growing wheat grass

[Mountainlaurel]

Has anyone here grown wheatgrass for their flocks to use to supplement their winter feed. It's supposed to help with egg laying and I was wondering if it was worth the bother.

Anyone else's experince?

 

[joebryant]

My daughter's a "living foods" advocate, and she raises wheat grass that she puts in a special machine to make a drink from it. It's supposed to be very beneficial for humans.

 

[Lotsapaints]

my birds like the wheat just barely sprouted 4 days in the bucket then out to feed 5 days in the bucket gets it a little more sprouted but not much difference in the feed value it sure made my eggs bigger they eat less laying feed and eat more oyster shell pretty smart chickens. I do oats and sunflower seeds with mine and I don't rinse anymore I let it sour. I had people over today who wanted to know how I got my chickens so big they have really bloomed in the last month of doing this and they are not fat 22 weeks old right at point of lay....I'm very happy with my results and it's easy for me to do that's the best part.

 

[lb2duncan]

@ Lotsapaints I'd like to learn more about your bucket sprouting method. I think I'd like to start sprouts for mine this fall when our grass dies out for the winter. What is your ratio of wheat/oats/sunflowers? Just enough water to cover them? I know when I do sprouts for me I use a canning jar and rinse them every day. You say you let yours sour. Do you mean you let them sprout and just add more water to keep them going?

thanks for the info!

 

[Lotsapaints]

Quote:
Remember I don't get as cold as you do but so far for a 5 gallon bucket I put in 6 coffee cans of wheat 3 cans of oats 2 cans of BOSS and cover the first day with 3 or 4 inches of water then everyday I add water to keep the seeds just covered and yes they sprout and sour I was making a mess rinsing them so I tried it this way I do have an old bucket I feed with that has cracks in it I pour the mix in it and by the time I'm ready to go out and feed it's drained and I find less smell doing it this way the chickens will drink the sour water too with colder weather it might take more days to sprout I'm going to find out

 

[Organics North]

I do it a little different than LOP..
I sprout equal parts wheat, boss, oats. I have 2 5 gal pails, that nest well together. I drill small holes in the bottom of the inner bucket. (holes smaller than the grains of wheat).

I nest the buckets fill with grains then fill with water and soak over night. Then pull the inner bucket out and drain, place back in and fill with water and drain again. I rinse and drain morning and night. I start using the grains after about day two.

If you want to grow flats of wheat grass the birds will appreciate that too in winter. Simply spread a coco fiber mat out in a flat and add seeds, water and light!! Our use coco blocks or peat, or potting soil. Wheat grass is easy to grow.

(I hear wheat grass juice goes for $4 a shot glass in CA.)...

Be well
ON

 

[Lotsapaints]

At the local pet store they sell a 4x4 clump of it for 5.00 in a pot. I shake my head...they say people with cats buy some every week the grass is maybe 4 inches high. It's okay I'm a CA native my great grandfather farmed in Santa Ana now where the old house was is a parking lot.....a shame to ruin a Victorian house....

 

[Boo-Boo's Mama]

I'm planning to do sprouts this Winter and planting beets and carrots for the girls and bunnies. Wish me luck!

 

[Organics North]

Quote:
"Pave over paradise and put up a parking lot"

That lyric has always struck home to me... Even though the nearest pavement is a half mile from me///

ohh. not a Victorian

BBM... Your birds are going to love you for the sprouts!
ON

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

Last Winter we had abunch of oat hay ... and we would throw some out to the horses and they didn't really like it so it would sprout! The chickens had a blast eating that stuff!