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 Sun Louisiana,
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. Sun
Louisiana also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Sun Louisiana, 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 Sun LA.
Baby Chicks Baby
Chickens in
Sun, Louisiana
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Sun Louisiana
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
Sun Louisiana * 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 Sun
Louisiana * 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
Chicks Not Eating in
Sun, Louisiana
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
Sun Louisiana 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 Sun,
Louisiana Baby chicks are extremely
cute and
challenging to stand up to,
yet it's ideal to plan for their
arrival prior to you obtain them. Prepare first
by gathering not just the
proper materials, however
also the proper
expertise to look after
them. Raising baby chicks is reasonably
easy, you merely need
to offer them with the following: A
clean and also warm
habitat Lots of food and water Interest and also
love Habitat Your habitat could be a basic box, fish tank,
pet cat service provider, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels and
coverings (with no loosened
strings!) to start, as well as after a
couple of weeks make use of straw over newspaper.
Note: Avoid using just
paper or various other sandal
surfaces-- or your chicks legs can expand
misshapen. You also need
something to provide food as well as
water in, such as a chicken feeder and water
dish from the feed shop, or a pickle container
cover for food and also a family
pet bird water dispenser from a family pet store. Also, as the chicks grow older you could introduce a perch
right into the environment to get them
trained on setting down. Heat To
maintain your chicks warm you should
provide them with a heat resource.
This could be as simple as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style lamp from an equipment shop, or an infrared reptile warmth
bulb likewise work very
well (my
suggestion). Chicks need this
warmth 24/7 until their downy fluff is
replaced with feathers (which can occupy to two months). The freshly
hatched out need a temperature level
between 90 and 100 degrees,
as well as every week this can
be decreased by
roughly 5 degrees or
so. The warmth source should get on simply one side of the cage
to enable chicks an array of
temperature levels. The chicks are your best
thermostat- if they are hiding in the
other edge of your heat
lamp, you have to
lower the temperature. If
they are smothering each other under the
warmth (not simply snuggling),
you need to add some warmth.
Housekeeping
Sanitation is vital and also it keeps your chicks healthy. Be sure to transform
the bedding
typically and
consistently offer tidy
food and also water Food and also water.
Chicks grow very quickly
which calls for a lot of tidy
food and also water. Provide
sufficient at all times as well
as check
typically to
stop thirsty and
hungry chicks. Chick food is various compared
to adult chicken food, as well as it can be found in both medicated as well as non-medicated selections. Feed chick food for the
initial two months, after that
change to a raiser food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for an additional 2 months,
and then to a slightly
lower healthy protein feed or a level feed
(if you have levels). Soil Some chicks prefer to get a running start on taking
filth bathrooms, while others won't use up that task till they are
older. If you have the space in your chick
room, introduce a tray of sand or
dust for them to wash in.
Interest as well as love There are a couple of advantages to spending time with your chicks. First off, they will probably bond with you and
not flee as adults. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily and also
enjoy their actions, you could
catch illness or other issues previously. Keep an
eye out for wheezing, hopping, or
various other unhealthy
indications. Make sure to
additionally look at
their poop, as looseness of the bowels can cause matted feathers and stopped up cloaca.
Finally, it is essential to watch out for social problems, such as the
littlest chick obtaining badgered. Empty nest syndrome So your
chicks are now fully feathery
as well as its time for them to leave the
safety of your house
and move outside right into a
coop. Look into our
section on chicken coops to find out
more
regarding coops as well as
correct cage habitats.
Baby ChickensBaby Chicks Online More Posts Baby Chickens for Sale in Fisher, Louisiana Baby Chickens for Sale in Delcambre, Louisiana Baby Chickens for Sale in Hester, Louisiana Baby Chickens for Sale in Mermentau, Louisiana Baby Chickens for Sale in Powhatan, Louisiana