Growing Sprouts for Chickens

I've kinda dropped out of the blogging world for a bit but I'm heading into April with the best of Intentions. I've decided to do the A to Z blogging Challenge again this year to get myself back into the swing of writing again. I really do enjoy the writing, the challenge as well as meeting new people and find new awesome blogs!

My getting back into it post is one  that has been brewing around for a while. I was supposed to be a February post, back when the chickens didn't have any greens, other than what I was hiding from them in the garden. Sorry girls, it's still off limits but you have other things to keep you busy now.

I was feeling sorry for them since the pickings for fresh greens was a bit slim, oh they were still getting scraps and their favorites but the foraging just wasn't happening. So I decided to create some foraging opportunities for them.

What is a Spout? A sprout is a whole grain or seed that has been grown with just water. Once a seed has been germinated it is considered a sprout until it reaches 4 inches, after that it is considered Fodder, which is a whole nother concept. Obviously they start out the same way but since Fodder grows longer it runs the risk of growing bacteria and therefore it takes a bit more attention and work.

Are there any benefits to sprouting grains over just regular feed?

I think so and some science backs that up. Our Girls are spoiled and can get into trouble during the colder months so a bit of well placed sprouts can entertain them as well as give them something healthy in their diet. It has also been shown that sprouts are easier to digest and that the sprout it's self has beta-carotene as well as more available nutrients  as compared to the unsprouted grain.

What kind of seeds should I use? I've sprouted grains and beans for our consumptions but I wanted to try something that would interest the mini velociraptors we have in the yard. So I did some research and came up with Scratch and Peck Foods . They have a great variety of grains, suitable for sprouting or just scatter feedings. I picked the 3 Grain Scratch. As you can see below it's non-gmo and organic, which are both important to us. This type includes Barley, Wheat and Oats, all great for sprouting. We don't have a local retailer so I ordered mine from Amazon. It's not the only thing out there and you can try a variety of seeds, grains or beans that work great for chickens.

Here's a view of the grains. We'll have enough for sprouting, and treats for a while!

Is it hard or time consuming? Sprouting grains is an easy task, that really only takes minutes a day for great results. So if you've sprouted before or aren't really sure what I'm talking about this will walk you through some of the basic steps to get started growing a great supplement for your poultry

Do I need a bunch of special equipment or a ton of space? Nope, I use a couple of containers I had on hand, but you can use jars, used berry containers or check out some of the serious sprouting options out there. I kept my on my kitchen table, it gets a good amount of sun, but window sills are great places too. The temps should be between 45 and  70 degrees. 

Ready to get started? Good Deal here we go!

1.The first thing is to take your grains/seeds and soak them in clean water for 8 to 24 hours. Make sure the water covers the grain completely. I soak mine overnight. It's the last thing I do and then when I get up they are ready to go.

2. Getting your containers ready, Pick a container with very small holes or poke holes in the container you plan on using. Not too big because you don't want to loose you seeds when you rinse. Any size container will do but I recommend smaller containers just because they are easier to handle, and a small amount of seeds will produce a large amount of sprouts.

3.Drain your grains well and spread them into your container 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep.

4. The sprouts will need to be watered and drained completely twice a day for 5 to 6 days. At which time they will be ready to fed to your poultry! I took my containers and put them in a larger container with water, allowed them to sit for a few minutes and they took them out and left then in the sink to drain.

To give you an idea of what you can look forward to, here is a day by look at my efforts!

Day One

Day Two

Day Three- roots are really growing fast!

Day Four- Sprout Side

Day Six - Let the Feast Begin!

I had a few so I strategically placed them around the yard

And the great part is there is no waste! They eat the entire thing!

I hope this encourages you to grow some sprouts for your Flock, I'll be starting another batch this weekend for our newbies, since they are shut in until they get a bit bigger!

Aww aren't they the cutest?

Thanks for stopping by and remember to check out the A to Z Challenge which starts on the 1st! No Fooling here!. I'm going to be talking about a different kind of Fruit,Veggie or Herb everyday. You might just find something you can't wait to try! 

Cute Overload

As you know we are fostering four baby ducks, well Matilda the hen is doing the real work,we are just enjoying them.

They are two weeks old and I'm a bit behind with the pictures but I wanted to share their first adventure outside. She's being a really great mom, teaching them to scratch, watching nervously while they splash around and keeping them in line.

