I was actually looking for a video like this where someone does it for the first time . I have watched lot of videos but you have cleared 90% of my doubts with the detailed explanation. Thank you for taking time and making this video
As each little black tray has reached maturity at 7 days, I've been feeding it to my chickens. They seem to absolutely love it and every bit has been devoured! Kinda fun to to watch their zeal!
Really good video! We're a family of 4 living off-grid down near the border of Mexico and we've recently taken on chickens. We have experience with hydro but never even considered a fodder system. This info is priceless... thanks so much for taking the time!
I have been watching a lot of people try to poke holes in containers for a while you are the first person to use hot nail. I thought it was a no brainier. Great job love the video
I use this system, it is fantastic. I went to the dollar store and put two identical containers together, putting holes in the top one. I just rinse a couple of times a day, it is all self contained no mess. When the grass is long enough I cut the top for the rabbits and give the rest to the chickens.
I just found SUCH a space saving way to grow fodder that you wouldn't need to tilt. Just stick these into a big tub to drain into. But go to your local dollar tree. And those stackable pots with three connected pots that you can cross cross stack, you can stack 10 high and use vertical space instead and grow more! I just got a ton of them. Only a dollar a piece. Put an empty one on the bottom so that the bottom tray of seed won't be sitting in water. Depending on what size seed you use you may need to put maybe a piece of cloth over the holes cause they may be big enough to let a few seeds fall through. But I'm excited to try them! I love your method
Never post comments. Love your videos, Thanks for making the world a better place. I have learned to rely on youtube for many projects. Keep it up. Thank you.
I was looking for this exact type of low-tech system for my farm in Kenya's very arid eastern province. Fodder is a humongous stress out here when it not raining. They say barley is the most nutritious feed for livestock. Thank you so much for sharing this!
Nice video.. Coming from someone so 'thick, as I am. I watched it again and again, I adore honesty, I support experiments and laud those who try. tyvm floot
Sarah! Just found your comment here amidst the chat. YOU are a VERY clever girl for coming up with such a low-tech system that many of us can steal, I mean copy. (Remember - -that's the sincerest form of flattery. ; ) I was so impressed when I came across your video in my research!
Excellent video, MSP. You give just the right amount of explanation to let us understand not only what you are doing but why and how as well. Keep up the good work! I heard from a trusted friend, years ago, that the sprout contains as much nutritional energy as the entire adult plant. ever checked it out but it was the basis behind sprouted bread. Thanks again.
Chickens are the only animals that can digest whole corn because they eat rocks for their gullets, to complete digestion .The greens would probly introduce a wider variety of nurturance and make a happier bird. To keep predators at bay consider an electric fence 6 inches high around the out side of the coupe. Seen chickens get shocked ,they will not be hurt , racoons will never come back because they know they jest seen the devil ,and don't like it!!
I'm so going to try this for our rabbits! Thank you so much for doing a "poor man's " version of it! This has always interested me as well but now seeing you do it has inspired me to actually try it! Thank you again!
Well I am very flattered and humbled then! Thank you very much. I appreciate it. It's always lovely to hear that people benefit (or think they do -- hope I'm not leading folks astray!) from my videos.
thank you for sharing your experiment. I saw the farm tek commercial system and here we are with these clever and affordable alternatives. Best of luck with your system.
Greg Gaertner Thank you Greg. I am still waiting for the space to open up in the basement to set my bigger version up. Hubby has to get rid of some "stuff" -- ahem. I hope my Barley seed will still be viable by the time I am able to (finally!) get my fodder system going.
WOW thank you my hunny and I were looking for a way to supplement the Chicky girls for the winter. I go to Costco and buy spinach and greens but this would be a great idea and so easy. Save on gas as well. We just bought a 4 shelf rack that we are planning on raising the plants for the garden and we could use that all winter for the other goodies. It sits in front of a large window and gets lots of sunshine year round. I just knew you were a real smart cookie,and I learn so much from you. Thanks
MSP - I started sprouting fodder about 2-3 weeks ago for my chickens and soon my rabbits. My (21) chicks have been eating it from the beginning. and they love it. I've started using slightly larger trays because the animals like it so much they go through a "shoe box" of fodder in the morning. It's cut my feed bill in 1/2 for the chickens. I've been trying to come up with an idea for my 2nd video and I think I'll make it about my fodder system & feeding the chickens! :)
I have been using a pidgeon mix doing exactly like this for months for my chickens. I use yoghurt containers, 2 together fit snuggly into a 2ltr icecream container (using almost the same drain method) I have 10 containers going at all times and feed the chickens 1 every morning..., it will help "HEAPS" when your chickens start to moult...., and the chickens love it.
Thank you so so much girlie for sharing this :) Ireland has a fodder crisis and this may just be the thing that gets me out of trouble. I started this but had not good results so your video has just helped answer some questions :) so thank you very much xxxx
Thanks for posting. I've been experimenting using barley and now wheat for six months. Mold has been an issue but I have been using large plastic trays without drain holes. I will try the flood/drain method. You can mix in other seeds for complete nutrition. Fodder Solutions recommends legumes. I've accelerated growth with heating pads. We buy "Pigeon Barley" that is marketed as bird food for about $16/60lb bag. We feed to chickens, tilapia and rabbits.
WoW! I have all of this already on hand and I'm definately going to try this for myself on my vacation this summer. I don't have any chickens or rabbits...yet...but wheatgrass is very good for my tumm tumm as well. Thanks for the vid!
Check out Lowes in the cement department. The mortar trays come in a couple of sizes. A smaller round one and rectangle one about 3 x 3 ft. Nice heavy duty ones and they run about 4-5 dollars each. I use them for everything!
Seen this in my farmtek magazine and was very intereste in it as well. Thanks so much for doing this video and posting the link to the gal you got this from. I'm going to get busy on my own fodder system!!
