Sprouting success! :)

[csummer8882]

I read a few threads on this and was interested. I bought some lentils from the store. I have no mason jars or cheesecloth. Forged ahead anyways. Soaked over night in a water bottle, drained and rinsed once a day for the last 5 days, smell good, sprouts have appeared! SUCCESS! Yay! Thanks so much everyone for the help! My girls will appreciate it! My question is....are these good enough for the girls to have or not yet?

 

[Clay Mudd]

Those look exactly like something my chickens gobble up with terrifying enthusiasm.

 

[galanie]

Unlike what we've all been led to believe, a sprout only needs to have a root sticking out a little to be considered great for consumption. If I let them green up, my birds will still only eat the seed part and don't even like the green part

They're fine! It will be interesting to see how easily they come out of that bottle though.

 

[Tracydr]

Feed away. Always use the sniff test as I've had sprouts go off from not rinsing enough a few times. I've now learned that you can add citric acid to prevent spoilage, although I'm still not sure of the right amount.
Does anybody know how much citric acid to use? I always have a jar around for canning.
I like growing mung beans and fenugreek. Fenugreek smells like maple syrup and I just love taking whiffs of it. The little baby chciks think fenugreek sprouts are candy dropped from the heavens! It's also a high protein sprout. I get the seeds from an online spice company in two pound packages, I think last time maybe Penzeys Spice? I can also get it cheaply from the big Asian grocery store.
Mung beans are great too. Both of thes are very quick sprouters.
My other favorites are mustard seed, radish seed and clover seed. I bought mustard seed from the spice store, again. You can get radish and clover in bulk as cover crop seed from farm seed companies or buy them as sprouting seeds from Whole Foods.
For my big chickens, I often take a 5 gallon bucket, fill half way with wheat or oats and soak overnight. I than transfer the grain to an old bucket with a crack in the bottom, rinse the seed and let in sit like this, covered, in the shade, rinse twice daily. I do this until the grains are slightly sprouted. They love their sprouted oats and wheat! Its so easy and I'll feed the sprouts daily from just soaked all the way to very sprouted with long roots and greenies.
I always raise sprouts when raising little chicks. I'm not do good about doing it with the big chickens but whenever I feed whole grains I do sprout it, think its easier to digest and healthier that way.
I make more of an effort when I have young meat chickens since their digestive tract moves so fast. I think sprouted whole grains seems to help them somehow.

 

[csummer8882]

Quote:
They were fed to the girls tonight and they actually came out of the water bottle perfectly! Just a few shakes and all was empty!

The girls inhaled them so I guess it was a successful 1st sprout! Pinto beans have been started in a 2 liter soda bottle as well as more lentils in an old 1 gallon water jug.

Heres to progress!

 

[galanie]

They did? Fantastic! Looks like you have a great start there!

 

[csummer8882]

Yay! I am so proud! I was reading all the sprouting threads and I have to admit, I was intimidated. Now, not so much! I can do this! Yay! Thanks BYC!