I have been researching sprouts and fodder systems a lot, lately. I would like to be able to replace grain my rabbits and poultry diets with this. But, the more I read, especially studies on fodder, I am starting to question whether I should just sprout the grain to 4 days, rather than go all the way to fodder.
Here is a bit of info from the big fodder thread:
Quote:
Look at this document: http://www.qcl.farmonline.com.au/files/48/20/01/000012048/Hydroponicfodder.pdf
It brings up some really good points about fodder and sprouts. Fodder at 8 days is 15% dry matter, 85% water. So, if you took 1 lb of grain and grew fodder with it, you get 6 lbs of fodder. But, that 6 lbs of fodder has only .9 lbs of actual feed, the rest is water. The original grain is 90% DM, so about .9lbs of feed.
Sprouts at 4 days have 85% dry matter, and usually about 1.5-2 lbs per pound of original grain. So, at 1.5 lbs, that is 1.3 lbs of feed (more than fodder and the original grain).
So, at first glance, fodder doesn't seem to add anything. But, then digestiblity comes into it. Whole grain is about 40% digestible, Fodder is 75%, and 4 day sprouts is 85%.
From the figures above, that gives us the actual feed digested by the animal out of 1 lb of grain:
Whole grain - .36 lbs
4 Day Sprouts - 1.1 lbs
Fodder - .7 lbs
This leads me to believe that it is better to sprout to 4 days, which is the peak of digestibility, and at the point where carbs are converted to sugars for growth.
It should be noted that protein does not actually increase in fodder. Concentration of protein increases, because DM drops so low. The actual weight of protein is the same as the raw grain. Fodder and sprouts do have more vitamins than the original grain.
Are we hurting ourselves by sprouting all the way to 8 days? What are your thoughts on this?
There is a lot of conflicting information out there on fodder, and most of the studies I have seen (that were not from fodder companies) seem to conclude that fodder is not the worth the effort. Sprouts, however, would be.
Here is a bit of info from the big fodder thread:
Quote:
Look at this document: http://www.qcl.farmonline.com.au/files/48/20/01/000012048/Hydroponicfodder.pdf
It brings up some really good points about fodder and sprouts. Fodder at 8 days is 15% dry matter, 85% water. So, if you took 1 lb of grain and grew fodder with it, you get 6 lbs of fodder. But, that 6 lbs of fodder has only .9 lbs of actual feed, the rest is water. The original grain is 90% DM, so about .9lbs of feed.
Sprouts at 4 days have 85% dry matter, and usually about 1.5-2 lbs per pound of original grain. So, at 1.5 lbs, that is 1.3 lbs of feed (more than fodder and the original grain).
So, at first glance, fodder doesn't seem to add anything. But, then digestiblity comes into it. Whole grain is about 40% digestible, Fodder is 75%, and 4 day sprouts is 85%.
From the figures above, that gives us the actual feed digested by the animal out of 1 lb of grain:
Whole grain - .36 lbs
4 Day Sprouts - 1.1 lbs
Fodder - .7 lbs
This leads me to believe that it is better to sprout to 4 days, which is the peak of digestibility, and at the point where carbs are converted to sugars for growth.
It should be noted that protein does not actually increase in fodder. Concentration of protein increases, because DM drops so low. The actual weight of protein is the same as the raw grain. Fodder and sprouts do have more vitamins than the original grain.
Are we hurting ourselves by sprouting all the way to 8 days? What are your thoughts on this?
There is a lot of conflicting information out there on fodder, and most of the studies I have seen (that were not from fodder companies) seem to conclude that fodder is not the worth the effort. Sprouts, however, would be.
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