I don't know at this point. I simply like the idea of fresh greens (loaded with nutrients) for them year-round. Also, the fact the seeds are relatively cheap, have a long shelf life, are easy to store and sprout have great appeal for my situation. I will have to start feeding it and then go from there with how it goes and how they respond in body condition, etc. as to how much I come to rely on it.
Fabulous video and idea! If you're concerned about mold, add some apple cider vinegar when you water the sprouts... it's great for the gut (worming) and should keep the sprouts from getting funky... I am SO doing this when my chicks are big enough.
You're very welcome. Be sure to check out Sarah Cuthill's video! I will be setting up my larger system this winter for the chickens. They were the critters that really liked the fodder the best, although the rabbits would eat the green part.
Hi. Great job on experiment.My husband and I are going to build our own fodder system for our goats and chickens.Just rambling our brains to figure out where to set up and temperatures and all but this whole "DIY" system thing😅😆 is kind of intimidating. 😥I don't know why....I used to grow wheat grass to make juice and no matter how hard I try that I couldn't get over that taste(yuck) of it and toss the grass into the chicken run, oh~they love it so much!Thank you for inspiration as always 🌾
I did something similar with kitty litter tubs I got at Walmart. I had a big tote on the floor that had a fountain pump in it. I plugged that into a timer and had it run 15minutes 4 times a day. I fed black oil sunflower seed fodder to my chickens and they loved it. My problem was the temp got too cold and it was taking forever to sprout and started to sour so I stopped. It's a great idea if you have inside space though.
Gave it to the chickens who aren't free-range and they loved it -- wasn't a bit left. I'm growing barley right now and will do a follow up video hopefully this week.
Cool system cause its simple and affordable. I found out about pearled barley the hard way cause that's the only barley our store carried, but it only cost me 31 cents. Was able to get a 3rd pound of some red winter wheat for 15 cents so I'm giving that a try. Might just give your system a try but with 9 shelves, maybe even a pump with a timer, who knows. Thanks for sharing.
Yeah, I think if your trays sit in the water, you have to rinse a lot more to prevent mold. That's why I was so impressed with the gravity-fed, slanted, drip method the gal I imitated came up with. She eliminated the "standing water" aspect around the seeds. Barley --I ordered a small bag from Amazon to experiement with. The big bag (50 lb.) I'm hoping my local feed mill can get for me. They're checking on it. Have you asked your feed mill if they can get some in for you?
If you look up your grain's nutrient content, you can figure out what mix of grains to grow for optimum nutrition of your animals. It is suggested to use a combo of grains/beans in order to make it into a complete feed. Ruminants can eat grass that is cut from the yard (especially if you plant wheat, barley, clover and alfalfa in your yard and let it get a foot high, and cut it throughout the growing season). I plan on using a fodder system for the complete feeding (sometimes there is an extra step here) of all of my animals (ducks, quail, chickens, rabbits, pigeons, guinea pigs, and dogs.). :D
I am extremely interested in this. I tried it last fall with a bucket system and it worked. However, I did not have a place warm enough to facilitate germination. So I like your system better, but I have thirteen cows to feed. So I need to go bigger. Thanks.
I hear a lot of fodder gaining up to seven times the weight of the seed in seven days, but I know a lot is water weight. if one compares to dried hey, it is not a fair comparison. I am glad you pointed out that more of the nutrition is taken in by the animal than with seed. Jon
Hi Marisa, I know exactly what type of containers you are speaking of. I would think those type of plastic "bins", despite being of a thin plastic, would be great for a smaller fodder system! They are nice and deep, would be easy to put holes in, and are a good size. Maybe you could double them up (one inside another) for added stiffness/durability? Otherwise, I think they'd work great! Good idea!
Just a quick note. You mention worrying about shortages due to several scenarios. A good thought. I did the math a while back while working with some people here in AZ. One half pound of seeds will grow 25 pounds of grain. If you replant 1/2 pound of seeds you wind up with 24 1/2 pounds of seed again. Simply put you will get one pound of seeds from 18 square feet of plantings. It is also my understanding that the weight that has multiplied itself by 6 times will not replace that weight in feed. Easier said. 4 pounds of fodder will serve as 2 pounds of feed. Depending on your available space to plant the seed you just might be able to become self sufficient in this department. Another thing you touched on is that many folks use barley. The consensus is that barley is the lowest priced seed available for this system. Here in AZ a fella I know outside Phoenix claims that he buys it for about $18 for 50 pounds. BTW, if you're feeding rabbits I have heard it recommended that you place a salt lick in the cage. Perhaps this will also apply to other livestock.
This is the same process for human consumption. After 24 hr of grain or bean sprouting the nutritional value increases 100%. For humans you can the dehydrate and grind to flour to make gluten free products. For animals it gives them wonderful winter fodder and greater nutrition. Great for winter needs.
Well, be careful of those little greenhouses -- I've accidently fried my starts in them before! They heat up amazingly well in the sun, even on a cool / coldish day. : ) I think they may get too warm for the sprouting. Barley sprouts best between 60 - 70 F. Too warm and you're going to invite mold to sprout too. Plus, you want good air circulation. Now, if you mean using just the shelves without the cover -- oh hey, GREAT IDEA! (She says running to dig hers out of storage . . . )
Hey Renee, I learned about fodder when researching a dairy cow. Very neat thing. I believe barley is used because it does have the highest nutrition conversion. Could you use those back seed starting flats? They are shallow enough to allow light in, and would give you a nice mat. Also, where the he k are your garden videos? ;) seed starting?!
nice little setup, would be perfect for a rabbit feed. A suggestion to collect the water on the bottom, is using the bottom of a plastic dish dryer, to drain away to collect for this set up to drain into the sink.
I'm thinking about getting rabbits and am just learning about them so I was wondering if this could be sufficient for most of their dietary needs? If I were to go this route what else should I supplement their diet with? Thanks Renee!
