Punch holes in my fodder system....

[MamaAB]

I am still trying

I actually bought some wheat last night so we will see how it goes!

 

[wormrun]

Hi all!

I just started this for my rabbits. I have to share what I've found out in the past two weeks. BTW I too got stuck with a 50# sack of oats. People grade so never fear, if they don't sprout they will be made into some other good thing.

First of all, I have done this in numerous ways for the past 3 weeks with 5 different grains.

• I sprouted wheat first (Hard Winter Wheat) - I happened to have a few old jars in the pantry that I thought were out of date, nope they sprouted! They popped right up!
• Next day, I sprouted wheat with BOSS, very nice!
• Then I sprouted Triticale, (wheat with rye cross) again, no problem.
• I opened up my coveted bag of barley (with hulls - animal feed) and WOW! That is an awesome grain!
• I opened my final bag, Soft White Wheat, which is known for sprouting. I have success but only on day 2 of this one. All the others grew a really nice head of grass.
• All purchased at Azure Standard - ORGANIC. Drop ship free if $$ enough, I found a group in my area and I pick up at a church.

I feed the rabbits on day 7 or 8 depending on leftovers. Nutrition is highest on day 7 from what I've read. As for sprouting, you only need to soak for 30 minutes, drain and do your rinse cycle according to Half-Pint Homestead. I have done this and I can tell you it works! I have not seen studies to account for better nutrition, but I love the time saving aspect! Watch her routine as well.

As for oats, if the sprout people can get this grain to sprout, so can we! Not sure if this has a hull issue like the barley but I'll get back to you. I may take a more of a sprouting approach.

My recommendations - Mold:

• Get a squirt bottle and fill it with a 10% bleach solution. My bottle had a little mark on it. (10 water to 1 bleach) This is a wonder tool. Use it on all things as you clean your equipment.
• Get a fan! Make sure all sprouts and trays with fodder get a little air.
• I've not soaked my seeds in water with a little bleach added but others say it works too. Might not be a bad idea since we are entering warmer weather.
• Use dark vs clear and white to soak your seeds. Seeds must be sprouted in darkness. Some people don't even move their seeds into trays until day 4! I typically have mine in sooner, but I like this strategy for space management.
• Think trays instead of buckets to reduce mold, keep things shallow vs. deep.
  
  In sprouting trays keep your grains shallow, no more than 3/4". I typically just cover my bottom of the tray.

My trays are seed propagation trays, 11 x 21. They cost $2.00 for the durable version, the other cracks in a day. I like the dish pan trays (my dollar store was out) also for people who have less animals to feed. I watched Mrs. Volfie heat a clothes hanger to melt the holes placed in her pans which was genius! If you want to see a larger operation check out Alpaca Pride.

That's all I know for now. Hope it helps put a button on some things.

 

[wormrun]

Ok so I decided to try fodder because everyone here showed me how awesome it can be! So I have a very little set up. But I am thinking I am doing something wrong. So help... punch holes in my system so that i can get it right.

I bought cleaned whole oats. (will these even sprout?)

We put them in water for almost 24 hours.

strained them, and put them into bowls with holes on the bottom.

We "water" them day and night.

We are on day 2-3 and I noticed that the ones we started first had the slightest bit of mold starting UGH UGH UGH

I didn't do a bleach bath or anything of that nature. I am not even sure these seeds will grow.

Should I try a diff seed even though I have 50 pounds of oats?

Cleaned whole oats?

That could be an issue. Try it, take 3 cups and clean it (they float). Place it in a bowl for soaking in cold water. Only soak 12 hours for this batch, I'm working on a 30 minute soak and I'll let you know if that worked. Place the bowl in a dark spot and cover with a dish towel. I tried the oats from Winco without hulls, well, my compost was happy (they were hulled). I typically add a few squirts of 10% bleach solution to my batch of seeds/grains during the last 10 minutes of the soak cycle. OK, now run your test again, make sure that the seeds are in a strainer while sprouting (air circulation). Place strainer inside bowl and cover. Here's the thing, these grains need to be animal feed not seeds. People grains unless for sprouting tend to be hulled or cleaned making them ready for food consumption. The more natural their state the better.

I'm posted some good ideas that I've researched on mold. I'm new to this forum business and I hope you can find it. I posted it today.

 

[wormrun]

hopefully someone will respond to this cuz I am curious as well!!

I did!

 

[MamaAB]

Well the wheat is growing good...actually better than my chickens are eating it haha

 

[aggiemae]

BOSS sprout in less than a week. If they don't you might be over soaking them or not keeping them moist enough.

Oats can take up to 2 weeks. Oats need consistent moisture (and good air circulation) so I sprout then in 2" of potting soil on plant trays trays.I put the finished trays into the run and reuse the trays.

 

[A HappyHenLover]

Wheat in my opinion sprouts the best.