Where to buy..

[Cali]

I really want to make my own grain mix for both rabbits and goats (does anyone do this for chickens as well?). I also want to grow fodder. I've grown a single tray of some leftover rye grass seed we had laying around and the rabbits loved it. I have NO idea where I should be looking for oats, barley, wheat, etc.. I'm in central TX near Austin if anyone happens to know of anywhere specific. My google searches come up with very little, but I'm not 100% sure what I should be searching for. (What kind of grains for feeding vs sprouting for fodder etc)

 

[ohiogoatgirl]

definitely start skimming this section of the forum here. have you seen the sprouting/forage growing thread? cant remember title exactly sorry haha.

i've been trying to find things like this for my goats as well but havent really found anything either /:

 

[MaggieJ]

Most feed stores should have different types of grain. You can use the same grain for feeding and sprouting. I know some areas have less choice than others, but usually you can get at least one of two different grains, although you may have to shop around a bit.

 

[trinityoaks]

Any feed store should have all three grains (although sometimes the oats or barley comes crimped, which won't work for sprouting). Just ask around at the various feed stores what they carry and/or can get in. Grains for feed should sprout just fine unless they've been heated (steam, etc.) or crimped.

 

[Mickey328]

I make my own mix for both my rabbits and my chickens. I use the same mix, but add corn to it for the chickens. We have a feed store about 3 miles from the house that carries about anything you ask for. At present I'm using 4 parts barley, 4 parts oats, 1 part BOSS and 1 part beet pulp. I'm scrapping the beet pulp next time...neither the rabbits nor the chickens will eat it, LOL. I may try fermenting it when the weather is warmer and I can do it outside. I buy the 50# bags.

The rabbits get theirs straight up and also have a salt/mineral block as well as unlimited grass hay, a couple good handfuls of alfalfa and plenty of fresh veggies each day.

For the chickens, I pour the mix in a pan for them and then toss around some cracked corn for scratch. They also have free access to grit and calcium supplement. They get all sorts of weeds and veggie scraps each day and I like to supplement their protein quite a bit with things like yogurt, meat scraps, cooked dried beans, and cheese.

Fermenting grains is a great way to stretch your feed budget for the chickens. They love it and it's easy, but if I do it in the house I end up with gazillions of those pesky little fruit flies...so I'll wait till warmer weather to start up again outside. In fact, if you know anyone who makes their own beer, grab up their spent grain if you can...the chickens will think you're a god if you feed'em that! LOL Come fall when greens are harder to find, we'll start growing fodder for both the chicks and buns...that will also help stretch that food dollar.

Everybody is fat and sassy and healthy and happy

 

[MaggieJ]

I have been told that barley is not the best grain for poultry, but it sounds as though your birds are doing just fine.

Here's an interesting rundown of the merits of various grains.
http://www.ca.uky.edu/smallflocks/feed_ ... rains.html

 

[Frecs]

I had to do a LOT of googling and calling places before I found sproutable "feed grade" grains. The thing to look for is a REAL mill that mixes feed for livestock. The one I found a few hours from me would not sell me bags of barley but I can get 50lb bags of wheat from them. The other trick is in the shipping but I got lucky in that there is a local feed store that carries that mill's feed and they are willing to add my bag of wheat to their feed orders so I don't have to buy in lots of 3000lbs!

I feed a mix of wheat, BOSS, oats, and flaxseed, sprouted 6 days, to both my rabbits and my chickens. I do NOT feed corn to my chickens unless there is a little in the kitchen scraps they also get. The flaxseed is doing wonders for all my animals' fur/feathers!

 

[zee]

If you have an LDS Cannery accessible to you, you could get 25# bags of hard red or hard white wheat berries for $11.45. This is what I'm gonna use for my fodder system when I get it started up.

 

[Frecs]

That's a good resource as well. Oh, and you can get buckets of hard wheat from Costco (or is it Price Club? I forget) at roughly $1 per lb.

I must say, though, that the "feed grade" wheat I purchase ($14 per 50lbs) is very high quality, very little chaff. It could easily be cleaned and use for human consumption...and sprouts beautifully.