Awesome MSP! Thanks for sharing. As an aspiring homesteader, I haven't heard of this in terms of livestock feed, only life-extending juice for humans. Have you read Harvey Ussery's book, "The Small-Scale Poultry Flock"? In it, he advocated cover cropping in the garden to feed poultry, as well as, ammend the soil and prepare the bed for planting with the chickens' scratching. Maybe doable in Michigan during the winter in a high-tunnel. I'm still working through your Homesteader's Library list!!
Barley has the highest nutrient, so they say. I would use a mix, very nice, my rabbits dont get hay anymore, I have made mistakes, I dont know how I missed this video, but Bev mentioned it so I looked it up. here what I have learned, the seeds sprout better if kept in the dark for the first 3 days of sprouting. I have a shelf system wrapped in weed fabric. I made a mistake Mrs, Volfie is doing and using plastic cover, as I got mold. anywho, I gave the sprouts 4 days of window sun & the green up
Cool little system you have here. Could you do the same thing with grass seeds? I have a friend who has probably a dozen chickens, a goose, 2 goats and a miniature horse on a dirt patch so she's always supplementing them with hay and grain and I think this would really help her out. Love your videos!
+snicklefritzdabest I don't know about grass seeds. The typical fodder system uses barley seed. There are also folks out there who will sprout a mix of seeds, like barley, peas, sunflowers, and / or wheat. This was just a miniaturized, trial version of a bigger system to see how things went. As of yet, I still am waiting for space in the basement to set up my "real" fodder system. Husband has to move some items.
Hello from across the pond! I have "snooped" your channel. I had to subscribe as you are a kindred spirit I think. Anyway, I had no idea hay was so scarce over there. We had a drought here in the states last summer that created a shortage, but you could still get hay, just at a premium price. I am hoping this year is better. I hope the fodder works for you. Your horses are so beautiful and obviously loved. I know you can't bear the thought of parting with them.
Love your Low-Tech 'Poor Man's' system. You shouldn't apolagize for your starter system. I've been looking for a small system b/c I only have 2 chickens to feed fodder to. Also good to know I can do something with seed I can grow at the grocery store b/c I don't want to buy 40-50 lbs before I try it on a small scale. Thanx, Barbara
+Barbara McIntyre I was so happy folks shared that tidbit about the pearled barley from the store too! Who knew?!? I think the comments section on how-to videos is just as informative as the video itself and I'm always telling my subscribers to read the comments too!
I actually like your little set up. It will be perfect for my 3 chickens since I don't need anything much bigger. I think I will go to the dollar store and pick up some cheapo aluminum tins to try this. How often do you water?
I'm wondering can you grow one or two trays till they produce seeds so you don't have to buy more later ? or would that work when trying to save money? great video.
Hey Autumn! Yeah, I mentioned to her in a comment she would probably want to take the plastic cover off. I think she did. And I think she has already moved on to barley. I wonder why oats are so difficult to sprout? I've been keeping the "early" trays covered this 2nd round (with barley instead of wheat) and to be honest, I don't think it made much difference that I can see. BUT, I do think the barley grows faster than the wheat does.
Hi Jodi, Sorry, behind on youtube stuff at the moment, so getting to answering comments late: Interesting you mention doing this in a greenhouse as there is a video on youtube (which I can't find back again) where someone in Europe is raising cattle in one end of a greenhouse and has a fodder system in the other. The cattle keep the interior warm enough in the winter for the fodder to sprout and it, in turn, feeds the cattle. That said, humidity can be a problem in promoting mold growth.
I have a question that is kind of related..but, so, at my job we grow wheat grass just like you do but I noticed it has mold in the bottom! Or where the seeds are bedded. Is this normal and healthy for all seeds/sprouts? Or is wheat grass completely different than barley, etc? And if this isn't good then how can I fix it so the mold won't grow? It doesn't seem to be killing or hurting the grass though whatsoever (haha I feel very dumb!) but thankyou! I loved watching this video :)
Lots of people seem to use those black trays, so apparently they do work well. I have a lot of garden videos up from years past, including seed starting. This year I probably am not going to do much much gardening. I have a lot canned up, I think it's going to be another dry year, and there's a lot of things I need to catch up on around here. So, probably going to work on building up the soil in the big garden with a cover crop and take a year off from intensive gardening.
You would have to plant them in soil to get the plants to maturity (and making seed heads). The sprouts are growing and living on what's stored in the seed and by day 8 or so, that supply is pretty much exhausted.
You could also use Cement mixing trays that are available at alot of home repair super stores like Lowes & Home Depot, they aren't expensive and they are rated as livestock safe trays. Just a thought.
In the 19th century, root crops like mangel beets and turnips were popular winter feeds. I think how well an animal would do on this would depend on the animal. For example, pigs can live on just about anything, but a horse's digestive tract is fussy and rather delicate, needing lots of roughage.
True, a seed sprouting on the ground and growing there in the summer isn't very astounding, but if I can offer my animals GREEN GRASS that's also high in nutrition in the dead of winter when there's a foot of snow on the ground without any dirt, grow lights, or fancy equipment involved -- woo hoo! That IS something new -- at least for me.
What an amazing idea, thank you so much! We've been looking at different ways to save money on animal feed while still providing all the nutrition they need. I will be looking into this!
I'm SO glad I watched this! You gave me an idea when you mentioned all the different seeds you can sprout. How about BIRD SEED? I LOVE feeding the birds, especially in the winter. Bet they would just LOVE sprouts from bird seed. Thanks so much for sharing this info!
Love this...I have been trying to figure out how to try this myself--Great minds do think alike! Nice to see you found a use for all of those mushroom containers.
Just had another thought... I wonder if paint trays are food grade, they have the slant built in and would probably be big enough to maximize shelf space...
sorry if you answered this question already, but can the plastic salad and baby spinach plastic containers be useful as trays? do uou know what i am talking about? they are clear though about 4 or 5 inches deep.
