you grow it?

Where do you grow the fodder? I have a small bathroom in the basement with a heater to keep it at 75°F and have grow lights for starting seeds in the spring.

I have some wheat now and will get a sack of barley next week from the feed store.

Thanks
JT

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hi.

I do use barley, because during my research said it had the least amount of mold and other troubles. But those who sprout wheat, their chickens love it!

I do NOT use bleach. We have mold grow on everything here in the PNW. I figured I would try and see what happens. I never had issues so I never starting doing bleach. I rinse once and then soak for 24 hours with cold water. I know one other person who said they get the best sprouting if they only soak for 12.

I have rinsed only once or twice. And I rinsed more often. More often gave me faster growth. But note that your temp will make how many days you grow vary. 7 days is a joke here in the winter, it's more like 10. I will note that I tried the whole plastic drawer thing and it doesn't drain through the lower drawers evenly enough to get the corners and such. So I think the tilting in opposite directions will work better. I basically ruined the drawers. Good idea, bad reality.

I haven't truly decided which day of feeding out gives me the best nutrients. Because just sprouting is pretty good and according to the study I will post not much difference between days 3/4(?) and 7. Of course day 7 you get green stuff which is absolutely awesome if you birds don't have access to green pasture. Mine do, but they tend to forage less when it's raining really hard and windy. And they ALWAYS enjoy the fodder, as did my goats. However they (chickens) are pretty crafty little buggers and will pick the seed off the bottom and leave the green part behind! They usually come back for the green part but not always.

http://www.idosi.org/wasj/wasj16(4)12/9.pdf

Please look at the part that says result and discussion. My curiosity is about the dry matter content... It indicates to me that feeding on day 6 might give you more bang for your buck, that dry matter is what ultimately counts? Either way, I love sprouting sprouts/fodder as a treat and not their main source of feed because it just doesn't have high enough protein content for me and probably missing some amino acids and such.

Hope you have fun and great success with your sprouting and birds!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I forgot to mention that you need feed grade seed, not seed for planting. The latter has fungicides and pesticides in it.

Not sure the dimensions but they are the normal seed starting flats that are in garden centers. I buy mine wholesale from Hummert's International. I use the slotted ones.
Anywhere you can keep them warm. 68F is the ideal temperature for sprouting wheat and barley. Keep in mind that because of evaporation, the seed temp may be cooler than the air temp so 75 would probably be good.
I have a setup of shelves with fluorescent fixtures above that I usually use but when the temperature is warm enough after the seed is growing I may put them out in the sun.
7 days made really good growth.
I may have some pictures to post.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I simply poke some holes in the plastic lid covers that come in top of cakes and such. You know, aside from the drawers I ruined.

Free is awesome.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

The more often one rinses, the less chance of mold. Air movement helps too. I put a fan blowing across the ones on the shelves under lights.
Sometimes the root fibers resemble mold but it isn't.
Another point on lights. I saw an independent study of various types of lights and the fluorescent kitchen and bath lights obtained at least as good of growth as grow lights and are much cheaper.

 

[jthornton]

I forgot to mention that you need feed grade seed, not seed for planting.

I got lucky and bought my wheat from a feed store and not a garden center. It even has feeding instructions on the tiny label.

Could not find barley seed anywhere here. Where do you get your barley from? I see your a couple hours north of me. Howdy neighbor.

JT