Lentils grown as fodder

[Kayla's Lunch]

I was wondering about the nutrition of growing lentils as fodder. I have a lot of problems growing wheat and barley, but no problems with lentils. Does anyone know if they are as nutritious as wheat and barley? I want to give my flock a green treat, but would like it to be a highly nutritious one. Thanks!

 

[Sally PB]

Sprouted lentils would be a great fodder for chickens, I believe. Any fodder is a snack; it doesn't have all the nutrients to be their main food.

My chickens love anything green. Sprouts, fodder, or weeds. When I say, "Green chickie snack!" they come running.

Any idea why your wheat and barley aren't doing well?

There are a few threads here on BYC about growing fodder, if you're looking for inspiration and information.

 

[Kayla's Lunch]

I grow microgreens for my family and don't have any problems with mold. I have tried growing wheat and barley many different ways - with soil, without soil, in typical 10x20 trays and in a drawer type system where the water runs from one drawer down to the next. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. It is much harder than the microgreens that I grow for my family. It seems that the grains (barley and wheat) that I have bought that were feed grade, often had mold issues when growing, both with soil and without soil. And then also sometimes bug issues in storage. I have also grown bird seed as fodder. Sometimes successful and sometimes I get mold. If I used soil and "human" grade, I don't have issues. I'm assuming it is the grain that I have gotten, because I grow it in my house, on the same rack as the microgreens for my family. Lentils are cheaper than wheat for humans, so I wondered if that was reasonably nutritious. No point in going to the trouble of growing if it's just going to be basically "candy." I also grow alfalfa microgreens for the chickens. I got a few pound of alfalfa seed cheap, so I'm growing it for them. I've been growing fodder for them on and off for about 3 years. I don't like getting stuck with a big bag of wheat that seems to mold