Remember, I am just in experiment mode with this a this point. I haven't been feeding it yet. How much one feeds depends on the animal and what else is being fed. In my research thus far, I've run across people who were intending to only feed fodder, but none that were actually at that point yet. And depending on the animal and what seeds (or combo of seeds) one was using to grow the fodder, I'm not sure a strictly fodder diet would be wise.
I’ve been experimenting with this over Christmas for my geese. They seem to be eating less grain lately so I thought I’d try fodder to replace the grass they can’t get in winter.
Nice simple system. Buy your wheat from a agriculture farm or seed supplier. It is really cheap. $10-15 for 50lb bag. You can also buy food grade for human consumption. A nice tray can be purchased at Walmart. I think they are top trays for a plastic tub.
Have you considered simply shimming the whole 'cookie rack' instead each individual tray? Two shims under the whole shebang, and "Bob's your uncle" as they say in Britain! I love what you are doing there, and thank you for creating and posting!
+Liveinthemudlane Very true! I had been away from my monitor, and I didn't see or hear every word. I think I would try a waterproof dowel (small diam. pvc pipe, etc) running left and right through wire or twist tie loops to hold it in place. Wood+water+time can = mold and bacteria. Worse for human food than animal food. Also, it takes slightly less effort to plop a tray on a shelf or rod, than to look for where the shim is, and to have to adjust it, or have it move as you slide on the tray. (not that it is a big deal in any way) It's a speed and simplicity thing for me. It may only save part of a minute, but that may be worth it to someone if they repeat it enough times in their life routine. For instance, I might make a small addition to water close-to-automatically. I love what Michigansnowpony did here, and I thank you for bringing your thought to my, and everyone's attention!
+Michigansnowpony My pleasure! Thanks again for your effort to teach us things! I should look if you have other videos, this one has lots and lots of great info in it! Thank you!
I'm slowing catching up on video comments so excuse the late reply: I had that book (Small Scale Poultry Flock" at one time, but it got lent out never to return. I hope someone somewhere is benefiting from it still. : ) I think we'll be planting buckwheat in the big garden this year as a soil amendment. I wanted it for the bees, but just discovered this week none of my hives survived the winter. Very sad. But, life goes on and buckwheat is still a great cover crop irregardless.
That would vary by the animals being fed (i.e. a goat is going to eat less than a cow, for example) and also, depend on what else you are feeding along with the fodder.
Great video I have been researching this lately and love the idea. Just curious can you substitute raw vegetables for the hay as roughage? If you think about it what did all these animals eat before commercial pellets? God Bless and thank you for such a great channel.
Hi ya :) thank you , yes i love them very much and yes it s a tragedy what is happening here .... i am struggling a bit, i think my main problem is trying to achieve the right temperature but i will stick with it until i get it right :) The main problem for me is that i live in the far west of Ireland and although they are importing hay it ends up in Cork and Wexford which is over 8 hours by road. My last trip for 31 small bales was 5 hours there and back :(
also barely does have higher nutrition, i plan to do it mixed wheat and barely. And you can use the barely from the grocery store, Works great! When the date on the package expires they clearance it really cheap.
I think I may do this exactly the way you have for chickens.. I'll be getting some chicks soon and I think they would love this when they get a little older.
Greetings from the mountains of central California. I LOVED your video. I am curious about what you have experiences with a larger system and temperature changes. Where I live it got up to 113 over the summer, and 3 weeks ago was in the low-mid teens at night, so the extremes are a bit of a quandary for me. My horses can graze in spring and most of the summer as part of their feed, so I can do a small system in a mudroom hallway for the hens and donkeys during the hot months. It is the winter, however, which presents challenges as I would want fodder for the horses and donkeys, and would need more room. This prompts my question: how much light do they need, is it direct light or would the indirect/filtered light of a porch work? Thank you!
Looks good those would be just about the right size of trays to feed yourself from. Nice fresh sprouts on your salad or sandwich mmm yummm. Would probably use sunflower seeds or beans if I was gonna eat them personally tho lol. Wheat grass is a little too strong for me :)
Kind of a learning process as I do not have a green anything on my body. Figured out after this video I need to slant the trays or you get that lovely white mossy mold.
I'd love to know at what age (in weeks or days) sprouts can be offered to baby chicks... I get they need some time with access to grits first, but it seems to me that wild baby chickens probably eat sprouts, so why couldn't chicks from the hatchery?
Thanks. : ) I have never done too much with sprouts myself -- always intending to -- but just haven't. Maybe someday I'll get more ambitious and try making some bread from dried, ground sprouts.
I was actually looking for a video like this where someone does it for the first time . I have watched lot of videos but you have cleared 90% of my doubts with the detailed explanation.
Thank you for taking time and making this video
As each little black tray has reached maturity at 7 days, I've been feeding it to my chickens. They seem to absolutely love it and every bit has been devoured! Kinda fun to to watch their zeal!
Really good video! We're a family of 4 living off-grid down near the border of Mexico and we've recently taken on chickens. We have experience with hydro but never even considered a fodder system. This info is priceless... thanks so much for taking the time!
I have been watching a lot of people try to poke holes in containers for a while you are the first person to use hot nail. I thought it was a no brainier. Great job love the video
I use this system, it is fantastic. I went to the dollar store and put two identical containers together, putting holes in the top one. I just rinse a couple of times a day, it is all self contained no mess. When the grass is long enough I cut the top for the rabbits and give the rest to the chickens.
I just found SUCH a space saving way to grow fodder that you wouldn't need to tilt. Just stick these into a big tub to drain into. But go to your local dollar tree. And those stackable pots with three connected pots that you can cross cross stack, you can stack 10 high and use vertical space instead and grow more! I just got a ton of them. Only a dollar a piece. Put an empty one on the bottom so that the bottom tray of seed won't be sitting in water. Depending on what size seed you use you may need to put maybe a piece of cloth over the holes cause they may be big enough to let a few seeds fall through. But I'm excited to try them! I love your method
Never post comments. Love your videos, Thanks for making the world a better place. I have learned to rely on youtube for many projects. Keep it up. Thank you.