Check them out. They are super cute. Chris and E as well as Matilda would love to keep a few but we don't have a pond and I've done the kiddie pool routine before..We do not have time to do that and everything else that is going on around here. So we'll enjoy them for another couple of weeks before they move back "home" and become ducks again instead of Chickens..

You've been warned, the cuteness is almost too much to handle...

In case you missed the earlier post. this is what we started with ..

That's food in the water Matilda was teaching them to scratch and the food bowl went flying. They'd rather splash than eat anyway.. She'd rather they get out of the water!

Mom's version of a bath.. they don't understand dust baths either..

Hanging out with Mom

They got a bit dirty during mom's bath so they got one of their own. She was not a happy camper that we left her outside while they took a dip in the sink. I should have gotten a picture of her giving me the stink eye through the back door..

I have a video but I can't seem to get it to play. Hopefully I'll be able to load it and you'll be able to see how much they enjoyed their swim.

Check back for more details and fun. We're in full canning and gardening season so more of that is coming up soon too.

Thanks for stopping by!

Hello World, We're here!

It's been a very busy month and I haven't totally ignored posting, I do have ideas,it's just getting the the chance to put them into words. I do have an update from last month's post Chickens are Strange.

If you remember one of our chickens, Matilda became very broody and was determined to hatch a bucket of pecans. We have friends that have ducks and while they are all about fertilizing eggs, no one was interested in the hatching part. So we pimped out  volunteered Matilda to be the incubator.

She did a great job, sat a whole 26 days in the crazy heat we've had, put up with us rubbing her every time we walked by, with cats sticking their noses in her space and you have to admit she had to have some cramped toes.

Then on Sunday we were coming back from the garden and we see this little yellow head poking out. After a couple of seconds of excitement we congratulate ourselves and of course the chicken and decide we need to get her and the peep in a better spot. I start hunting up a tote and when I get back there is another head poking out. Another round of giggling ensues, me not Chris, although he is excited.

 She's been a really good sport about the whole process, and I don't have a bit of problems getting her out of the bucket and into the tote. Que more excitement, there are two more fresh from hatching under her. She's done it, she hatched all four duck eggs!!

Yes those are little ducks and their momma chicken!

Everyone is doing great and the babies are splashing up a storm in the water dish. We decided that since she put so much effort into the hatching, it would be a good idea for her to keep them until they have feathers at least. I hate to take them away now, but they will be going back to their original family and get to be ducks, well at least two will... I think we might barter for two for Matilda. We'll see how it goes, she might be ready to see them move along in a while..lol.

Be prepared for cute duckling videos or pictures at the very least coming soon..

Chickens are strange

Just for the record our chickens are family and of course free range. They are totally spoiled and have minds and personalities of their own. So when one decided it would start sleeping under the carport at night with the cats, we thought sure why not. She's not hurting anything and maybe there was a dust up in the coop. We did check and the coop seems okay, no strange dangers or unusual issues. We do have a few who like to play wild chicken by roosting in the Magnolia tree during good weather, at night but to each their own.

Then I came out one morning and I saw this...

The goof ball was in a bucket. I came home and there was an eggs. Okay that's fine. She was out scouting the front yard for bugs and aggravating the cats and coming back at night to roost. 

Then that's when the strange comes into play. She has decided to go broody.. on this!

This bucket that she had been laying in and that had been retrieving an egg a day is half full of pecans from last year. We had picked them up late and never did anything with them. So there they sat until she came along. Now she has decided that they must be small eggs and she is going to hatch them!

I thought she might be laying on some eggs.. nope.. just pecans. If you bother her she fluffs out and rearranges her "eggs". She does get off to eat and drink if it's brought near to her. 

I figured she's give up after a week, nope still there. So we were talking to some friends last night and they have ducks. Their ducks won't sit on the eggs and they suggested we give her a couple of eggs that could be viable to try and hatch since she's been trying so hard. So last night we took her out and placed the eggs. She was very excited and settled back in after our disruption. She poked and prodded and got comfortable again. We'll give her a few extra worms this week as a treat and see how it goes. I have already laid down the law and we won't be keeping the ducks, just fostering for now. The original owners would like to have them back. E is very upset that we would take them away from her after she hatched them, but I think she would be a bit confused about what to do with them, if they do hatch. I'll keep you updated on the chicken/duck progress.

