Raw buckwheat sprouts/fodder

[mollycat79]

Just wondering if raw buckwheat fodder (sprouts left to grow green leaves) will be suitable for chooks that don't have access to green free range material like grass etc. I'm trying find something to grow for them in addition to their pellets that's green and leafy to scratch in and eat over the week.

 

[mollycat79]

I have access to raw buckwheat at local supermarket.

 

[Chris09]

Buckwheat grain is considered to have lower feed value than grain of cereal crops because of its relatively high fiber content and low digestible nutrients. Buckwheat also contains fagopyrin, a compound which causes photosensitization of light-skinned animals. High levels of buckwheat have resulted in an increased incidence of sun-burned broiler chickens arriving at the processing plant.
http://www.ca.uky.edu/smallflocks/feed_ingredients/grains.html#Buckwheat

Chris

 

[mollycat79]

I was wondering if that light sensitivity was from eating just the raw buckwheat or is it from eating buckwheat sprouts or buckwheat long greens? I thought as plants they might not be???

 

[adalau]

Bump!
Did you try the buckwheat? Sprouted buckwheat will not have the same anti-nutrients as raw buckwheat which is what the study cited was referring too. I'm interested in trying to sprout buckwheat as well as my husband has Celiac so we don't want to be handling wheat or gluten grains.

Has anyone used buckwheat for fodder?

 

[potagergirl]

Bump!
Did you try the buckwheat? Sprouted buckwheat will not have the same anti-nutrients as raw buckwheat which is what the study cited was referring too. I'm interested in trying to sprout buckwheat as well as my husband has Celiac so we don't want to be handling wheat or gluten grains.

Has anyone used buckwheat for fodder?

If you are still here would you let me know if you tried the buckwheat and what the results were?
thank you.

 

[adalau]

I did not try it yet! Alfalfa works & lentils work for sure for GF options. I bought a 5# bag of buckwheat with hulls on from Azure Standard but I haven't tried to sprout it yet.

 

[OkanaganPeppers]

I see this is a old post...but I just came across it.
I've just started adding sprouted buckwheat with hulls on and adding in with my other sprouted grains.I'm not letting it sprout to the green leafy stage, I'm only doing it till the roots emerge, a 4 hr soak and then use it on the 3rd day. From what I've read the fagopyrin is in the green leafy part of the buckwheat. I'm only doing 3/4 cup buckwheat per day so not to much, Gotta say I grind it up and it comes out like a butter. I'm still researching and learning.

 

[glib]

I eat buckwheat shoots in winter and early spring, and I see no effect of photosensitivity. Shoots and seeds are completely different foods, except for the mineral content and perhaps vitamin E. Even that changes in practice, shoots minerals are far more bio-available. I eat alfalfa and fenugreek sprouts, pea, sunflower, and buckwheat shoots. I am fairly sure that any grain shoot is a nutritious food for chickens, specially those that can not range. I would exclude only red and kidney bean sprouts. For sprouts, I would go cheap and sprout corn (it is even a fine sprout, even for humans), for shoots wheat, barley, BOSS or oats should be fine.