I bought 3x 10L buckets with lids which are the white sprouting buckets and already had an old yellow paint bucket (it's clean on the inside honest!). I also bought 4 small 5L buckets and drilled holes in the bottoms of these so that they can drain out the water but retain the grain.
Basically the system works by soaking grains (I'm using wheat but have tried corn, all sorts of other grains could be used too) for a day and night then put into a sprouting bucket and put the lid on. The 3 sprouting buckets are rotated according to the day and I reuse the sprout water 3 times before emptying it into the chooks drink water. They seem to love both the sprouted grains (which are apparently several times more nutrious than non-sprouted grains) and the water.
Now girls, where are the eggs?!
4 comments:
I am very intrigued with this sprouting grain tutorial, thank you and my little chickens will too! My "hens" apparently have a few boys in the bunch, ugghhh!! Sounds really neat, now is this something you do in the winter to provide something different? Elaine
I've done that in the past. It's great for the chickens I've used boiled whole barley as well. You just put about half an icecream container of whole barley into the slow cooker fill it up with water and leave it cooking over night. It works wonders for vitality and for keeping chickens weight as well. I've been told Barley water also has health benefits. But I haven't been game to try any.
Hi Elaine
No it's not something particular to the season, just a general way to feed them (other than using commercial feed pellets). I also give them greens, crushed up dried eggshells and various other bits and bobs (mind you the pigs are now getting most of those!)
Hi Liz
The barley sounds good thanks for the tip.
**Forgot to mention where I read about the sprouting of grains - from Pam Adam in Kay Baxter's book Koanga Garden Guide, an excellent resource.**
Excellent idea. Eggstra nutrition and a bit of a novelty for the girls.
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