Heeby-Jeeby chickens

Good morning!  I bet you all thought I forgot my resolution. Nope, just have too much going on at the farm and the restaurant to spend too much time online right now.  So first off, we have made the decision to close the restaurant. When you subsidize your own business for two years, closing it is like giving yourself an automatic raise.  That will allow me to utilize my time wisely at the farm and create a sustainable living here. Well, that's the plan anyway!
I promised someone from a group I follow that I would post some pictures of the fodder I grew this last month for the chickens.  This is my first attempt and I am really happy with the results. Not as many sprouted as I would have liked, but it has been really cold outside and the window it sits in is not as warm as it needs. So next time I will try a warmer spot. Enjoy the pics and feel free to ask any questions!

Began by soaking the wheat berries overnight.

This butter tub will be the growing pot. Its a gallon size tub so an ice cream tub would work well too.

Many holes were punched through the bottom using a paring knife. The more holes the better for drainage, keep them small enough the wheat cannot fall through.

Rinse the wheat well then layer them in the bottom of the tub and allow all the water to drain out. This is very important so they do not mold.  Place it in a second tub to allow any residual water to drip.

This is 2 1/2 weeks later.  It should not have taken that long but I now know why and can fix the problems.  You can see there is no mold though and the growth is really nice, just not all seeds sprouted.  I think the sides are too tall so the sunlight cannot reach the edges. That's an easy fix, I will just cut it down. Also the window they were kept in got really cold during this last cold snap so I will move them where there is always warmth. Ideally they should be kept around 70 degrees or so.

Not bad for the first time! 

Come back often, and Happy Farming!