I was looking for this exact type of low-tech system for my farm in Kenya's very arid eastern province. Fodder is a humongous stress out here when it not raining. They say barley is the most nutritious feed for livestock. Thank you so much for sharing this!
Nice video.. Coming from someone so 'thick, as I am. I watched it again and again, I adore honesty, I support experiments and laud those who try. tyvm floot
I just watched Sarah's before watching your experiment....Very well done....both of you. Tom
Sarah! Just found your comment here amidst the chat. YOU are a VERY clever girl for coming up with such a low-tech system that many of us can steal, I mean copy. (Remember - -that's the sincerest form of flattery. ; ) I was so impressed when I came across your video in my research!
Excellent video, MSP. You give just the right amount of explanation to let us understand not only what you are doing but why and how as well. Keep up the good work!
I heard from a trusted friend, years ago, that the sprout contains as much nutritional energy as the entire adult plant. ever checked it out but it was the basis behind sprouted bread.
Thanks again.
Thank you for all this information! I am new at raising my own chickens I just got 4 pullets and a rooster. Your video helped me. God bless you!
Chickens are the only animals that can digest whole corn because they eat rocks for their gullets, to complete digestion .The greens would probly introduce a wider variety of nurturance and make a happier bird. To keep predators at bay consider an electric fence 6 inches high around the out side of the coupe. Seen chickens get shocked ,they will not be hurt , racoons will never come back because they know they jest seen the devil ,and don't like it!!
I'm so going to try this for our rabbits! Thank you so much for doing a "poor man's " version of it! This has always interested me as well but now seeing you do it has inspired me to actually try it! Thank you again!
Well I am very flattered and humbled then! Thank you very much. I appreciate it. It's always lovely to hear that people benefit (or think they do -- hope I'm not leading folks astray!) from my videos.
YAY for all the Michigan snowpony videos today!!! made my day. this one will definatly go in my favorite folder.
I love you are speaking your voice is so charming I have seen many videos but the way you teach us is very special ,🌷🌷🌷🌷
thank you for sharing your experiment. I saw the farm tek commercial system and here we are with these clever and affordable alternatives. Best of luck with your system.
Greg Gaertner Thank you Greg. I am still waiting for the space to open up in the basement to set my bigger version up. Hubby has to get rid of some "stuff" -- ahem. I hope my Barley seed will still be viable by the time I am able to (finally!) get my fodder system going.
WOW thank you my hunny and I were looking for a way to supplement the Chicky girls for the winter. I go to Costco and buy spinach and greens but this would be a great idea and so easy. Save on gas as well. We just bought a 4 shelf rack that we are planning on raising the plants for the garden and we could use that all winter for the other goodies. It sits in front of a large window and gets lots of sunshine year round. I just knew you were a real smart cookie,and I learn so much from you. Thanks
MSP - I started sprouting fodder about 2-3 weeks ago for my chickens and soon my rabbits. My (21) chicks have been eating it from the beginning. and they love it. I've started using slightly larger trays because the animals like it so much they go through a "shoe box" of fodder in the morning. It's cut my feed bill in 1/2 for the chickens.
I've been trying to come up with an idea for my 2nd video and I think I'll make it about my fodder system & feeding the chickens! :)
Great info Renee,thanks for the links.I grew some cover crops over the winter with'lower feed'bill in mind.Thanks for another one to try.
I have been using a pidgeon mix doing exactly like this for months for my chickens. I use yoghurt containers, 2 together fit snuggly into a 2ltr icecream container (using almost the same drain method) I have 10 containers going at all times and feed the chickens 1 every morning..., it will help "HEAPS" when your chickens start to moult...., and the chickens love it.
Thank you so so much girlie for sharing this :) Ireland has a fodder crisis and this may just be the thing that gets me out of trouble. I started this but had not good results so your video has just helped answer some questions :) so thank you very much xxxx
OMG!! Renee, I have been doing my own fodder experiments as well to feed my rabbit. I also am intrigued and excited about this.
I've been looking at ways to grow greens for my rabbits and this looks like the perfect solution for me.
Thanks for posting. I've been experimenting using barley and now wheat for six months. Mold has been an issue but I have been using large plastic trays without drain holes. I will try the flood/drain method. You can mix in other seeds for complete nutrition. Fodder Solutions recommends legumes. I've accelerated growth with heating pads. We buy "Pigeon Barley" that is marketed as bird food for about $16/60lb bag. We feed to chickens, tilapia and rabbits.
WoW! I have all of this already on hand and I'm definately going to try this for myself on my vacation this summer. I don't have any chickens or rabbits...yet...but wheatgrass is very good for my tumm tumm as well. Thanks for the vid!
Check out Lowes in the cement department. The mortar trays come in a couple of sizes. A smaller round one and rectangle one about 3 x 3 ft. Nice heavy duty ones and they run about 4-5 dollars each. I use them for everything!
Seen this in my farmtek magazine and was very intereste in it as well. Thanks so much for doing this video and posting the link to the gal you got this from. I'm going to get busy on my own fodder system!!
I don't know at this point. I simply like the idea of fresh greens (loaded with nutrients) for them year-round. Also, the fact the seeds are relatively cheap, have a long shelf life, are easy to store and sprout have great appeal for my situation. I will have to start feeding it and then go from there with how it goes and how they respond in body condition, etc. as to how much I come to rely on it.
Fabulous video and idea! If you're concerned about mold, add some apple cider vinegar when you water the sprouts... it's great for the gut (worming) and should keep the sprouts from getting funky... I am SO doing this when my chicks are big enough.
You're very welcome. Be sure to check out Sarah Cuthill's video! I will be setting up my larger system this winter for the chickens. They were the critters that really liked the fodder the best, although the rabbits would eat the green part.
