Sprouts!

[rick]

How do we feel about sprouted grain? I read that the food value of grain goes up dramatically when sprouted and the enzymes are good for digestion generally so I've been soaking and rinsing the wheat grain I have until it grows.
The team go mad for the dry grain or the sprouts.
I know that for human consumption there has to be careful control of bacteria to avoid food poisoning (hence the regular rinsing)

[chrismahon]

I've heard it done on another forum but never tried myself due to time and space Rick. Interesting point about the rinsing and bacteria, because that hasn't been mentioned before. Presumably this is being done in a fixed run on earth, so no grass for them to eat?

[rick]

Well, no, we don't have any grass but I have experimented with grass and alfalfa in forage trays.
But the sprouting I just do in a large jar. You don't want to do a lot in one batch because its only a supplement and needs eating fresh. Rinse well morning and evening and it takes about 3 days to germinate and a week to max without fear of failed seeds rotting I feel. Its very easy.

[rick]

Oh and the first 24 hours soaked ( lots of water) then after that drained but moist to allow air in

[dinosaw]

Kiln it and it will keep and retain a large proportion of the enzymes, same process as malted barley, you would just have to try different temperatures/drying times.

[rick]

I can see what started as treats is going to turn into a brewery

[dinosaw]

All the better! . My birds used to love brew days, I would feed them some of the barley after it had been mashed and over the next 2-3 days, they go wild for it.

[Marigold]

That evokes a picture in my mind of all your hens sitting around carousing, falling off their perch blind drunk, singing and hiccuping!

[dinosaw]

I like the idea of that Marigold, a different take on the drunken hen night.

[tygrysek75]

I had always given sprouting seeds for my chickens during winter months when grass is not nice.I had recently also come across of feeding them with fermented seeds which also very good for them.I tried this and seems to love this also.