FODDER DAY 6

Evening of day 5 and day 6 of raising the fodder.

Notice last entry the size of the fodder mornng of day 5 then the above photo of EVENING day 5.
AMAZING! Below Day 6. Sun finally came out. the fooder was raised almost totally on cloudy  days light.

CHICKEN UPDATE NOV 7,2012

Sold my Barred Rock hens.
Really pretty but would run when they got out and i was trying to get them in the pen.
 Too smart!
I have one 4 month old one left anyway who is a buddy to Midnight my  pretty Orp Roo.

Also sold 3 of my (favorite) Light Brahmas HATED to do that..but had to.Too many as i have the 3 grown hens and now a small shrimp LB hen (late hatcher) and one roo.

thats Plenty.

BBS Orps didnt hatchI am not surised as they were in the mail 4 days .threw them out yeaterday .Today is day 20 for the Palomino Bantam Brahma eggs!!Excited.Worried b/c my hunsdity came down to 58  overnight 2 days in a row.Should be 65-70!!Hope it didnt hurt them..

Chicken Fodder

In my life one thing leads to another always.I never know what direction i am going...Now its into Fodder.
 "FODDER" is raising hydroponic feed for your stock.  In my case of course chickens.

It  is raised inside and takes one week. which was really appealing to me.Its raised with NO DIRT so the cost is really just seed.
 After reading  a  Fodder  thread on BYC i started my fodder,Went to the feed store in Farmington  which sold seed in bulk.
Barley is preferred but wheat is second.Oats they say gets guppy with mold easily. No   barley... i bought wheat seed.
 5 lbs which i thought would be $5 but no  only $2.Then bought 2 lbs of sunflower seeds to add.
Got some  used plant flats from Lowes  FREE...

Soak seed over night.
Wash well.
 Put in "flat" about 1/2 " thick cover the bottom  of flat solidly.
Rinse twice a day.Whallah

 I am using tv dinner trays here in top photo.
The positive  on this size is saving  spacefit most places even the window sill  saved from  trash , help  the enviroment and growing the fodder in a size that will be  perfect for my  small flocks no waste like a large flat as i dont know for sure but i would think to uproot it from the flat to cut some off isnt that good for the roots. of the rest you wont use..
 All mine are flats that are separated for pots to grow in which i think will turn out well since my chickens arent all together.

Soaked  24 hours and set over night This is what I have Day 1

Tv dinner containers

 

Below  day 2.Hope you can tell the growth  on the seeds is about twice to 3 times  as long as day 1

 Actually the first set in tv tray  i put another tv  container on top of the seeds when set  before letting them set all night and i think the total  darkness helped them germinate  faster to this point.Works for other plants.

Its a rainy day today so dont know how much it all will grow  with no sun.Might put them under my grow light


DAY5-
Yesterday the seeds started to hold together... Roots intertwining
In a window but Weather has been cold and cloudy .About 70 inside.

Id have a cheap grow light on them to extend the daylight.One is4 feet away  from the grow light and  seems to be doing  just as the other 2 so..not sure the little light is doing much.

Here are the babies now Lavender Orps...about 3 or 4 months old.
I had 3 laced Brahmas hatch  but they were so scared in the 3rd coop with the others. One died of starvation  and cold. I  had to take the other 2 out as one was  at deaths door too butr made it.
Put them back in the bathroom until i built a #4th coop for them....

By the way I ordered silver laced Brahma EGGS.
 When they hatched i got 3 chicks .AND one was a gold laced.
It was pretty surpising !!But iwanted them too so not too bad.
Just today i am  thinking   the Silver Laced  is a roo and the gold  laced a pullet. Dont know about crossing them.
Might ruin the lacing  and color but will see
Anyway they were in it 2 days and i still had 5 Light Brhama babies in the tub.!!
Took them outside to the new run ...(3rd)  and started  THEIR coop #5!!!

Midnight He just crowed first time yesterday

Need a newer photo of laced Brahmas  as the lacing doesnt show on the pick i have when thye are new. 

Today Oct 27,2012 it is almost done Need windows and doors then finished BUT instead of bringing 5 chicks back in the tub i brought the laced back in snce its just 2. They will get the new coop

BABY Light Brahmas last weekthis is a pullet.tehre are 2 pullets and 3 cockrels
Run #4 i made it 14 " tall and used chicken wire around the legs so they can run in the 8 foot run AND under the coop.The Light Brahmas  tried it out 2 days and loved it.
NOW ihave 2 sets oif eggs inthe bator.I am crazy!!November hatch? WHAT?????
I havre BBS orps again and Palomino Brahmas
Will see how they hatch
 The Palominos are from 3 hours away and picked them  up since shipped you get so few chickens
 

3rd tractor coop

Then the hatchedchicks got bigger and needed to move out too....so need another coop!

This is coop # 3 ..my most fancey.Just built this in  later September.Screened on top sides,and front and back Floor slides out.3 " Wheels. Slot  chicken door.Roof opens
   

Then the older hens started to lay eggs  so needed a nest box Decided to redo the triangle coop which was standing idle in the yard.Added windows on each side.Bottom door  and top door onthe other side,3 nests 2 bottom 1 top.Cant tell  here but its more nearly rectangle now. 

3rd tractor coop

Then the hatchedchicks got bigger and nee

3rd tractor coop