I remember growing up as a kid my Mom would have jars of alfalfa and other types of sprouts up in the kitchen cupboard. Yes, it was the 70's and yes, she was into healthy eating (whole wheat bread, unsalted natural peanut butter and tofu) way before it was en vogue. A woman ahead of her time, she inadvertently gave me an idea for healthy treats for our chickens this winter ! I've been trying to think of inexpensive, healthy treats for them since now with more than thirty chickens and ducks, it's just too expensive to buy them produce at the grocery store like I used to do when we only had eight. Turns out, sprouts are extremely nutritious and easy to grow. If YOU have also been wondering what you can give to your flock for healthy treats this winter when they can't get out to forage, and when produce isn't plentiful, why not sprout some seeds or beans for them? It's inexpensive and give the chickens much-needed nutrition when they can't be out eating grass and weeds.
You can sprout all kinds of things: clover, alfalfa, mung beans, peanuts, lentils, peas, quinoa, radish, mustard seeds, grains, clover, oats, garbanzo beans, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, among others. Check your local health food store or online for organic beans and seeds for sprouting. (Caution: dried beans contain a toxin called hemaglutin and should never be fed RAW to chickens, however cooking or sprouting destroys the toxin. I would still suggest avoiding the larger beans such as lima, kidney and the like, and stick with grains, seeds and smaller beans like mung or lentil instead)
I recently sprouted some mung beans for our chickens. Here's what I did:
Materials Needed
Pint or quart canning jar with lid
1 rounded Tablespoon of mung beans (or other sprouting beans or seeds - organic is best)
Grapefruit Seed Extract or White Vinegar (optional) Cut the shelf liner to fit inside the ring part of the jar. This allows air to circulate inside the jar. You can buy pre-made sprouting lids, but this way is easy and inexpensive and works just as well.
Pour one rounded Tablespoon of beans into the jar and cover with cool tap water (optional: add a few drops of Grapefruit Seed Extract or White Vinegar as a sanitizer).
Let soak for about 8 hours and then drain the water. Refill the jar with plain tap water and swirl the beans to rinse them well and then drain again. Hold the jar upside down and shake a few times to be sure all the water has drained out. (Alternatively, you can set the jar upside down in a bowl at an angle or in your dish drainer rack until all the water has drained.)
Set the jar on the counter in a spot with low light and continue to rinse and drain twice a day for several days. All you are doing is keeping the beans moist. Be sure to drain the jars well of all water each time you rinse.
By the second day you should see sprouts starting.
Once the beans have cracked open and started to sprout, move the jar to a sunny location, but not in direct sunlight - a southern exposure windowsill is perfect, to allow the sprouts to green up a bit. Continue to rinse and drain the sprouts twice daily until they are done. The mung beans took five days until nice green leaves had grown and the sprouts were done and ready to be eaten.
It's as easy as that, and both your chickens and ducks will love them. Sprouted seeds and grains are actually more nutritious than either feeding them whole or grinding them into feed. Try a different kinds to see which are your flocks' favorites.
I am planning on keeping five jars going all the time this winter, starting a new one each morning so one jar is ready to eat each day, for a constant healthy treat source for our flock.
P.S....YOU can eat them too! Add the sprouts to salads or sandwiches or just munch on them by the handful.
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in North Fork Idaho,
including Sussex Chickens, Welsummer Chickens, Turken Chickens and more.
Be sure to check out the Bargain Specials, as you can combine different
egg layers in smaller amounts and buy as an assortment. North Fork
Idaho also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
North Fork Idaho, bantams for sale, ducks for sale, geese for sale,
turkeys for sale, guinea for sale, peafowl for sale, pheasant for sale,
chukar partridge for sale, bobwhite for sale, many different breeds of
baby chicks for sale in North Fork ID.
Baby
Chickens Eggs For Sale in
North Fork, Idaho
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in North Fork Idaho
catalog is a yearly traditions in many houses. My kids and I eagerly await
the Murray McMurray Hatchery catalog. We love looking at all the cool and
different chicken breeds available. Catalogs are free so head on over to
their site and request one if you are interested.
