Fodder solutions

Manchamom · #41 09/20/12, 02:41 PM

For the OP who just wants to add some greens, I bet we could work out something too.

How about flat bag type things made of hardware cloth and a layer of hay inside. Then she could plant her seed and lay them in a tray for a couple days then hang then up as soon as there is good roots and just keep them watered.(maybe some miracle grow once a week?) That way when the greens were a few inches long she could cut it off to feed the goats their greens but, the mats would keep growing greens many times until the seed wore out.Kind of like growing strawberrys in burlap bags.

Tallabred · #42 09/20/12, 02:56 PM

Emily, was the farm that you saw the fodder system have there own system or a purchased system?

ozark_jewels · #43 09/20/12, 03:10 PM

Purchased. There are a few different companies.......but at the moment I can't remember which one he had.

andabigmac · #44 09/20/12, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Manchamom

For the OP who just wants to add some greens, I bet we could work out something too.

How about flat bag type things made of hardware cloth and a layer of hay inside. Then she could plant her seed and lay them in a tray for a couple days then hang then up as soon as there is good roots and just keep them watered.(maybe some miracle grow once a week?) That way when the greens were a few inches long she could cut it off to feed the goats their greens but, the mats would keep growing greens many times until the seed wore out.Kind of like growing strawberrys in burlap bags.

I don't want to just add greens, I would really like to find a cheaper way to feed that adds greens. I pay a little over $400 a month on feed. The area I live is rather arid and I don't have the water shares to support a pasture. At the moment I have 19 goats, 3 horses, 9 pigs and 47 birds. A lot will be going to butcher soon but that will be a lot of burlap. It sounds like a really doable concept though. Question though, if you were to just keep cutting you would need to start adding fertilizer to maintain optimal nutrition, true or false?

CaliannG · #45 09/20/12, 05:57 PM

True. You would need to add nutrient solution.

If I were to go that route, I'd figure out some shallow hydroponics system. Hydroponics is SO much more economical on water than just spraying your water into the dirt!

This though, I like. I am spending $100 a week on concentrates and alfalfa pellets, due to my pasture being nearly ruined. As long as I am spending that much, I can't afford to save up to do the things to make my pasture NOT ruined.

With this, it seems, I can cut down my cost of feed. If it turns a 50lb bag of oats into 275 lbs of oats, with only some time and labor added on my part, it is well worth it. If it cuts down on the consumption of browse, it will put less of a strain on my pasture and perhaps I can do something with it to help it recover.

Manchamom · #46 09/21/12, 03:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by andabigmac

My biggest lament is that my babies don't get green food as often as I'd like. I cut stuff out of the yard but nothing grows quickly here so it doesn't replenish itself as fast as I need it.

See now here I thought you were just a homesteader, WoW I am corrected.

Anyway.
I have a friend who just put one of these in. After building the insulated climate controled building to specs, reworking the system so that he didn't have to climb a ladder everyday to pull the top trays out, he spent about $18,000 on the system. He bought his from Farm-Tek rather then a company shipping from Australia.

melwynnd · #47 09/21/12, 09:46 AM

Hi everyone,

I've spent the past 6 weeks or so developing an automated fodder sprouting system for the small homesteader. I live in town and am planning on having some meat rabbits, chickens, and a couple of mini goats so I wanted a way to be able to feed them without hauling and storing a lot of hay.

I sell two complete kits: one with 6 trays that produces about 15 lbs of fodder from 4-5 cups of wheat (barley is very hard to find here) and a 12 tray system that produces 30 lbs per day. I also sell plans for the do-it-yourself type.

Pricing and more info is available at index

Sherry

Fodder solutions - Goats

Not the best picture of this, but I'll have better ones up tomorrow.

Fodder solutions - Goats

andabigmac · #48 09/21/12, 09:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Manchamom

See now here I thought you were just a homesteader, WoW I am corrected.

Ummm..... It was supposed to start out that way.

CaliannG · #49 09/21/12, 05:28 PM

Thank you, Sherry. I will be in touch about plans.

melwynnd · #50 09/21/12, 07:32 PM

The Fodder Inspector hard at work. He's checking the Fodder that will be harvesting in the morning. There should be at least another 3/4" growth on it by then.

Fodder solutions - Goats

andabigmac · #51 09/21/12, 07:39 PM

Are they not getting the memo? I specifically asked for catnip in here! CATNIP!

Manchamom · #52 09/21/12, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by andabigmac

Ummm..... It was supposed to start out that way.

It happens to the best of us.

