Fodder sprouting systems, anyone?

[Rainey]

Whew, just finished reading this whole thread. (Had read the sticky Grumpy had about his system but it's so much bigger than what we'd want. So far we've started and fed some grain grasses this fall but want to try growing fodder.We can get oats, wheat and BOSS seeds. Have a few questions.

The soak times seem very different as given by those who've done this successfully. Is that difference due to the seed used--wheat, barley etc?

Many posts mention the difficulty of sprouting oats. We've found it easy to grow as a grain grass--would it be harder to sprout?

Our rabbits have not been on pellets since soon after we got them in the spring and the young ones not at all. I know any new food has to be phased in slowly but if we've been feeding grain grass (and assorted grasses and greens foraged) can we assume they're ready to handle fodder as replacement for the dwindling wild supply or grain grasses? (Also feeding hay and have been feeding small amount of grain) Does the fodder fill the place of the grain as grain? Does the grain grass do the same?

Thanks to all of you who shared such detailed descriptions and photos of your systems.

 

[cmfarm]

Has anyone ever tried Milo?

 

[dmirza]

check this out http://www.peakprosperity.com/wsidblog/ ... der-system

 

[Phacelia]

Awesome thread, everyone!

I am on day 6 of my first batch of wheat fodder. So far, so good!

Quick question, I've not been able to find information on how close the nutrient profile of wheat fodder is to barley. I know that barley is best, but it's not available here. What is the protein percentage of wheat fodder? Do you feed the same percentage of your animals' body weight in wheat as you do barley?

 

[Rainey]

We've just started feeding wheat fodder--wheat and oats are all we can get in our area. It was easier than I feared--no mold. The first couple times we fed it the adults ate it readily but the just weaned kits and jr does weren't so sure. Now they all eat it and I'm just trying to figure out how much to grow and feed along with their hay and whether we should give them plain grain too.(We're replacing forage of many types gathered daily through the growing season, not pellets) Think we'll try growing the oats into fodder even though folks on here said it's harder than barley or wheat. We've grown and fed grass grown from the oats but the fodder seems more manageable since it grows out at a predictable rate and don't have trays waiting for regrowth like the grain grass. Someone just gave us a bunch of seeds--lots of radish and lettuces--think i'll try sprouting some of those too.

 

[Feral]

Hello all! I have been reading over this thread for the past few days with gusto because I have been wanting to offer more natural and better food for my bunny and those of my sisters. In the spring, summer and early fall I forage for most of their food, they get some veggie scraps from the kitchen and some of the garden too, free choice hay. Early and late in the season they are offered some pellets when forage is more slim but winter they are always back on pellets and whatever I dried from my foraging which never lasts.
I was just wondering if making a mini fodder system would be worthwhile for 3 rabbits or will it end up producing much more than they need. Mine is a 16lbs flemish giant doe , one sister has a 8lbs lop mix doe, and the other has a 5lbs harlequin mix buck. All are spayed/neutered.

 

[MaggieJ]

Hello all! I have been reading over this thread for the past few days with gusto because I have been wanting to offer more natural and better food for my bunny and those of my sisters. In the spring, summer and early fall I forage for most of their food, they get some veggie scraps from the kitchen and some of the garden too, free choice hay. Early and late in the season they are offered some pellets when forage is more slim but winter they are always back on pellets and whatever I dried from my foraging which never lasts.
I was just wondering if making a mini fodder system would be worthwhile for 3 rabbits or will it end up producing much more than they need. Mine is a 16lbs flemish giant doe , one sister has a 8lbs lop mix doe, and the other has a 5lbs harlequin mix buck. All are spayed/neutered.

Sure it's worth it for just a few rabbits. Just use a trays of the appropriate size for the three rabbits and grow it as a supplement. Sprouting rather than going all the way to fodder is also a possibility. I've done grain grass in soil as well as fodder in small quantities for my goose and rabbits. It's just about time for me to start sprouting grain for my goose, now that winter is so close.

 

[Featherhoof]

I fed wheatgrass fodder in the winter last year with fair results. The spring, summer and fall here in Florida makes for horrible mold. I'll be getting my grow trays I got from Amazon.com up and running. I would love to grow barley, but I can't get it here.

 

[alforddm]

I had in the past considered trying a fodder system but after reading some negative articles decided against it. http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=11721 http://www.sheepandgoat.com/articles/hydrofodder.html However, I am wondering how it works for those of you who have actually tried it. Have any of you been using a fodder system for more than a year? What are your thought on the fodder? Did any of you try it and decide it wasn't for you? What were your reasons?

Thanks!

 

[michaels4gardens]

I fed wheatgrass fodder in the winter last year with fair results. The spring, summer and fall here in Florida makes for horrible mold. I'll be getting my grow trays I got from Amazon.com up and running. I would love to grow barley, but I can't get it here.

Sparr Building and farm supply [ N. Florida] used to order mine for me, [along with wheat ] http://www.sparrbuilding.com/

 

[LBMBarbalooski]

I've been growing fodder for over a year now and gave tried various way and locations. When I grew it outside, I had fruit fly problems. When I grow it indoors, I have molds issues or slow growth depending on where it is located while growing. Some bunnies love it, others tolerate it and then there are the ones who just can never seem to make up their mind.

