Sprouting and Fermenting

[mybackyardhobbyfarm]

Hi there , the last two weeks I’ve been experimenting with sprouting and fermenting feed.
I have a few questions and also am open to any helpful tips or guidance.
Please note, they are being fed free choice layer pellets. Ive read that sprouting and fermenting has some benefits for their digestive health and I’m trying to incorporate it a little into their diet.

SPROUTING
I have been successful with sprouting wheat and barley and corn into either sprouts or 2-3in fodder.
I was wondering if it would be acceptable to sprout a whole grain pigeon feed mix that includes peas ?
I don’t know the exact names of all the grains , so here is a picture of what I’m referring to.

FERMENTING
I have been successful with fermenting wheat and barley and layer pellets.
I was wondering if it’d be acceptable to ferment the whole grain pigeon mix pictured above ?

If you have any knowledge in this are please don’t hesitate to offer advice. I’m eager to learn more about this . Thankyou for your help.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

You can sprout any seed and doing so will improve any negative nutritional qualities of the original seed, especially legumes which should be cooked before feeding.
A tip on sprouting is - less is more. Too much soaking can slow or impede sprouting. I find, for most things, a 3 to 6 hour soak is sufficient but followed up by frequent rinsing.
With fermenting, virtually any seed - carbohydrate or protein can be fermented with the right conditions. Sometimes a starter helps. That could be a probiotic powder. Also, I sometimes like to dechlorinate the water.

 

[mybackyardhobbyfarm]

You can sprout any seed and doing so will improve any negative nutritional qualities of the original seed, especially legumes which should be cooked before feeding.
A tip on sprouting is - less is more. Too much soaking can slow or impede sprouting. I find, for most things, a 3 to 6 hour soak is sufficient but followed up by frequent rinsing.
With fermenting, virtually any seed - carbohydrate or protein can be fermented with the right conditions. Sometimes a starter helps. That could be a probiotic powder. Also, I sometimes like to dechlorinate the water.

Thankyou so much for the information! Very helpful.
Do you need to cook the sprouted or fermented legumes ? Or is sprouting/fermenting enough to counteract the negative qualities ?

We are on well water so our water is not chlorinated at all, thankfully.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

To the best of my knowledge, merely sprouting can negate the negative effects of legumes but my guess is that sprouting needs to mature for more than a couple days. Perhaps a week.

 

[mybackyardhobbyfarm]

I guess my main questions would be ….
Are sprouted peas safe for chickens?
(Answer yes, but wait till sprouted five days or more)
Are fermented peas safe for chickens ?

 

[The Lazy Farm Girl]

Question: I thought chickens shouldn't have pea shoots, so would this also apply to pea sprouts?

 

[littlecoopnextdoor]

Question: I thought chickens shouldn't have pea shoots, so would this also apply to pea sprouts?

no pea shoots? why is that?

 

[The Lazy Farm Girl]

no pea shoots? why is that?

I have seen something about pea greens on a couple of no-no lists, which naturally I can't find now... something about parts being toxic. Not sure if it was all peas or just some varieties. If I can find it again, I'll come back and link it.

 

[The Lazy Farm Girl]

I have seen something about pea greens on a couple of no-no lists, which naturally I can't find now... something about parts being toxic. Not sure if it was all peas or just some varieties. If I can find it again, I'll come back and link it.

OH! It's sweet pea flowers, not to be confused with garden peas. Sorry! My mistake!

 

[littlecoopnextdoor]

I have seen something about pea greens on a couple of no-no lists, which naturally I can't find now... something about parts being toxic. Not sure if it was all peas or just some varieties. If I can find it again, I'll come back and link it.

was it eating peas or those flowers called sweet peas (that are toxic)? thanks