Several weeks ago, I was approached to review a product from
Incubator Warehouse. I was told I could look through the entire site and choose something for my existing flock.
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Photo image from Incubator Warehouse.com |
I pulled the three plastic drawers out of a chest I had been keeping-thinking I might raise mealworms. (I might yet.) I found a clear plastic shoe box that fit inside the drawer (and purchased two more shoe boxes at the local Dollar Store for $1 each at the after holiday sale). I think maybe the main thing to remember when sprouting grains is to keep the grain wet, but to have really good drainage. The videos I watched showed a rack system with slightly tilted sprouting bins—by watering the top bin, water would drain from one into the bin below and finally into a catch pan.
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two bin system |
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Drainage holes in bottom of bin |
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Measuring the fodder grains |
I chose 6 ounces for the first “batch” because I had read that there should be about ½ inch of the soaked grain in the bin, and I wasn’t sure if the grains would plump up at all while soaking. (In the next batches, I used 8 ounces.) I carefully watered the grains, watched to see that they drained, and set them on a shelf in our back office.
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Day 2–if you look closely you will see that the wheat are showing little sprouts |
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On Day 5, the sprouts were beginning to show green, so I set the bin on the kitchen counter by a window. I checked for a root system, too.
On Day 6, I rolled back the greened fodder system, and sliced it with a sharp knife.
I only cut off a third of it, because I only planned to use it as a supplement for the hens. The articles I read, and the videos I watched, suggested growing the sprouts up to nine days before feeding them. I worry about impacted crops in my ladies, so when, at Day 6 the sprouts appeared to be about the size of the lawn grass the chickens like to snip in the summer, I harvested the first third. For the next two days, I fed a third of the sprouted grain –cut into bite sized pieces –to the hens.
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Sprouted fodder, Day 6–by Day 8 the root system is very thick and the sprouts are about 3 to 4 inches tall |
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I really have no way to measure the effect on the birds, except to tell you that this week we had several days of very cold weather, and the ladies needed to be kept shut in the coop. Generally, this would cause a decline in their laying (which they just started getting back up to speed!)—that didn’t happen this time. Egg production continued as usual. Was this because of the sprouted fodder supplement? Again, there’s no way to tell, but I suppose it’s possible.
9 Comments
can I only feed my chickens & ducks sprouts & fermented feed? & if yes, what is the recommended ratio? & if not, how much can I feed them sprouts & fermented feed? 🙂
I can’t find their fodder seed at this date. Many other companies sell good fodder/sprouting seed and you might include links to their offerings.
Great article! I’ve been soaking and fermenting grains for my chickens to supplement their foraging. However, in the winter, when greens are scarce, this is a great supplement for a healthy flock! Thank you for so much great information and all the links.
Meredit, Love this info…tell me….what type of chickens are in the photos? How much was the mixed seed? How did you slice off a third on day 6? Thanks
JoHanna
🙂 Thank you. Well, first–there are Speckled Sussex, Barred Plymouth Rocks, a Buff Orpington and a Rhode Island Red in the photo. I think my black Silkie is trying to push her way in, too. Honestly, I was provided the mixed seed in order to do the product review, but I noticed that it starts at about $12 for the twenty pound mix (plus shipping). I only use about a cup at a time, so it’s lasting very well. And finally, I just used a sharp kitchen knife to cut it.
Thank you!
I have yet to find barley. My friends and I have scoured half the eastern seaboard searching for barley to sprout to no avail. Only a few run ins with 5 lb bags at more than $20 each. We are making do with wheat which we are sourcing at a cost of $16 to $18 per 50 lb sack. If you can find barley in this quantity for a better price, we would LOVE to know where you are getting it from! PLEASE SHARE!
If anyone near you is a horse owner, ask where they get their feed, it is probably a “Feed Store,” and they will have, or can get ‘recleaned’ barley for you. The average cost is about $17 to $18 per 50# bag. There is a whole section of raising fodder for your birds on Back Yard Chickens (dot) com, and I have been doing this for nearly a year now, though I raise more fodder than Meredith does, my chickens flock to me from all over the yard every afternoon when I bring out their fodder.
You can use Barley, Wheat, Rye, and even BOSS (I have tried them all) or you can mix all these seeds together and give them a real festive looking fodder and let each pick their own favorite blend from the offerings.
I have a small corner of my office where I built a nine stage wood holder for my trays and move each tray up one level after feeding the top level, then place the new tray on the bottom and all the water drains into a five gallon bucket at the bottom, pictures are available on BYC.
Thank you Meredith for writing this wonderful article, it will bring info to tons of people that were unaware of the fun or raisinf green grass year round but especially in the winter.
Skip
Thank you! I am sure my ladies would love me to try this! I appreciate the detailed directions, as I have never done sprouts!