Typically hatcheries online offer both standard breeds
and bantams. Bantams are fun hardy little chickens, they lay tiny eggs
that kids especially love collecting. Bantams typically weigh less than 2
pounds when full grown. Just like ordering anything online there are pros
and cons to ordering baby chicks online. Pros of buying baby chicks in
North Fork Idaho * Big Selection - If you are wanting a large
variety of different chicken breeds and egg colors, you will find the best
selection at an online hatchery. * Both Bantams and full sized chickens
available * You get to choose what sex you want. If you want a mixture of
both male and female then choosing a "straight run" will save you money
and you will get a mixture of male and female chicks. You can also choose
all males or all females too. * Weekly specials. Hatcheries have sales on
chicks, you are likely to get a good deal if you are flexible with the
breeds you are wanting. Cons of buying baby chicks in North Fork
Idaho * Order early to get the best selection. Certain breeds sell
out fast, sometimes as early as 6 months in advance of shipping! If you
are wanting a certain breed it's best to order your chicks in the fall
before their orders sell out.
Baby Chickens
And Ducks For Sale in
North Fork, Idaho
Quantity - you must order a certain number of chicks. Typically hatcheries
will require you buy a minimum of 25 chicks at a time. The number is
necessary for the chicks survival during shipping. All 25 chicks are put
in one small box without heat. They are crowded in the box and produce
enough body heat to arrive in good shape. * The wait - If you choose to
buy chicks from a feed store you will have them the same day but if you
choose to go with a hatchery you have to wait until they are ready to ship
and then wait for the chicks to arrive. Ordering baby chicks online in
North Fork Idaho is easy and has always been a very pleasant
experience of me. It can be a little frustrating waiting for the chicks
but it's so worth the wait. When the post office calls and you hear all
those little "cheeps" or "chirps" in the background you'll know the wait
was worth it! How to Care for your new baby chickens in North Fork,
Idaho Baby chicks are very
charming and
hard to withstand,
but it's ideal to prepare for their
arrival before you obtain them. Prepare initially
by gathering not just the
appropriate materials, yet
likewise the appropriate
understanding to care for
them. Raising baby chicks is relatively
easy, you simply need
to provide them with the following: A tidy and also cozy
environment Plenty of food and water Attention as well as
love Environment Your environment could be a straightforward box, fish tank,
pet cat carrier, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels and
blankets (with no loosened
strings!) to begin, and also after a
couple of weeks use straw over paper.
Note: Avoid using just
newspaper or various other slipper
surface areas-- or your chicks legs could expand
misshapen. You also need
something to dish out food and also
water in, such as a chicken feeder and also water
dish from the feed store, or a pickle container
lid for food and a pet bird water dispenser from an animal shop. Also, as the chicks get
older you can present a perch
into the habitat to obtain them
trained on perching. Warmth To
maintain your chicks warm you need to
provide them with a heat source.
This can be as easy as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style lamp from a
hardware shop, or an infrared reptile heat
bulb additionally work very
well (my
referral). Chicks require this
warmth 24/7 up until their downy fluff is
changed with plumes (which can take up to two months). The recently
hatched require a temperature
between 90 as well as 100 levels,
and also every week this could
be minimized by
about 5 degrees or
so. The warmth resource need to be on simply one side of the cage
to enable chicks a range of
temperature levels. The chicks are your finest
thermometer- if they are hiding in the
opposite edge of your warmth
lamp, you need to
decrease the temperature level. If
they are smothering each various other under the
heat (not just snuggling),
you should add some heat.
Home cleaning
Cleanliness is crucial and it maintains your chicks healthy and
balanced. Make certain to change
the bedding
usually and
always provide tidy
food and water Food and also water.
Chicks grow extremely quickly
which requires a lot of tidy
food and also water. Offer
sufficient at all times and also inspect
typically to avoid dehydrated and also
hungry chicks. Chick food is different compared
to adult chicken food, and it comes
in both medicated as well as non-medicated varieties. Feed chick food for the
first two months, after that
switch over to a grower food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for an additional 2 months,
and after that to a somewhat
reduced protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have layers). Soil Some chicks like to obtain a head start on taking
dirt baths, while others will not use up that task up until they are
older. If you have the room in your chick
unit, introduce a tray of sand or
dust for them to wash in.
Focus and also love There are a couple of benefits to spending quality time with your chicks. First off, they will most
likely bond with you and also
not escape as adults. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily and also
watch their behavior, you could
catch disease or various
other problems earlier. Keep an
eye out for hissing, limping, or
other harmful
indications. Make certain to
additionally check out
their poop, as diarrhea can lead
to matted plumes and also clogged up cloaca.
Lastly, it is necessary to keep an eye out for social problems, such as the
tiniest chick getting teased. Vacant nest disorder So your
chicks are now totally feathery
and also its time for them to leave the
safety and security of your residence
and also relocate outside right into a
coop. Look into our
area on chicken cages to read more
concerning cages and
appropriate cage habitats.
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