Sherry, that is exactly what I need. I won't put my bankcard # on the computer though. Can I send you a money order for the plans?

melwynnd · #53 09/22/12, 08:15 AM

Here are some better pictures:

Finished fodder:

Fodder solutions - Goats

System right before Harvest:
Fodder solutions - Goats

Beginning next cycle:
Fodder solutions - Goats

The water is a week old. I'll change it today. So it takes about 16 gallons of water to grow a weeks worth (105 lbs) of Fodder. Then I take it outside and water my plants with it.

I spend about 5 minutes a day on Fodder Production.

Sherry

josafeen · #54 10/28/12, 03:26 PM

So we are really intrigued and excited about fodder possibilities, and wanting to figure a larger scale, diy alternative to the purchased systems. Wondering if gutting an old travel trailer would be a good option (power and water plumbed and more importantly, insulated). Anyone thinking in this direction?

Alice In TX/MO · #55 10/28/12, 03:44 PM

That is exactly the one that was at the Go Green Festival.

Unfortunately, my goats reacted as they do to anything new..... they didn't want it.

I'm going to Plan B. I'm going to sprout SMALL amounts for them during the winter so they can get used to it.

Then, if the goats are more interested in the spring, I'll get the fodder system from the lady who showed them at the festival.

If you look at the incredible amount of cutting and fitting that goes into the system, it's worth the price. Now if the goats will get acclimatized to a food change, it would be great.

CaliannG · #56 10/28/12, 07:10 PM

josafeen, might as well go with a hoop-house style greenhouse instead. It would be less labor intensive than gutting a travel trailer, and the sun can provide the light for you, instead of having to pay the electric for light in a travel trailer.

punchiepal · #57 10/28/12, 09:54 PM

Alice,
That's what I have done. Start small. Had some planting flats to grow some in but only started with a # of seed. Using a new weed sprayer that dh hasn't used yet to mist a few times a day. Started with some oat b/c that was what I had in the barn. Kept offering and about day 3 they took it, slowly at first but they took it. Chickens love the leftovers. LOL
Looked for Barley seed and the mill didn't have it but they had pigeon feed. He said it was barley just not certified to grow. He even called the company to make sure it wasn't steamed or anything. Just seed. Seems like they like barley better than oats and they seem to be sprouting better also.

LoneStrChic23 · #58 10/28/12, 10:05 PM

Alice what seed did you try sprouting?

Sherry in Iowa · #59 10/29/12, 08:15 AM

I am SO happy this thread got started!

Questions. What is that matt stuff? Is it the same stuff that the highway people use to reseed ditches (don't laugh..I'm a hick).

If you feed this you can cut down on the grain..right?

If you are feeding hay twice a day..no grain..would this be taking the place of one hay feeding?

How much would you feed a cow or a goat or a milking goat?

How warm does it have to be to grow this?

That's it for now..lol. I am surprised at myself..I think this sounds like something that homesteaders could use to "hang-on" through good and bad times.

Thanks again for starting this thread!

CaliannG · #60 10/29/12, 11:50 AM

Sherry, this is from what I have researched on the stuff:

1. The "mat" is the root system of the sprouts, completely edible by livestock You feed the whole thing, roots and all. When you take it out of the tray to feed to your animals, it is called a "mat of fodder".

2. The sprouted seeds have the same nutrient content of the grain it is sprouted from, the nutrients are just in a more bioavailable form, and there is more of it (also including water weight). Basically, by sprouting, you are taking your grain and multiplying the dry weight in nutrients by 2.5. You are also adding on water weight. Therefore, 1 lbs of grain turns into 5 lbs of fodder, 2.5 lbs of which is dry matter nutrients.

3. If you are not feeding grain at all, this could take the place of one hay feeding, but what you would want to do it divide it up, so that you fed HALF of the hay you normally feed at each feeding, and add the fodder to both feedings.

4. In any animal, yo can replace grain one-to-one with fodder. It is *mainly* a concentrate (grain) replacement, although the added advantage is that you can feed less, or much poorer quality, hay. So, figure out what you would like to feed the animal in grain, if you were going to go with REALLY crappy hay, and I mean REALLY crappy....and then replace that amount with fodder on a 1-1 basis. 1lb of grain = 1lb of fodder.

5. Room temperature is sufficient to grow fodder. This is why most folks are soing it inside, next to a sunny window.

One of the main boosts for this is the nutritional analysis and bioavailability. It is like a cup of sprouts is better for us, and more nutritious, that a cup of bread, even if they both come from the same grain. The sprouts have taken in water and light to add more nutrients, and change some of the protein, fat, and carbohydrate chains into types that are more readily usable. Greens are always better for us than seeds, and the same holds true for livestock.