DIY Fodder - How We Grow Fodder For Our Dexter Cattle

Here is a link to the trays we use:
Trays - https://amzn.to/40EI0xo
Covers- https://amzn.to/3oKeKrG (shorter dome, for first 2 days)
- https://amzn.to/3V0biWc - Taller with vents that open.

We had a crazy winter this past year. We had record snow fall and a long, cold, rainy spring. As a result, our pasture did not grow in like normal and we have been short on feed for our small herd of Dexter cattle.

In January, when it looked like we might be a little short on hay, Grandma decided to try growing Fodder. After a little experimenting, she has come up with a system that works great for her homestead. She spends around 40 min. a day - 15 in the morning and 25 in the evening - prepping, rinsing, and cutting the fodder.

Here is a break down of the process by day-

Day 1 - Wash Barley - I start with around 2 lbs of barley. I put it in plastic trays. I bought mine at the dollar store, but you can get a similar tray on Amazon -http://amzn.to/2rGbaN0. I put 2 lbs of barely, water, and a few table spoons of bleach in each tray. You can see in the video how I clean the barley. This helps prevent mold in the fodder. I then let it soak in the bleach water for 24 hours.

Day 2 - Rinse the barley. I use the same trays (http://amzn.to/2rGbaN0) but I have holes drilled in the bottom to allow it to drain.

Day 3 - Rinse barley and allow to drain.

Day 4 - Rinse barley, and place in large fodder trays. These are our favorite -

Trays - http://amzn.to/2tzyzB2
Covers- http://amzn.to/2sWDwpI (shorter dome, for first 2 days)
- http://amzn.to/2rHY9m6 - Taller with vents that open.
The covers help keep the moisture in, but also allow ventilation.

Day 5 - Now there is a light root mat. Be gentle, it is still delicate. Rinse the barley sprouts, drain the water twice a day.

Day 6 - The root mat is very dense. Rinse the fodder, drain the water twice a day.

Day 7-9 Rinse the fodder in the morning. Some time between 7- 9 days the Fodder is ready to feed. For us it has depended on the temperature. We keep this portion of the house fairly cool in the winter (around 60 degrees) and so it took 9 days. In the summer it has grown much faster. We will post an update soon. Once it has reached 4-5 inches tall, cut and feed it in the afternoon.

*Summer update: It is much warmer in the house now. We are able to rinse less often (twice a day until they form a root mat, then only once a day) and the fodder is ready to feed in 6-7 days instead of 8-9 days.

*Summer update 2: It is now too warm in our home for the Fodder. We don't have AC in that part of the house, so the house was getting too warm and I had a lot of mold issues. We have taken a break from the fodder for now, but will probably resume it in the winter.

I did a lot of research before I began growing fodder. My main inspiration was at Peak Prosperity: https://www.peakprosperity.com/wsidbl....

Please comment below or email us with any questions.

Thanks for watching!