New fodder system for less then $10

[GpsFrontier]

Hello fintuckyfarms,
I think that's a great simple folder system. I have seen similar systems on YouTube, but I have yet to try it myself. I have researched fodder systems as well, and although I don't remember the exact specifics right now. What I do remember is very similar to your figures. Something like a 50 bag of grain turns into 5-10 times that weight in feed when you sprout it. And as you stated, is much more healthy for the animals because of the vitamins and minerals in the foliage compared to just feeding them grain. Even your animals appropriate/prefer the sprouts. Bottom line, why wouldn't anyone be interested in taking a 50 lbs of feed, and turning it into five times that or more. It makes no sense not to in my opinion.

I know you live in a farming community and I think it would be a great idea if you were able to also exhibit a fodder system at the fair this year. Including showing the benefits of fodder over feeding just grain. I think that would be a big hit in your area. Though I also think it would be equally important to explain the need to control bacteria and fungi that can easily grow in folder systems that could be harmful to the animals. Not to discourage people from trying it, but just to make them aware of the importance and how to control it so they can be successful doing it.

[fintuckyfarms]

I was thinking along those same lines...

[fintuckyfarms]

It's growing... so far no mold but I will soon be switching to a flood and drain auto system. Watering 4 times a day is getting old fast but it's totally worth it to have fresh clean greens to feed my birds. I have been training them to eat the greens with smaller batches of a pasture mix with clover and several grasses. They come running when I go out with it. I am going thru with my plans to build the greenhouse and I think I might build a huge system and sell fodder to local farmers. There are many small hobby farmers in my area with everything from chickens and rabbits to cows and horses and hay is really expensive in my area even tho we grow it here. Most gets shipped over seas. Anyway just a thought for now.... The experiment continues

[fintuckyfarms]

So far the only problem with the system is that I have to hand water it...
Can't wait to redo it into a flood and drain type system. Anybody have an idea how to clean the starch out of the water?
I have not had any problem with mold and I have not used anything in the water or as a pre-soak, no bleech, vinager or hydrogen peroxide.
I think I was putting too much seed into the system and have cut down about 1/2 cup of so per batch. I would like to find some barley and I am still looking fo a resource for it.

[GpsFrontier]

With seeds/sprouts there is really no need to use nutrients. So do it as a drain to waist system rather than a recirculating system. With short timed cycles and a "small" pump (very small fountain or aquarium pump), you wont use or need much water anyway. If you get the timing right and use a small enough pump, you probably wont need to run more than a cup or two of water through it on each cycle. You probably wouldn't need more a couple of 5 gallon buckets. Then just pump the water from one with fresh water in it, through the system and let it drain into the other 5 gal bucket. You can always reduce the flow rate from the pump if it still pumps too much water depending on your minimum timer settings. That would be much easier and less expensive than getting a cycle timer to run real short cycles.