@WannaBeHillBilly said: Agreed, calculations like »i turned one pound of grains into 5 pounds of fodder« are misleading, because you are comparing dry and wet food weights. But the author of this video is also comparing apples with pears (as we say in Germany) by comparing feed
quantity with
quality. There is a huge difference in eating fodder versus dry grains, trust my ducks!
I know this issue has been kicked around in a number of places, but it showed up again in my inbox. I am one of those who touted that I turned 1 pound of barley seed into 5 pounds of fresh green fodder. I suppose that could be misleading to some, but I think of dry grain as a different substance than fresh fodder. I have watched, and rewatched, that lady with her "anti-fodder" message and considered her comments. I did all that BEFORE I decided to grow fodder for my chickens. Although I agree with some of her points, I think she misses the mark on others.
From what I have read in other places, the advantage of grown fodder is that the animals have an easier time digesting the fodder and extracting the nutrients from the food, as compared to dry grain. I cannot remember the exact percentages, but dry grains pass through the chicken and most of the grain is not digested. Fodder is more easily digested, something like 2X or 3X more than dry grain, so the animal is able to extract more nutrients from the fresh greens as compared to the dry grains. But it has been awhile, and I cannot remember the exact percentages.
From personal experience, I can see the difference in the egg yolks when the chickens are eating green fodder (the yolk is a darker orange) as compared to when they only get dry feed (the yolk is a pale yellow). I don't know if the darker yolk is better for you or not, but we had egg customers who preferred our backyard eggs because the yolks were so dark orange.
As mentioned, my chickens prefer to eat fresh green fodder rather than their bland dry feed. Having said that, I think a well balanced feed available 24/7 is vital to the health of the chickens and the fodder I give them is just considered a healthy treat, but in no way a substitute for the commercial feed with added nutrients.
Also, growing fodder in the winter months here in norhtern Minnesota is the only greens that my chickens will get to eat for about 6 months out of the year. When the grass starts to grow in the spring, they get to eat fresh grass clippings until last mowing in the fall.
Also, part of my philosophy of raising my chickens is to provide them with a variety of different food items. So, my chickens get most of our kitchen scraps and leftovers as well as anything else they can scratch and peck out in the chicken run compost system. I am all for letting my birds eat as many worms and bugs they can find. I think that is in their nature and it benefits them to work for some of their food.
I have a backyard flock for making compost in the run, and eggs are just a bonus. I use the chicken run compost in my gardens to grow people food and that has worked out very well for me. Chickens are natural composters as they continually turn over the litter, breaking it down, over and over again as they look for bugs and worms.
Growing, and feeding fodder to my chickens just encourages their natural scavenging desires and I believe they are happier working through a clump of fodder than eating dry feed out of the hanging feeder. Again, it's just a great treat for them and not a substitute for the balanced feed.
