How to Grow Your own Fodder

Learn how to quickly and easily grow your own fodder.

So many people are joining the growing movement of looking and thinking carefully about what they eat.  Many people are choosing organic foods or making the decision to grow their own food to avoid environmentally detrimental farming practices or simply to ensure the food their family eats is healthy and chemical free.  Too often, the concern over our own food doesn’t extend down to the food we feed our animals.  In addition, the cost of animals feed can be expensive.  Choosing to feed your animals sprouted grains provides more control over the feed you give your animals and can also save you money.

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Grow Your Own Fodder? What is Fodder?

Fodder is animal food given to domesticated animals.  For small-scale farms or the backyard homestead, sprouting your own grains to feed your animals either as a replacement or a supplement to commercially produced food. Learning to grown your own fodder is a great way to get more involved in what your animals eat.  By sprouting grains, you actually increase the nutritional value and make more of the protein available to the animal.  Barley seed has a protein value around 12.7 but increases to over 15 when sprouted!  Plus more of that protein is actually available in the sprouted form.

Just by adding water to certain grains and giving them time to grow, you can quadruple (or more) the amount of food you have for your animals.  While I can’t turn $1 into $5, I can turn 1 pound of seed into 5 pounds of animal feed!

Where can you get Grain to Grow Your Own Fodder

A variety of seeds can be used to sprout your own grain, although barley seems to be the most common due to how easy it is to grow.  You can also use wheat, oats, sunflower seeds, etc.  You can find many different fodder seed mixes online and it’s worth experimenting what works best and gives you the best sprouting rate.

How to Grow Fodder

Growing sprouted grain fodder is truly a simple process.  Ultimately what you need is seed, water, a containers and light.  There are many complex fodder systems, but for the home set up you will have the most success if you can keep it simple.  As long as you are harvesting the fodder in 7-10 days you don’t even need a lot of light or nutrients. You can also purchase a fodder growing system, but these tend to be for large scale operations.

For our fodder system we use a series of plastic trays with holes punctured in the bottom.  We keep the trays (which I bought at the dollar store) on a shelf near a south facing window (although this much light isn’t necessary).  Currently each tray of seed sits inside another tray and I simply rotate the trays on an angle each day so the water drains out.  I have all these idea of an elaborate system, but for now this is simple.  The grain grows best when the temperature is kept in the 60s and 70s, so this sunny space works since it’s one of the warmest in our cold house.

Growing the fodder takes about 9 days.  Start by filling the container about 1/3 to 1/2 inch full of seed.  You can also weigh your seed if that is easier once you know how much seed it takes to fill your container. Next you need to rinse the seed and allow it to soak.  Generally we let the seed soak overnight, but it seems to sprout best when soaked at least 12 hours.  After 12 hours, drain the water and put the grain into a container with holes.  If you allow the grain to sit in water too long, you will encourage the growth of mold.

For the next 8 days or so water your grain twice a day, but make sure the container drains so the seeds aren’t sitting in the water.  After a day or two you will start to see small roots sprouting, followed a day or two later by green stems, and the growth will eventually fill in.  Harvest the fodder when it fills in and is up to 6 inches tall.  When it’s time to feed the fodder to the animals, feed the entire container including the seeds. If you wait until the fodder grows any more, you may have mold problems.

You can find a great list of how much to feed different animals here.  It’s important to make sure to clean your fodder containers to discourage mold growing in your next batch. By rotating and planting your fodder trays each day, you will create a continuous supply of fresh fodder for you backyard farm animals.

Introducing Fodder to Your Backyard Farm Animals

When I first introduced the fodder to our animals, there was moment of uncertainty (or in the case of the goats, a refusal to try it)  Within just a minute, the chickens were eating, it took the rabbits a couple minutes, and the goats just nibbled and walked away.  I still have hope that the goats will be won over and I’ve heard other people have had success feeding sprouted grains to goats, but for now the chickens go crazy when they see the fresh greens.  We still aren’t producing enough to feed the animals exclusively, but I hope that we can expand our system over the coming months.

