Growing fodder for chickens

[Debs55]

I just started draining my bird seed after its 24 hour soak and it smells slightly sour. Is that normal?

 

[BY Chicken Lady]

I just started draining my bird seed after its 24 hour soak and it smells slightly sour. Is that normal?

Mine tends to have a slightly sour (like sour dough) smell. I believe it is the 'good bacteria' smell, like with my fermenting feed. To keep that under control I just make sure I rinse the sprouts well each time. It has not turned to mold when I make sure I rinse well and often.

 

[Debs55]

Ok thanks but I may have to move it outside cause it is quite smelly especially since I started rinsing it

 

[BY Chicken Lady]

Ok thanks but I may have to move it outside cause it is quite smelly especially since I started rinsing it

Lol, yes I would imagine it would in a closed up bedroom. I grow my sprouts and ferment my feed in my kitchen, which is open to the living room and between the front and back doors so there is lots of air flow around it. Besides, I am always baking bread so the slight sourdough smell just blends in.

 

[Debs55]

Mine smells like sour watermelon lol

 

[BY Chicken Lady]

Mine smells like sour watermelon lol

LOL, I don't think I have ever smelled a sour watermelon before...I eat them too fast to spoil.

 

[Debs55]

Ooh well we grow them all the time and when they start to sour the chickens get them. Now that I've moved the trays outside there are flies all over them. Is that ok? And they still smell awful

 

[Lacy Blues]

Ooh well we grow them all the time and when they start to sour the chickens get them. Now that I've moved the trays outside there are flies all over them. Is that ok? And they still smell awful

I think you might need to thin them out. How deep are your seeds? Either that or you need to rinse them A LOT MORE OFTEN AND FOR A LONGER TIME than you are now. It sounds like they're starting to spoil. If there is milo in the mix, that could explain the smell but I think rinsing a lot more would take care of it, maybe. How deep are they in the pan?

 

[BY Chicken Lady]

I think you might need to thin them out. How deep are your seeds? Either that or you need to rinse them A LOT MORE OFTEN AND FOR A LONGER TIME than you are now. It sounds like they're starting to spoil. If there is milo in the mix, that could explain the smell but I think rinsing a lot more would take care of it, maybe. How deep are they in the pan?

If the smell is really bad, Lacy Blues may be right, they might be spoiling. I only make my seed a single layer. They swell and end up a little deeper, but not so deep that they wont drain well. Rinsing more and more often may be necessary.

 

[Debs55]

They are about a half an inch thick. I rinsed 3 times yesterday but I'll do more today. I don't see any mold