Sprouts, Shoots and Fodder: nutrition boosters .

This article is by no means all inclusive in its information offering. it is simply my take on the process for my small flock of 4.

Please be sure and research any seed you plan to  use in any form to feed your chicks, pullets and hens . Some seeds can be safe for broilers and other poultry but may not be safe or may need special preparation to be safely feed to chicks/pullets/hens kept as egg layers. Some may  have  value but may only be offered  in limited amounts infrequently (the  principle " too much of a good thing is bad" applies). Some seeds and grains may be safe in seed form but not in germinated form while some seeds which should not be fed as seed can produce quite nutritious  greens or flowers which can and should be fed.  

Research is ever ongoing and things thought unsafe last week may be proven safe and nutritious next week and vise-a-verse-a. 

 Winter is  upon  us and so comes dropping temperatures, the lack of available foods, and the inevitable rise in predators during this time.  One of these problems can bring a lack in stimulating nutrition and two of these may mean you must choose to keep your small  flocks safely locked up in their coops and/or small runs for extended periods of time.

 Growing and feeding sprouts, shoots and fodder is an excellent way to provide tasty nutritious greens during these times. And depending on the size of these greens and how you choose to serve them, they  can also be a source of boredom-breaking entertainment for your chicks, pullets and  hens.

Because there are so many different definitions of what constitutes sprouts,  shoots or fodder, for the purposes of this article I give the following measurements:

Sprouts  0 to 2 inches

Shoots 2 to 4 inches

Fodder 4 to 6 inches.

These measurements also include root length. 

I do not touch on microgreens or leafy greens , nor do I discuss sprouts or shoots grown in soils or any grow mediums or on grow mats. 

Growing small amounts of sprouts, shoots and fodder is easy enough, you can grow a few different types of them at the same time and offer a variety to your chicks, pullets and hens . 

( This is as true for a flock of 70 as it is for a flock of 4 or less)

There are many methods for seed sprouting online and many places to purchase all levels of equipment . For my purposes I purchased some "rounds" of plastic canvas from the craft store and cut them down to fit snugly into the ring part of  canning jar lids and placed them on canning jars. 

Once I chose which seeds to use , I measured 1 to 2 tablespoons of each seed . I chose my amount of seed based on seed size and my projected use of them. I rinsed the seeds  and kept the rinse water to water house plants with. Then I placed the seeds to soak in water using the ratio of three parts water per 1 part seed amount . ( 3 tablespoons water per 1 tablespoon seed) 

Some seeds like sunflower and fenugreek need up to 12 hours to soak; some seeds like hard red winter wheat need at least 8 hours to soak; and some seeds like teff need as little as 4 hours to soak.  Once soaked they were rinsed again then turned upside down over a wire rack to drain.  ( I also reserved the bulk of the soak water to water house plants and do so with the bulk of all subsequent rinse waters) 

 When using small seeds like teff and clover an unbleached coffee filter should be used if you can find them. Place this between the canning jar ring and plastic canvas and place upside down and tipped at an angle on the rack to drain. It becomes much easier to manage them in the rinse process once the sprouts reach about 1/8 inch or so in  length. Always use fresh water to rinse them so that starches and bacteria that could harm the sprouts are rinsed away completely.  These are easily grown on your kitchen counter in a dark corner where sun light doesn't hit them. They should be kept no cooler than 60 to 65°F. 

Then I made little grow tubs. I gathered together some plastic bowls. I re-purposed large margarine tubs for these that I washed with a good grease removing dish soap and then I gave them a bleach water rinse and then a clean running water rinse.  I utilized   a straight pin and a candle to create drainage. 

I used the candle to heat the straight pin periodically. This  made poking holes in the plastic much easier.

I poked a gazillion holes all over the bottom randomly. ( O.k.,  gazillion may be an exaggeration. It may have only been a bazillion, but I didn't count them honestly.)  I also made sure to poke holes in the corners and along the edges.

Once the holes were all poked , I scrubbed and scrubbed them to be sure any little melted bits of plastic were removed both inside and out. (Don't want those getting taken up into the roots of the little plants and then fed to the chicks, pullets or  hens) . Be sure to  rinse well the pierced tubs and be sure you have good flow through the holes you have made  in the bottoms.

 Once my  chosen seeds  were well sprouted  and reaching, or were  at shoot length I  moved them from their jars to the grow buckets I had made.

 

I rinsed them at least twice a day. )If your home is very dry you may need to do this more often.)  I made sure they were drained very well between rinsing to prevent molds and other potential lethal bacteria. 

This was also a good time to inspect them . I look for mold . If you see mold toss the hole batch into the trash and start over. They should smell like sweet spring grass after a rain . They should not smell sour, like ammonia, or acidic . If they do they have soured. Toss them out!!  

If you allow your chicks, pullets or hens access to your compost normally,  Do Not toss these in your compost!  You do not want you chicks, pullets or  hens to be made sick or otherwise poisoned by them. 

(Note:  if you gut load crickets, you can cut away the mold and wash them well in good water and then feed them to the cricket .  I will do an article on gut loading for chicks, pullets and hens in the future) 

 Once they have reached the longest part of shoot length (about 4 inches) place them in the sun to develop the lovely green chlorophyll filled first leaves as they develop into fodder.

When your first round of growth starts to look like this or even a few days sooner ,  start new sprout jars of the ones you feed the most of or of any new seeds you'd like to feed your hens. I personally start new seeds as soon and the sprouts/shoots are moved to the grow tubs and I have washed and sterilized the jars . 

To clean the jars and tubs between growing rounds, wash them with a week solution of dish soap, rinse them well, rinse them again in a week solution of bleach water and rinse them again with good clean water. You can use boiling water for the final rinse if you like. 

You can feed these lovely yums to your chicks/pullets/hens at any stage through out this process. You can even offer a mix of the different stages. 

( It is vital  that Grit is readily and freely available at all times to the chicks/pullets/hens to aid the crop in digestion)

 It's true that chicks/pullets/hens will peck at grass and shoot pieces much larger than this when they are out in the yard being pastured or free-ranging. They take "bites". They do not normally tear off large pieces of greens. The greens they peck at are anchored by their roots in the earth so the hens can peck off these bites sized pieces easily. Then they scratch to get at the seeds and tender roots they want to eat.  When growing sprouts or fodder to feed using methods like this there is no earth to hold the tasty treats while the hens peck off bits and bites .

Please, always  take into account the length of the roots when feeding them.  A root can add an inch or more to the over all length of the pieces of greens.

 Trim, slice, cut or even chop them into more manageable pieces for the chicks, pullets and hens to help them digest them more easily and to help prevent potential problems  like a  blocked or soured crop.

(I aim for  1/4 inch size pieces for pullets at least 8 weeks old and hens. For chicks it may be more advisable to grind or juice the shoots/sprouts/fodder ruffly in a blender and mix with your chosen grower feed at a mash or gruel consistency .)

Offer a variety of plant types . The mix I fed this day included red clover, soft white wheat, hard red winter wheat,  fenugreek, and a small amount of buckwheat.

You can mix the cut sprouts, shoots and fodder pieces grown into any of their treats. You can cut stick like shapes of cucumber, pear, or other sticky fruit or vegetable and roll them in the sprouts, shoots or fodder and some seed  so they stick and serve them in suet fodder cages . Your chicks, pullets and hens will lover you for them  and they and their eggs will be healthier and tasty for them too! 

Some recommended reading:

http://www.sustainablechicken.com/

https://www.aspca.org/fight-cruelty/farm-animal-cruelty/hear-from-the-farmers