Continue to monitor your animals after you introduce fodder and provide them with proper supplements and roughage for health.

Summary of Feeding Fodder to Backyard Farm Animals

1. Choose the Right Grain: Barley, oats, and wheat are great options for sprouting fodder, with barley being the most popular because it’s easy to sprout and has a high nutrition yield.
2. Use Clean, Non-Treated Seeds: Ensure your seeds are untreated and free of chemicals, as some seeds sold for planting are treated with fungicides or pesticides, which can be harmful to animals.
3. Soak Seeds Before Sprouting: Start by soaking seeds for 8-12 hours in clean, room-temperature water. This helps kick-start the sprouting process and softens the seeds for easier digestion.
4. Rinse Daily: Rinse the sprouting seeds 2-3 times per day to keep them hydrated and prevent mold growth. Good drainage is essential to avoid standing water, which can cause rot.
5. Keep It Mold-Free: Control humidity and temperature to avoid mold, which can be toxic to animals. Adding a small amount of apple cider vinegar to the soak water can help inhibit mold.
6. Maintain Ideal Temperature: Aim to keep the sprouts in a space between 60-75°F (15-24°C). Too much heat can promote mold growth, while cold can slow or stop sprouting.
7. Provide Good Lighting: Although sprouts don’t need direct sunlight, placing them in a space with natural light or using a grow light can encourage growth and nutrient density.
8. Monitor Growth Stages: Sprouts are typically ready to feed to animals after 6-10 days when they reach about 4-6 inches tall and have a well-formed mat of roots.
9. Cut or Pull for Serving: You can either cut the fodder mat into portions or pull up the entire mat for larger animals. For smaller animals, breaking it into small pieces may be more manageable.
10. Gradually Introduce Fodder: Introduce fodder slowly if it’s new to your animals’ diet to avoid digestive upset. Start with small portions and increase as they adapt.
11. Balance with Other Feeds: Use sprouted fodder as a supplement to a balanced diet. It provides good hydration and fiber but doesn’t contain all nutrients necessary for all animal types.
12. Consider Animal-Specific Needs: Different animals benefit from different amounts of fodder; chickens and rabbits need less than goats or sheep, for example. Check each species’ dietary needs.
13. Feed Fresh Fodder Daily: Feed sprouted grains fresh daily to avoid nutrient degradation or spoilage. Leftover or old fodder can become moldy, which is harmful if ingested.
14. Monitor for Mold or Rot Signs: Discard any fodder that has an off smell, slimy texture, or visible mold, as it could cause digestive upset or illness in animals.
15. Start Small, Scale Up: Start with a small batch, then increase based on the demand and consumption rate of your animals. This will help you perfect the process and minimize waste.
16. Hydrate with Fodder: Fodder contains a high water content, which can help hydrate animals, especially in hot weather, but always provide fresh water alongside.
17. Incorporate Fodder in Routine Feedings: Add fodder to your animals’ regular feeding schedule at the same time each day to maintain consistency and help them adjust.
18. Observe Animal Health: Regularly monitor animals for signs of improved coat, energy, and digestion. Fodder is known to improve gut health and overall well-being.
19. Adjust for Seasonal Needs: During colder months, animals may need additional caloric intake from other feed sources alongside fodder for warmth and energy.
20. Store Seeds Properly: Keep your seeds in a cool, dry place to prevent spoilage. Buying seeds in bulk can save money, but proper storage is key to maintain their viability.

By following these tips, you’ll help ensure your backyard animals get the most benefit from fresh, nutritious sprouted grain fodder.

Feeding our animals a fresh, green, food despite the snow on the ground is a great step in moving closer to self-sufficiency and is a quick, satisfying project to add to our daily routine. Learning to grow your own fodder is a great homesteading skill and adds another element to your winter homestead, plus your animals with thank you for the fresh greens in the winter!