The road less traveled...back to good health! They have lice, mites, scale mites, worms, anemia, gl

[delisha]

Yes

 

[Ashdoes]

Do you ever rinse them or just leave them???  Do you grow them into grass or just sprout??  I've had terrible time with them going moldy on me .... but I think it is my climate

 

I've been wanting to post some photos of the way I sprout in hopes it would give someone encouragement to try it.  I've read so many sprouting things that just seem obsessive and a hassle.  My sprouting has been as easy or easier than ff and no muss/fuss and never an issue with mold.

I just use a large bowl with a ss strainer and do it on the kitchen countertop.  I haven't done photos before so the only ones I can post today are my 2 bowls that are soaking.  Here's what I do:

-Put as many seeds as I want to sprout into the strainer(s)
-Put the strainer(s) in the bowl(s) and cover with water.  Let soak overnight.
-Drain them in the morning by lifting the strainer out of the bowl;  dump the water left in the bowl out . 
-Get a canning jar ring (or whatever you have laying around that will work), put it in the bottom of the empty bowl and set the strainer with the seeds on top of it.  Gives room for any moisture to drain while keeping the seeds from sitting in the water below.
-1 or 2 x/day, lift up the strainer, run it under cold water from the facet.  Then either toss the seeds around a bit in the strainer (like tossing a pizza dough) or give them a little stir with my hand and replace the strainer back in the bowl on the ring.  (Repeat a couple days until tiny tails appear on the seeds.)

I feed mine at the tiny tail stage.





The strainers came in a set from Bed Bath and Beyond.  http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=11508006  I had them for cheesemaking already so I didn't go out and buy anything new.

You can mix seeds together in the bowls that sprout at similar rates.  Wheat and Sunflower seeds work well together.


For winter, I tried sprouting some wheat to the grass stage and they enjoyed eating them.  I will show a photo of those sometime in the future when I have one to take a picture of. 

This whole process takes less than a minute each time I attend to it as it sits on the counter.  I like sprouting the whole seeds better than putting them in the ff.  I use the mash for the ff; sprouting for the seeds.

This is the easiest way I've seen for this. I saw one person had like an eight tray shelving unit in their living room. I immediately thought, not for me, and researched no further. Thank you. Of the 158 pages I missed, this is the best post. I'd give you an ovation, but the iPad won't let me.

 

[lalaland]

So, everyone is pretty satisfied with the measures they have in place for their flocks and other stock in the case of sudden and severe weather? 

 

heck, no! What worries the dickens out of me is tornadoes. With the changing weather patterns, we're getting them. Not worried at all about no electricity, but .....I don't have a storm shelter - have no basement. If a tornado came through here, I can't protect my chickens or myself. In July 2011, tornadoes ripped through here just a few miles away, and a huge state park has been closed ever since - miles and miles and miles of snapped trees.

 

[mlowen]

If this link works, it's a new "Mainah Style" (Maine-er) parody of Gangnam Style. Chickens at the beginning and here & there, throughout. Cute Maine teens. Love my adopted state!

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

If this link works, it's a new "Mainah Style" (Maine-er) parody of Gangnam Style. Chickens at the beginning and here & there, throughout. Cute Maine teens. Love my adopted state!

 

[Rachel'sFlock]

"Fears"? No
The urge to prepare? Yes

Exactly. Me, too, two.

 

[Mumsy]

Same here...but most of these folks don't live in the country country. A good many live on city water, no wood heat, etc.

The reason I asked about preparations is because that seems to be the buzz word nowadays...everyone getting real nervous about the world, the environmental changes, the economy, etc. Many ask joking questions about the aforementioned apocalyptic type events and have games around it all.

But, underlying all this joking about the world ending and such, I sense a real fear of a bad moon arisin'....not just on this thread, I mean I'm getting these vibes from all the forums of all kinds, Facebook, the media, etc. Some people joke about it but still talk about it...sort of like kids whistling in the dark. I'm not poking light at this...I know something is coming also, so I feel the fears are valid.

I just wanted to get a feel for how everyone is thinking. Many have stated they got chickens so they can produce their own foods and such, so I'm thinking the uncertainty of the times is playing into that.

If each of you were going to be honest with yourself and could answer in one word, yes or no, what would you answer if I asked~do you have fears for you or your family about the future? No need to explain the answer, just give your gut reaction answer of "yes" or "no". Let's do a little experiment....

No. I have no fear. But...I do wish to explain. I watched Katrina play out on my tv. My son left his family here in the Puget Sound and went to help rebuild homes. He is an electrician. He was not paid. He did it from his heart. I also watched the earth quake play out in Japan last year on my tv. The tsunami warning on my island was up close and personal. I started paying close attention and preparing that very same week. What just happened on the East Coast with 'Sandy' was also something that kept us tuned in. It is not a 'maybe' sort of situation for my family any longer. I have relatives from Alaska to Maine and down to Texas. All of us are paying close attention to the world we live in. All of us are taking that 'what if' approach to preparing for what ever may happen. It's not paranoia. It's nothing to do with hoarding. It's to do with being vigilant. Part of my vigilance is making sure my chickens will thrive. If they thrive, so in part will my family.

 

[Keric]

If this link works, it's a new "Mainah Style" (Maine-er) parody of Gangnam Style. Chickens at the beginning and here & there, throughout. Cute Maine teens. Love my adopted state!

LOVE IT

 

[delisha]

Well said mumsy

 

[Leahs Mom]

This is the easiest way I've seen for this. I saw one person had like an eight tray shelving unit in their living room. I immediately thought, not for me, and researched no further. Thank you. Of the 158 pages I missed, this is the best post. I'd give you an ovation, but the iPad won't let me.

I saw that too - kind-of by mistake one day I ran into it. I was thinking it was a little "anal" or "overkill" myself. The one I saw was even selling her "system" to other people. And they're buying it!

Some folks have a lot of time on their hands.