Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Sprouted Fodder systems

Most everyone has heard of eating sprouts. I never really considered this a viable option for livestock but apparently it is. Ive been  experimenting with sprouting for the critters for about a month, give or take.

Grassfed animals/livestock are healthier happier critters. My problem? i live in the desert-ergo, no grassy pastures.

I started out my experiment by purchasing a 20lb bag of wild bird seed. it contained black oil sunflower seeds, millet, sorghum, and wheat. I soaked two pounds of seed in a gallon of water with a tablespoon of bleach mixed in.

After 24 hours I drained and rinsed these seeds and poured them into two garden trays, watering 3 times a day for about a week.

By the end of the week i had a tray full of wheatgrass and sunflower sprouts. The millet and sorghum hadnt sprouted yet. It has been sprouting npw the the temps have gone up.

I also tried feed barley from the local feed store and bought clover to mix in with both.

So far the chickens,ducks amd pigs *LOVE* it. I do have one goat who also loves it but the other two only eat the root mat off of the bottom.

I had pics of the root mass but ive deleted it like a dodo. I wont have any harvestable trays for about 4 more days.

I will add more details in a second post, as this is a lengthy topic to cover in one sitting. Enjoy some bad photography of my ghetto system!




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