Sprouting Grains Blog

[EverythingButTheSink]

Check out my article on Sprouting Grains!
http://bit.ly/SproutingGrainsforChickens

Any insight or additional knowledge from people that have tried other grains than wheat? Anyone have their own set up they'd like to share?

 

[Jack55]

I'm new, have 4 Hyline browns, and I'm sprouting small mats of barley in used cold cut containers. It works great but my birds are ignoring the mats when thrown in the coop or the run. Is it because they have plenty of commercial pellet feed? Txs, Jack

 

[EverythingButTheSink]

I'm new, have 4 Hyline browns, and I'm sprouting small mats of barley in used cold cut containers. It works great but my birds are ignoring the mats when thrown in the coop or the run. Is it because they have plenty of commercial pellet feed? Txs, Jack

Hi Jack! My birds go crazy for sprouts! But it did take them a bit to get used to them. It can be helpful to break up the mat for them initially to get them interested in the sprouts.

Make sure that the seeds are not super slimy and definitely aren't moldy! If you allow the root mat to get too thick the water cannot drain out and mold will grow inside the mat, if you don't break up the mat you might not notice but your hens sure will.

 

[Jack55]

Txs, I'll use your recommendation. Jack

 

[Jack55]

Check out my article on Sprouting Grains!
http://bit.ly/SproutingGrainsforChickens

Any insight or additional knowledge from people that have tried other grains than wheat? Anyone have their own set up they'd like to share?

Hey sprouters, My next experiment was to construct a large moveable cage I could place in my garden. I have a cover crop of annual rye. So I put the cages over a spot i have not plowed under. My 4 girls have spent two days and have not eaten or torn up the vegitation; they just eat the pellets and water i provide and ignore the natural food. I bought these girls from a free range raiser. Are they just spoiled rotten by me with pellets, oyster bits, diatoms, and moist meal worms in a polenta-like cake, so that they won,t eat the natural forage? What's the deal. Txs, jack