Hi. Great job on experiment.My husband and I are going to build our own fodder system for our goats and chickens.Just rambling our brains to figure out where to set up and temperatures and all but this whole "DIY" system thing😅😆 is kind of intimidating. 😥I don't know why....I used to grow wheat grass to make juice and no matter how hard I try that I couldn't get over that taste(yuck) of it and toss the grass into the chicken run, oh~they love it so much!Thank you for inspiration as always 🌾
I did something similar with kitty litter tubs I got at Walmart. I had a big tote on the floor that had a fountain pump in it. I plugged that into a timer and had it run 15minutes 4 times a day. I fed black oil sunflower seed fodder to my chickens and they loved it. My problem was the temp got too cold and it was taking forever to sprout and started to sour so I stopped. It's a great idea if you have inside space though.
Gave it to the chickens who aren't free-range and they loved it -- wasn't a bit left. I'm growing barley right now and will do a follow up video hopefully this week.
Cool system cause its simple and affordable. I found out about pearled barley the hard way cause that's the only barley our store carried, but it only cost me 31 cents. Was able to get a 3rd pound of some red winter wheat for 15 cents so I'm giving that a try. Might just give your system a try but with 9 shelves, maybe even a pump with a timer, who knows. Thanks for sharing.
Yeah, I think if your trays sit in the water, you have to rinse a lot more to prevent mold. That's why I was so impressed with the gravity-fed, slanted, drip method the gal I imitated came up with. She eliminated the "standing water" aspect around the seeds. Barley --I ordered a small bag from Amazon to experiement with. The big bag (50 lb.) I'm hoping my local feed mill can get for me. They're checking on it. Have you asked your feed mill if they can get some in for you?
Thank you for all the info…
If you look up your grain's nutrient content, you can figure out what mix of grains to grow for optimum nutrition of your animals. It is suggested to use a combo of grains/beans in order to make it into a complete feed. Ruminants can eat grass that is cut from the yard (especially if you plant wheat, barley, clover and alfalfa in your yard and let it get a foot high, and cut it throughout the growing season). I plan on using a fodder system for the complete feeding (sometimes there is an extra step here) of all of my animals (ducks, quail, chickens, rabbits, pigeons, guinea pigs, and dogs.). :D
I am extremely interested in this. I tried it last fall with a bucket system and it worked. However, I did not have a place warm enough to facilitate germination. So I like your system better, but I have thirteen cows to feed. So I need to go bigger. Thanks.
I hear a lot of fodder gaining up to seven times the weight of the seed in seven days, but I know a lot is water weight. if one compares to dried hey, it is not a fair comparison. I am glad you pointed out that more of the nutrition
is taken in by the animal than with seed. Jon
Hi Marisa, I know exactly what type of containers you are speaking of. I would think those type of plastic "bins", despite being of a thin plastic, would be great for a smaller fodder system! They are nice and deep, would be easy to put holes in, and are a good size. Maybe you could double them up (one inside another) for added stiffness/durability? Otherwise, I think they'd work great! Good idea!
Your experience is great work it’s very learning video thanks for your ideas....and your voice is so pretty thanks you soo much
Just a quick note. You mention worrying about shortages due to several scenarios. A good thought. I did the math a while back while working with some people here in AZ. One half pound of seeds will grow 25 pounds of grain. If you replant 1/2 pound of seeds you wind up with 24 1/2 pounds of seed again. Simply put you will get one pound of seeds from 18 square feet of plantings. It is also my understanding that the weight that has multiplied itself by 6 times will not replace that weight in feed. Easier said. 4 pounds of fodder will serve as 2 pounds of feed. Depending on your available space to plant the seed you just might be able to become self sufficient in this department. Another thing you touched on is that many folks use barley. The consensus is that barley is the lowest priced seed available for this system. Here in AZ a fella I know outside Phoenix claims that he buys it for about $18 for 50 pounds. BTW, if you're feeding rabbits I have heard it recommended that you place a salt lick in the cage. Perhaps this will also apply to other livestock.
This is the same process for human consumption. After 24 hr of grain or bean sprouting the nutritional value increases 100%. For humans you can the dehydrate and grind to flour to make gluten free products. For animals it gives them wonderful winter fodder and greater nutrition. Great for winter needs.
Well, be careful of those little greenhouses -- I've accidently fried my starts in them before! They heat up amazingly well in the sun, even on a cool / coldish day. : ) I think they may get too warm for the sprouting. Barley sprouts best between 60 - 70 F. Too warm and you're going to invite mold to sprout too. Plus, you want good air circulation. Now, if you mean using just the shelves without the cover -- oh hey, GREAT IDEA! (She says running to dig hers out of storage . . . )
Hey Renee, I learned about fodder when researching a dairy cow. Very neat thing. I believe barley is used because it does have the highest nutrition conversion. Could you use those back seed starting flats? They are shallow enough to allow light in, and would give you a nice mat. Also, where the he k are your garden videos? ;) seed starting?!
I seen one you tube video, where barley fodder was placed next to wheat fodder. The chickens ate the wheat fodder up first.
nice little setup, would be perfect for a rabbit feed. A suggestion to collect the water on the bottom, is using the bottom of a plastic dish dryer, to drain away to collect for this set up to drain into the sink.
I'm thinking about getting rabbits and am just learning about them so I was wondering if this could be sufficient for most of their dietary needs? If I were to go this route what else should I supplement their diet with? Thanks Renee!
Awesome MSP! Thanks for sharing. As an aspiring homesteader, I haven't heard of this in terms of livestock feed, only life-extending juice for humans. Have you read Harvey Ussery's book, "The Small-Scale Poultry Flock"? In it, he advocated cover cropping in the garden to feed poultry, as well as, ammend the soil and prepare the bed for planting with the chickens' scratching. Maybe doable in Michigan during the winter in a high-tunnel. I'm still working through your Homesteader's Library list!!
