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Spouts as livestock feed vs commercial feed
Posted by KW at 2015-07-20 19:22:01
Hello, Is there anyone out there feeding only sprouted grains as a whole ration for pigs or chickens on a small commercial scale? One could cut the cost of feed by a large percentage if one bought whole grain in bulk and sprouted it. However I wonder about the nutritional balance and lack of diversity in the diet with one mono crop feed. Any info is welcome. Thanks, KW
Response by kevin fort causeway at 2015-07-21 08:05:29
We fed 60 laying hens full ration sprouted barley for a full year. They layed well, just needed calcium as some eggs weren't strong. They also ranged around outside...
It came out to half the cost of store bought ration.
It was a low protein beer barley that we used.
Response by kevin fort causeway at 2015-07-22 22:35:00
and we did 500 chickens in movable pasture coops using 24 hr sprouted barley as well. I think the sprouted grains were fine nutrition wise, but the intensive heat here kicks their butt, even with shade. We had started those broilers in May.
Instead of finishing in the hot, we are now starting late July (hardly need a brooder) and finishing in 16 weeks, letting them free range more with higher forage as cover. When they are fat and heavy they aren't as stressed, and its nice to butcher in the cool. And the chicks are cheaper if you don't compete in the spring rush.
15 fall weiner pigs got a few pounds each of 6 day barley fodder grass all winter, old timers stopping by consistently said "those are the slickest hogs I ever saw"
We still get calls for the bacon. Can't find a processor who will cut the whole hog into bacon though.
My favourite is wheat/oat/pea/barley hay, put up too dry so the small square bale looks yellow. Its a nice lazy way to dry your hay before you bale it.
Soak the bale in an old trough or bathtub for 12 hrs prior to feeding, the horses have dapples all winter. We started doing this, soaking hay, with a couple horses out east that had heaving problems to alleviate molds/dust...

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