My fodder system diary.

[RebelChief]

I do not toss seed if it has a little mold on it. I would pick it off the spot and compost it, and continue on with growing the fodder in the bin. If your whole bin was moldy, I'd dump it in the compost pile and make a written note, or mental note, of why mold started growing and what to do to prevent it.

Some people recommend putting a cap full of bleach into the initial soaking water. These seeds have natural mold on them, and that may depend on where/when the seeds were bagged. I never had a big problem with mold in my tower system, but I suppose it could depend on the temperature/humidity where you grow your fodder.

Although it was not necessary, I did end up buying a jug of bleach at the Dollar Tree and have started adding a small cap full to my initial soaking here inside the house. In general, my house is cooler than my garage was this past summer, so my seeds are not drying out as much between the 12 hour flood and drain sessions. So I was concerned that mold could start to grow. Every day or so I will also add a capful of bleach to my top "rain" bin with water and just let that trickle down to all the other bins below. I have not had any problems with mold in the fodder bins growing inside the house with just a bit of preventative bleach in the water.

I will try a little beach. My garage is pretty warm (we just had a new one built after I had a bit of a fire and it's fully insulated) and the seeds seem to stay wet between soakings.

 

[RebelChief]

Where I live, people who let their chickens free range are called former chicken owners. We have too many hawks and eagles looking for an easy meal.

Whenever I add, or change, anything to my chickens feed, I try to introduce it slowly. Like transitioning the chicks from starter feed to grower feed, and later from grower feed to laying feed. I have found it best to mix the new feed in with the older feed for a number of days to a week.

This past summer, I introduced my barley fodder to the chickens when they were still eating grass clippings. They seemed to prefer the fresh grass clippings, which they were used to, but they did eat up all the fodder too. So I knew fodder would work for my chickens this winter. And it does. Now when I give them fodder in the morning, there is nothing left of it in a few hours. Success in my book. I'm sure they would prefer to be out on fresh green grass and pecking and scratching for their food - but that's not an option in a Minnesota winter.

I am afraid mine would be hawk food so until I get a tractor built...there will be none of that.

I've got them in their coop now and I've been leaving grass and plant matter in there for them. I have some baby greens growing from where the bird seed has spilled in the garden so I put them in today just so they get used to it. Their run is all sand so they need some greenery in there.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

@gtaus - So the »road-construction« season is done now in MI?

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

I am afraid mine would be hawk food so until I get a tractor built...there will be none of that.

I've got them in their coop now and I've been leaving grass and plant matter in there for them. I have some baby greens growing from where the bird seed has spilled in the garden so I put them in today just so they get used to it. Their run is all sand so they need some greenery in there.

Are you not more afraid of 'gator's than hawks down in the deep south of texas?

 

[RebelChief]

Are you not more afraid of 'gator's than hawks down in the deep south of texas?

As a matter of fact....rumor has it there is a gator in our resaca but I've yet to see it. I live on the water .. I worry more about it getting my dogs so I don't let them out back near the water. I'm hoping he will eat the wild ducks before he gets all the way to my chicken coop.

 

[gtaus]

@gtaus - So the »road-construction« season is done now in MI?

Well, I am from northern Minnesota, but yes, road construction season is over. I don't complain because we have all four seasons in Minnesota. We have winter, June, July, and August! What more could you want?

 

[gtaus]

I will try a little beach. My garage is pretty warm (we just had a new one built after I had a bit of a fire and it's fully insulated) and the seeds seem to stay wet between soakings.

The seeds should stay damp between watering, but not completely wet. For me, it worked best to flood and drain the system every 12 hours - at 8 am and 8 pm. If you are having problems with mold, a little bleach should help. Update the thread on your results with the bleach and if it helps eliminate your mold concerns.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Well, I am from northern Minnesota, but yes, road construction season is over. I don't complain because we have all four seasons in Minnesota. We have winter, June, July, and August! What more could you want?

My colleagues told me that there's only two seasons in Minnesota: Winter and Road-Construction… Waaaayyy too cold for me up there!

 

[AllenK RGV]

As a matter of fact....rumor has it there is a gator in our resaca but I've yet to see it. I live on the water .. I worry more about it getting my dogs so I don't let them out back near the water. I'm hoping he will eat the wild ducks before he gets all the way to my chicken coop.

Lol the kids around here also tell tall tales about gators in our agricultural/water delivery and drainage ditches. Adults have told me about rattlesnakes and that is a bunch of yada yada too. The only deadly snakes I have seen here over the last 5 years were coral snakes(night active and calm) and non venomous ones. Only a real dunderhead could get a lethal dose of venom from a coral by picking it up, taunting it, thumping it in its head then manually attaching it to your body for 60 or so seconds so it has enough time to chew the venom in. What types of chicken do you keep @RebelChief that you worry about the hawk attacks? Knock on wood I have yet to lose one to them. The chicken do more damage to the hawks in my back yard as they hug the house and fences and hawks occasionally hit those with misses having alert chicken. Granted I do also free range those silkies but they get extreme haircuts so they can see to be better at chickening.

Now the gators in Georgia were something that had me keeping my water dogs away from the water. I always saw those things hanging around. Heck the cat even brought us a hatchling gator once.

https://www.krgv.com/videos/spi-nature-center-to-open-alligator-sanctuary/ sad they had to import gators from Beaumont for the sanctuary.

 

[FredsGobblers]

I grew up in south Texas (Kenedy) and worked a ranch for a few years just south of Tilden. Coral snakes never worried me (saw plenty), at least rattlesnakes warned you they was there. Dispatched plenty rattlesnakes over 6 ft, were great sauted in garlic butter sauce. Worried more about cottonmouth snakes. Only ever saw 1 gator, a 7 footer that moved in and found our well stocked pond full of catfish. Had him removed to preserve our private fishing spot.
@RebelChief how goes the fodder?