Barley has the highest nutrient, so they say. I would use a mix, very nice, my rabbits dont get hay anymore, I have made mistakes, I dont know how I missed this video, but Bev mentioned it so I looked it up. here what I have learned, the seeds sprout better if kept in the dark for the first 3 days of sprouting. I have a shelf system wrapped in weed fabric. I made a mistake Mrs, Volfie is doing and using plastic cover, as I got mold. anywho, I gave the sprouts 4 days of window sun & the green up
Cool little system you have here. Could you do the same thing with grass seeds? I have a friend who has probably a dozen chickens, a goose, 2 goats and a miniature horse on a dirt patch so she's always supplementing them with hay and grain and I think this would really help her out. Love your videos!
+snicklefritzdabest I don't know about grass seeds. The typical fodder system uses barley seed. There are also folks out there who will sprout a mix of seeds, like barley, peas, sunflowers, and / or wheat. This was just a miniaturized, trial version of a bigger system to see how things went. As of yet, I still am waiting for space in the basement to set up my "real" fodder system. Husband has to move some items.
+Michigansnowpony thanks for the response best of luck on your system! Can't wait for more goat videos :D
great video. How often do you water each day? also where is a good source for seeds? TY
Hello from across the pond! I have "snooped" your channel. I had to subscribe as you are a kindred spirit I think. Anyway, I had no idea hay was so scarce over there. We had a drought here in the states last summer that created a shortage, but you could still get hay, just at a premium price. I am hoping this year is better. I hope the fodder works for you. Your horses are so beautiful and obviously loved. I know you can't bear the thought of parting with them.
Love your Low-Tech 'Poor Man's' system. You shouldn't apolagize for your starter system. I've been looking for a small system b/c I only have 2 chickens to feed fodder to. Also good to know I can do something with seed I can grow at the grocery store b/c I don't want to buy 40-50 lbs before I try it on a small scale. Thanx, Barbara
+Barbara McIntyre I was so happy folks shared that tidbit about the pearled barley from the store too! Who knew?!? I think the comments section on how-to videos is just as informative as the video itself and I'm always telling my subscribers to read the comments too!
I actually like your little set up. It will be perfect for my 3 chickens since I don't need anything much bigger. I think I will go to the dollar store and pick up some cheapo aluminum tins to try this. How often do you water?
I'm wondering can you grow one or two trays till they produce seeds so you don't have to buy more later ? or would that work when trying to save money? great video.
I took 5 old windows And made a small hot house and did this all winter in my yard. It was only 1level but my chickens loved it
Hey Autumn! Yeah, I mentioned to her in a comment she would probably want to take the plastic cover off. I think she did. And I think she has already moved on to barley. I wonder why oats are so difficult to sprout? I've been keeping the "early" trays covered this 2nd round (with barley instead of wheat) and to be honest, I don't think it made much difference that I can see. BUT, I do think the barley grows faster than the wheat does.
Hi Jodi,
Sorry, behind on youtube stuff at the moment, so getting to answering comments late: Interesting you mention doing this in a greenhouse as there is a video on youtube (which I can't find back again) where someone in Europe is raising cattle in one end of a greenhouse and has a fodder system in the other. The cattle keep the interior warm enough in the winter for the fodder to sprout and it, in turn, feeds the cattle. That said, humidity can be a problem in promoting mold growth.
I have a question that is kind of related..but, so, at my job we grow wheat grass just like you do but I noticed it has mold in the bottom! Or where the seeds are bedded. Is this normal and healthy for all seeds/sprouts? Or is wheat grass completely different than barley, etc? And if this isn't good then how can I fix it so the mold won't grow? It doesn't seem to be killing or hurting the grass though whatsoever (haha I feel very dumb!) but thankyou! I loved watching this video :)
Lots of people seem to use those black trays, so apparently they do work well. I have a lot of garden videos up from years past, including seed starting. This year I probably am not going to do much much gardening. I have a lot canned up, I think it's going to be another dry year, and there's a lot of things I need to catch up on around here. So, probably going to work on building up the soil in the big garden with a cover crop and take a year off from intensive gardening.
You would have to plant them in soil to get the plants to maturity (and making seed heads). The sprouts are growing and living on what's stored in the seed and by day 8 or so, that supply is pretty much exhausted.
You could also use Cement mixing trays that are available at alot of home repair super stores like Lowes & Home Depot, they aren't expensive and they are rated as livestock safe trays. Just a thought.
In the 19th century, root crops like mangel beets and turnips were popular winter feeds. I think how well an animal would do on this would depend on the animal. For example, pigs can live on just about anything, but a horse's digestive tract is fussy and rather delicate, needing lots of roughage.
True, a seed sprouting on the ground and growing there in the summer isn't very astounding, but if I can offer my animals GREEN GRASS that's also high in nutrition in the dead of winter when there's a foot of snow on the ground without any dirt, grow lights, or fancy equipment involved -- woo hoo! That IS something new -- at least for me.
I just found your channel. You are an awesome lady.
What an amazing idea, thank you so much! We've been looking at different ways to save money on animal feed while still providing all the nutrition they need. I will be looking into this!
I'm SO glad I watched this! You gave me an idea when you mentioned all the different seeds you can sprout. How about BIRD SEED? I LOVE feeding the birds, especially in the winter. Bet they would just LOVE sprouts from bird seed. Thanks so much for sharing this info!
Love this...I have been trying to figure out how to try this myself--Great minds do think alike! Nice to see you found a use for all of those mushroom containers.
you guys should your pasture for hay! i know its not alfalfa, but it would still cut feed costs, right? great video as usual :)
Just had another thought... I wonder if paint trays are food grade, they have the slant built in and would probably be big enough to maximize shelf space...
Great video! Seems easy and I will try that too :) tfs 🌷
This is AWESOME!!! My only question is, how much do you feed per animal per day?
I love you, you inspire me to move forward to a homestead!
sorry if you answered this question already, but can the plastic salad and baby spinach plastic containers be useful as trays? do uou know what i am talking about? they are clear though about 4 or 5 inches deep.