Have you done any switcheroos on your chickens? How did it work? Share your stories I'd love to know what to expect!

Easter Eggers

It sounds like I'm a day late for the holiday but it's something totally different. Easter Eggers is a name for a group of chickens that don't really fall into a certain category of chicken. They are a bit of a mixed breed but one that has a strange gene that causes them to lay a colored egg. Not a brown egg, that is a color too but their's can range from green to pink. They did get their name from the coloring of their eggs looking like an Easter Egg.

Not all of these are from our Easter Eggers but you can see the range of colors we get! From light blue to a pink. Others we have lay almost a green or olive color.

My favorite thing about them is that not only are the eggs colorful they are too. I like to have a lot of variety in our flock and these always fit the bill. They can be dark, or light, white, grey or brown. They are always different and that goes for their personality also. They are very good in flocks, and are good with children too. Ours are very friendly and are often picked up and carried around the yard. 

One of our Rhode Island hens snuck into this picture but you can see the variations on these young birds.

These are two variations of the colors available

You might also see them called Ameraucanas but not all Easter Eggers are Ameraucanas. To be officially in this category they must meet certain requirements but to me I'm in it for the colors and eggs these aren't show birds. 

They are great layers, good for small flocks and have tons of personality. Some have a green colored legs, ear tufts or beards. This type of chicken will always stand out in a crowd! They can be hard to find at our local farmers supply because they are so popular and they go fast when a shipment comes in. If you are looking for a couple of chickens for your backyard these are the ones I'd suggest. 

Check back tomorrow for the F word.. "FIGS" but while you're waiting check out some other great bloggers also working on the A To Z Challenge. If you're interested in poultry check out Julzcards, she is doing a post a day on that topic!

How much is that ... Chicken?.. in the window..

You know you live on a farm when this is what you see first thing in the morning..

That window's not dirty it's our Dogs Artwork! 

Photo Bombing on the Farm

A few day ago we had one of those really great early Fall days. We don't get too much Fall here. We seem to go from really hot to kinda hot to freeze warnings. So when we get a nice sunny day that isn't above 85 we try to get out and enjoy it.

While I was just sitting out back talking to the Chickens and enjoying nature I thought that I would try and get a few good picture of them for my instagram account. There in lies my problem. Generally if you aren't feeding them (or the cats) or directly talking to them they tend to ignore you. Quietly I get down on their level and pull out the camera, and there they are, all up in your face trying to figure out what interesting thing you are up to. Curiosity is not a domain limited to cats.

I waited until they had wandered a bit away and I here's my first shot. Not too bad, chickens being chickens. Holy Cow! I just saw Yoda there in the background waving, great, now the cats are bombing me too. Check out the crazy cat on the left,

Then I think they start to catch on that something is going on. I swear they think they are posing for the next issue of Backyard Chickens.

Then just as I think things are going well, I get this. And in all honesty I shouldn't have been surprised, she thinks she should be the center of attention at all times. And did I mention she is the complainer..Diva Chicken we call her,

So I try for one last group shot, they are never all in the same area at once. And Ookami just happens to pick that moment to wander by..There are Chickens behind that fuzzy head.

And he even has the nerve to smile for the camera. The Diva has been upstaged! 

Do you have a photo bombing animal at your house too? We can't be the only one with this problem..lol

Hope you are enjoying your Fall Days too.

But it's only Six...

That's how it all started. We moved from the coast to about an hour and a half inland. Yeah we both grew up with Grandparents that farmed and we had great memories of that time, couldn't we just recreate a bit of those by gone days... and that's where we started with a tiny garden and six baby chickens from a local store.

They were so cute, silly and brave all at the same time, I was determined to make them pets, so have them love me as much as I loved them. I gave them names to fit their personality, we raised them in the house and it was crazy stressful when they went out for the first night to their newly build Coop.

They survived and are happily running around terrorizing the gardens and the other animals. But the issue is that that that those six have turned into almost 35!. Yes 35! We have entered a whole new level of Chicken Wrangler, so beware, when they are selling you those yellow balls of fluff they know that you will be back for more and all of the extras that they need. They should have a sign on those corrals that say CAUTION- Chickens are Addictive....kinda like potato chips you just can't have one or six.

The do work for their living, laying eggs and eating the ants and other bugs around the house and in the garden. They won't be dinner.. ever, I know some disagree about this but they are truly pets and they have their own personalities.. just wait you'll see..