Growing fodder for your chickens
First of all, let's talk about what fodder is. Fodder is basically just taking some sort of seed, such as hard wheat, whole oats, or barley and sprouting it so it becomes a grass for your animals. This can be done very simply, but the benefits are exponential.
This is an example of the finished product.
First of all, let's talk about what fodder is. Fodder is basically just taking some sort of seed, such as hard wheat, whole oats, or barley and sprouting it so it becomes a grass for your animals. This can be done very simply, but the benefits are exponential. Some of the reasons people grow fodder are, it's a nutrient dense super food (think wheat grass that we get at the local juice bar), creates a food source that maybe wouldn’t be available year round, as well as cutting down on feed costs etc. I buy a 50lb. Bag of non-GMO wheat seed for around $15, which in turn results in about 300lbs of fodder. Compare that to what you pay for 300lbs of feed! I do it for all of these reasons, but also just because my birds really love it. It's hilarious to see 100+ chickens come running when I lay the fodder out, then watch them all scratch, peck and talk with their beaks full. There's a lot of chatter around feeding time with these ladies!
If you're interested in growing fodder yourself, here's what you'll need:
Fodder trays like this: (or something similar) https://amzn.to/34Ksm8G
Seed of choice. You can usually pick a 50lb bag of seed up at your local feed store. I use Bar Ale for seed and they offer it non-GMO, I grow it organically.
Once you've got your supplies handy, here's what you do:
Take the seed you'd like to sprout and put it in a bucket with water. You're going to let it soak overnight.
The next morning/day, take the seeds and pour them into your sprouting trays, filling them to about a 1/2 in depth.
Place the trays in a bright area where they will get sunlight and remain undisturbed by any curious chickens. This could be next to a window somewhere, or a greenhouse etc.
Water the trays every morning and evening until they grow to about 3-4 inches tall. You may need to water yours 3 times a day if you live in a dry, hot climate or only once a day if you live somewhere more temperate.
Once the grass has grown to the desired height, you can just peel the grass up in sheets and feed the entire thing to your chickens. That's it, you’re done. Easy peasy!
Once you've got your process down, it's easy to stagger your fodder growing so you have a few trays ready every few days, or weekly etc. When I'm really on top of things (and its not 5000+ degrees outside!), I have fodder ready for my ladies (and gentleroos) every 4-5 days. The only time of year I don't grow fodder is when we have fresh grasses growing in late winter/early spring…or when my greenhouse is 130+ degrees in the middle of Summer. Gross. Then it's nearly impossible for anything to grow, despite watering it multiple times a day.
Anyways, there you have it. You are all set to grow fodder on your own. Your clucks will thank you!