Remember, I am just in experiment mode with this a this point. I haven't been feeding it yet. How much one feeds depends on the animal and what else is being fed. In my research thus far, I've run across people who were intending to only feed fodder, but none that were actually at that point yet. And depending on the animal and what seeds (or combo of seeds) one was using to grow the fodder, I'm not sure a strictly fodder diet would be wise.
I was just watching and thinking you could prolly use paint tray liners the are slanted already
soggieshorts1 HA! That’s exactly what I was thinking but wonder if they’re deep enough
Deep enough to hold a good bit of paint that you don't want spilling out from a roller... yes they are deep.
soggieshorts1 very clever.
Amazing. i really appreciate this video. Im new to raising chix and ducks.
I’m confused here...do you cover the seeds after removing it from soaking or what? Clear me on that please ...and how often do you water it ?
I’ve been experimenting with this over Christmas for my geese. They seem to be eating less grain lately so I thought I’d try fodder to replace the grass they can’t get in winter.
Love your videos. You do the most interesting stuff. You amaze me.
-Lisa
Nice simple system. Buy your wheat from a agriculture farm or seed supplier. It is really cheap. $10-15 for 50lb bag. You can also buy food grade for human consumption. A nice tray can be purchased at Walmart. I think they are top trays for a plastic tub.
Have you considered simply shimming the whole 'cookie rack' instead each individual tray? Two shims under the whole shebang, and "Bob's your uncle" as they say in Britain! I love what you are doing there, and thank you for creating and posting!
+CuriousEarthMan Or maybe the rack even has adjustable 'feet', so not even shims would be needed!
+CuriousEarthMan No, I hadn't. . . until right now. ; ) Great suggestion!!
+Liveinthemudlane Very true! I had been away from my monitor, and I didn't see or hear every word. I think I would try a waterproof dowel (small diam. pvc pipe, etc) running left and right through wire or twist tie loops to hold it in place. Wood+water+time can = mold and bacteria. Worse for human food than animal food. Also, it takes slightly less effort to plop a tray on a shelf or rod, than to look for where the shim is, and to have to adjust it, or have it move as you slide on the tray. (not that it is a big deal in any way) It's a speed and simplicity thing for me. It may only save part of a minute, but that may be worth it to someone if they repeat it enough times in their life routine. For instance, I might make a small addition to water close-to-automatically. I love what Michigansnowpony did here, and I thank you for bringing your thought to my, and everyone's attention!
+Michigansnowpony My pleasure! Thanks again for your effort to teach us things! I should look if you have other videos, this one has lots and lots of great info in it! Thank you!
Cookie cooler thing... AHAH!
Can't wait to do this for my chickens this year. Thanks for sharing.
Jake You're very welcome Mr. Jake. I hope it works out well for you!
I'm slowing catching up on video comments so excuse the late reply: I had that book (Small Scale Poultry Flock" at one time, but it got lent out never to return. I hope someone somewhere is benefiting from it still. : )
I think we'll be planting buckwheat in the big garden this year as a soil amendment. I wanted it for the bees, but just discovered this week none of my hives survived the winter. Very sad. But, life goes on and buckwheat is still a great cover crop irregardless.
That would vary by the animals being fed (i.e. a goat is going to eat less than a cow, for example) and also, depend on what else you are feeding along with the fodder.
Great video I have been researching this lately and love the idea. Just curious can you substitute raw vegetables for the hay as roughage? If you think about it what did all these animals eat before commercial pellets? God Bless and thank you for such a great channel.
Hi ya :) thank you , yes i love them very much and yes it s a tragedy what is happening here .... i am struggling a bit, i think my main problem is trying to achieve the right temperature but i will stick with it until i get it right :) The main problem for me is that i live in the far west of Ireland and although they are importing hay it ends up in Cork and Wexford which is over 8 hours by road. My last trip for 31 small bales was 5 hours there and back :(
also barely does have higher nutrition, i plan to do it mixed wheat and barely. And you can use the barely from the grocery store, Works great! When the date on the package expires they clearance it really cheap.
+Jennifer's Miniatures Where do you find whole barley at the grocery store? I've never seen that!
Yeah, I missed your series on that! We have it here on the ponds and such so wouldn't be hard to get ahold of some.
So...how did the critters like their treat? Not much there, so who got it, the chickens, turkeys, rabbits? Keep us updated please.
I think I may do this exactly the way you have for chickens.. I'll be getting some chicks soon and I think they would love this when they get a little older.
Greetings from the mountains of central California. I LOVED your video. I am curious about what you have experiences with a larger system and temperature changes. Where I live it got up to 113 over the summer, and 3 weeks ago was in the low-mid teens at night, so the extremes are a bit of a quandary for me. My horses can graze in spring and most of the summer as part of their feed, so I can do a small system in a mudroom hallway for the hens and donkeys during the hot months. It is the winter, however, which presents challenges as I would want fodder for the horses and donkeys, and would need more room. This prompts my question: how much light do they need, is it direct light or would the indirect/filtered light of a porch work? Thank you!
Thanks! They're almost 2 wks now, so in another week I can start sprouting... maybe we can compare notes on how they do...
Looks good those would be just about the right size of trays to feed yourself from. Nice fresh sprouts on your salad or sandwich mmm yummm. Would probably use sunflower seeds or beans if I was gonna eat them personally tho lol. Wheat grass is a little too strong for me :)
Kind of a learning process as I do not have a green anything on my body. Figured out after this video I need to slant the trays or you get that lovely white mossy mold.
I'd love to know at what age (in weeks or days) sprouts can be offered to baby chicks... I get they need some time with access to grits first, but it seems to me that wild baby chickens probably eat sprouts, so why couldn't chicks from the hatchery?
Thanks. : ) I have never done too much with sprouts myself -- always intending to -- but just haven't. Maybe someday I'll get more ambitious and try making some bread from dried, ground sprouts.