My questions today are this.....
Does the outcome of growth make a difference in the color of containers? Should I be using dark, solid containers verses the clear ones?

Also, I water using gravity and start with the newly soaked grains on top going down to the tall, yet to be harvested fodder at the bottom. Bs hound I reverse this set up to help with any watering or mold issues? Since moving my system back in the house, I have been getting mold issues in the bottom trays. I am thinking they aren't draining as well at the bottom.

Any thoughts?

 

[Rainey]

I've only been growing wheat fodder for a couple months, but have never had any mold. I start the seeds with a 12 hour soak with a little slosh of bleach in the water. Then for a couple days the seeds are in a plastic coffee container with holes in the bottom and are rinsed twice a day. Then they are spread out in a 10x20 inch tray with drain slits at one end and are placed so they are propped for drainage. I use fresh water for each tray--not re-used, and water twice a day. Doesn't take very much--I think it would be easy to get them too wet. The last 2 days the tray is under grow lights. The whole thing is set up in a lean-to greenhouse built onto our living space. We grow winter greens for us to eat and start seedlings there in the spring. the temp may get down to 50 F sometimes and up to the 70's when the sun is shining--then a fan blows the warmer air into the living space.

 

[mattdv]

It took me a while, and my contacts dried out, but I got through all 391 posts and so far my main question has not been asked. I see that the water should be changed every four or five days, depending on how it looks and smells.

Where do you get your water from? I am on town water which is not flourinated but does have clorine in it. Should I be gassing off the clorine and using rain water/snow when I can? or will it be OK? Regards,

matt

 

[wamplercathy]

Just wanted to share this on a few of the fodder forms.


website: http://fmicrofarm.com/printables/

 

[Green Flowers]

I don't know if anyone has posted this link: http://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/sprouted-fodder.aspx but it is a very good source of how to sprout fodder for smaller rabbitries and had some very good info about feeding appropriate amounts based on weight.

 

[MaggieJ]

Looks like a good article, Green Flowers! Thanks.

Here's the clickable link: http://www.motherearthnews.com/homestea ... odder.aspx

 

[Miss M]

It took me a while, and my contacts dried out, but I got through all 391 posts and so far my main question has not been asked. I see that the water should be changed every four or five days, depending on how it looks and smells.

Where do you get your water from? I am on town water which is not flourinated but does have clorine in it. Should I be gassing off the clorine and using rain water/snow when I can? or will it be OK? Regards,

matt

I think you'd be safest using your town water. The chlorine level, if it runs high sometimes, can be lowered by drawing water into a bucket and letting it stand overnight before using it. The chlorine will come out of the water.

You could use rain water, but you can't collect it the usual way, with roof water, gutter system, into a collection system. Your roof would probably have had squirrels, birds, even coons on it, and the water would have to be treated to keep your rabbits safe from the parasites it could contain. Filtered, filtered, filtered, boiled, and treated with chlorine.

The (probably) low levels of chlorine in your water may actually help to prevent mold and such from forming in your fodder. If you already use this water to water your bunnies, it should be fine for growing fodder.

 

[Honey]

That is basically what this is 3mina, but on a much larger scale....this setup grows enough to feed 25 rabbits on a daily basis.

:shock: It does???

What would you sprout? Wheat, raddish, broccoli, lentils, beans, sunflower seeds, etc. Any sproutable seed/grain is awesome for fodder.
How expensive are seeds for this? Depends. I buy by the 25 to 50lb bag. I pay anywhere from $20 to $100 ish.
Could this and salt be all you need? Possibly. I sprinkle my fodder with some kelp, some DE and some raw ACV. They eat it up great.

I apologize, as I obviously haven't been paying attention. But you've got my attention now!

All in all...fodder is WAY cheaper than the bought pellets we were buying and I KNOW they're all organic and nongmo this way too. A bisquit (tray of fodder) cost me .15 with everything.

~Honey <br /><br /> __________ Fri May 08, 2015 7:43 pm __________ <br /><br /> If you're wanting to avoid any chemicals you can use raw ACV in your soak water.

 

[MaggieJ]

I came across this website the other day and thought the article on fodder might be of interest. I just glanced at it, so can't give an opinion.

http://smallfarms.oregonstate.edu/sfn/w14fodder

 

[SoDak Thriver]

Should I be gassing off the clorine and using rain water/snow when I can? or will it be OK?

Because it off-gasses so easily, many water systems don't use chlorine anymore, but use a form of chloramine, which does not off-gas.

IMO, using city water (or in my case, a rural water system, where water is pumped to me from a central location) to water the garden, water livestock, and water animal fodder is far enough removed from the end-consumable that I don't worry about it. I filter the water that my family drinks directly.

I sprout sunflower seeds for my rabbits with a scaled down version of the dead-simple fodder system, using ice cream pails instead of 5 gallon pails. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbJwbnSrdT0