sprouting wheat for chickens.

[mandieg4]

I was going to add this question to my pig post, but I thought it might be better to make it a separate post. I have 40 grown chickens, 8 4-week old chicks, an incubator full of eggs, and all the wheat I want. How do I go about sprouting that much wheat for that many chickens? I've sprouted small amounts before on cookie sheets, but that is not going to be very efficient for a main food source for that many chickens.

 

[miss_thenorth]

Freemotion posted what she does, and I do the same thing now. as per her instructions, get two 5 gallon buckets. One one, drill holes in the bottom for drainage--enough for water to get out, but not the grain. Now, put grain in the other bucket 3/4 full and fill with water. Let set overnight and then dump into the bucket that has the holes. rinse this bucket every day to keep the grain moist. When you are almost done that bucket start with the first bucket.

Is that clear as mud?

 

[mandieg4]

Do I need to keep it in the house to keep it from drying out too fast?

 

[miss_thenorth]

When the weather was freezing, zI kept it in my laundryroom, in the laundry tub. It is now above freezing, and i am keeping it in the barn, but it sprouts alot slower in the colder weather. It stay moist all day, and I just water it in the evenings when I do my chores.

 

[Boogity]

Now I'm confused. OK, I know - what's new?

I put the seeds in the bucket with the tiny holes and the water in the other bucket. Once a day I dip the holy bucket into the water and lift it out. Sometimes I just sprinkle water into the holy bucket. Am I doing something wrong? It works for me but I may need to improve my method.

 

[freemotion]

Bucket #1, no holes: Put dry grain in, fill with water to cover the grain and then some. Soak for 12-24 hours (24 is best, but sometimes you get behind!)

Bucket # 2, with holes: Day 2, dump grain from Bucket #1 into Bucket #2 and drain the water, then run clean water through the grain in Bucket #2 to rinse it. Let it drain.

Day 3, 4, 5, whatever: Rinse and drain Bucket #2 daily until sprout reach desired size to feed. For maximum protein, this means the sprout is just emerging, although I don't obsess about it.

At some point, start a new batch in Bucket #1 so the sprouts will be ready as the first ones run out. You may need another bucket with holes (Bucket #3) if you are feeding 40 birds so you have plenty of grains.

Make sense?

 

[mandieg4]

Thanks!

 

[Our7Wonders]

FM - another question. How long do you find you're able to keep sprouts in a useable state before they start to get yucky? I know temp and humidity is going to be a factor, I'm just wondering how much grain I should start with initially and that will depend on how long we can make one bucket last for. If I start feeding at the first little sprout, obviously we're going to have longer sprouts towards the end of the bucket. Just curious what your mileage is on a bucket of sprouts.

thanks!

 

[freemotion]

Well, you knew the answer when you said "it depends!" It depends.

It depends on how many goats are eating from that bucket, too. It depends on how many bugs the hens are getting in their diet. It depends on whether there is snow on the ground and it is their only protein or if they just got a big batch of scraps from making catfood. It depends on how hot or cold the weather is. I am always making adjustments.

I feed the poultry by scattering the grain twice a day and watching them to see when they are full, making sure the stragglers have a chance to eat. I don't leave food out unless we will be away at feed time, then I dump too much grain on the floor of the coop where the goats can't get it.

I feed sprouted oats/barley in the morning and whole corn (not soaked or sprouted) in the afternoon. No reason for that order other than convenience. I am here every morning but often in winter I don't get home from work before dark, and dry corn is easier for someone else to feed for me, or for me to leave on the coop floor.

I just know that I need to start a new bucket by the time the sprouted pail is at a certain depth. Sometimes I miscalculate or simply forget and I end up feeding soaked but not sprouted grain for a feeding or two, or even dry, unsoaked grain. No big deal. They will make up for it in the next feeding by eating more of the grain when it reaches its peak of protein.

I also don't worry if the sprouts get a bit too long, but that rarely happens. I've only lost a bucket to slime on very rare occasions, maybe once a year? I no longer let them get so long that they matte or get entangled.

I'd say I usually start around 3 to 3.5 gallons of grain every.....um......er......3-5 days? For 30 birds including two turkeys and a guinea and one or two goats. It is going up right now because I just started feeding five of my big goats grain once a day and will work them up to twice a day because they are all losing condition due to my last batch of hay, at least until the pasture really comes in. I normally only grain on the milking stand, for the most part, and temporarily to make up for certain batches of hay. It looks great but they are suddenly looking quite thin after a couple of weeks on it. C'mon, pasture! Grow!

 

[freemotion]

Ooops, just re-read your question. I'm tired, apparently! I read your question more as "how much do you sprout" instead of "how long does it stay edible?"

Much longer in the winter, sprouting in a cool cellar. I usually abandon sprouting for the birds in the summer as they get plenty of protein with the bugs, and just sprout smaller amounts that are used up quickly for the lactating goats. I might get a week out of it in the winter and only 4-5 day in the hot summer, even in the cellar. Three days in the heat if not in the cellar. They do sprout a lot faster in the spring, though, than in December. You can keep them nicer for a longer period of time by rinsing twice a day. Or putting the bucket in the fridge (I have a spare in the cellar) once they reach idea length, or even freezing them, as I have when preparing for a trip. I bag each feeding in bags marked with each goat's name to make it easier for whoever is taking care of things.