What About Fodder??????

I feel very privileged to have people call or write me for my opinion of all things poultry. While the caveat there is that I have NO university degree on the subject, I do, WE do.... have 16 years of practical experience in all phases of poultry husbandry, butchery and egg production. So ask me anything, but do your "due diligence" as well. I don't know everything and often make mistakes, mainly in my construction though!

This morning, I got a great question asking for my opinion on feeding fodder. This is something down the line for us, as here, we have to have to greenhouse built first or we could never hold enough humidity to grow fodder. Still, I wanted to do the research, learn and try to help my new Australian friend! Here is the question and the answer (I cannot seem to format it correctly, but it is readable):

"I'm just writing to pick your brain about barley grass fodder, I've been told that it's

about 20% protein at five days optimum growth.....how would I work out what to feed

our girls if we wanted say 17% protein laying mix. I hope you don't mind me asking but

I'm at a loss myself and just thought I'd ask you seeing as you worked in the industry."

Well, I did a LOT of research on barley fodder, particularly on the protein content at the 5-7 day range. It seems that those promoting fodder and selling the equipment are the ones who spout that 20% protein number. I read studies from five A &M Colleges (Agriculture and Mechanical or many things that begin with an "M"). The protein contents they have analyzed, fell in the 12-17% range. This is a big departure from 20% when you are trying to run a production poultry operation!

That being said, the other benefits from fodder are wonderful: minerals, amino acids, vitamins, moisture and ease of digestion. After reading through about 50 pages of information and with NO practical experience with anything more than a small sprouter, here is my opinion on using fodder:

IF you are able to grow it easily: low labor, nominal mold and can afford to use the water, it is fantastic to have AS A SUPPLEMENT. Feed it at certain times of the day, while maintaining the grains as "free choice".

Feeding it WILL lower your grain feed consumption, but my thought is that the costs, when you total the structure, water, seed and labor, will figure out to about the same as if you used an all grain diet. The thing NOT discussed is something we know well and THAT should be the determining factor for both of us....... fresh fodder and pasturing positively affects the taste of the eggs and the flesh of the birds. In fact the difference is so much that you can command a premium for your eggs and meat products.

I would continue with a 17-20% (17% for you and 20% for me) diet of mixed grains, including the premix. Use a premix and think of it the same way you think of vaccines, as insurance. What the birds don't need, will become "expensive urine", same as in humans, but that urine is on your pasture, improving it and attracting tasty bugs!

Commercial poultry operations have been using all grain diets for 100 years. Many breeds of birds have been developed using this feed system, so all grain is not bad, just not what wild chickens eat.

However, the semi-wild Anseel chicken of India grows to maturity in 9-12 months and lays 50-70 eggs a year. So a 100% wild diet is not the answer for semi-intensive poultry and egg production.

I think fodder or pasture AND grains is the way to go....... and we LOVE meal worm farming and maggot traps as well! Maggot traps are a good way to recycle dead birds into 80% protein food!