I like your system very nice. I would think the ideal system would have 7 or 8 shelfs because it takes 7 or 8 days for the fodder to muture. Well just an idea I have no need for this system yet but this spring I will be building one for sure.
Try to water them in such a way that you have very little water left at the bottom of the pan after about an hour. You only need to have enough water there that the plant will use otherwise you'll start to rot your plans and that's what's going to cause bacterial growth. If it hasn't been said already instead of using bleach you might want to consider baking soda, vinegar, or hydrogen peroxide of course diluted. the first two are obviously food-grade the third not so bad. You can also keep bacterial growth down by keeping the temperature lower or by pumping oxygen back into the water ( you probably use one to keep your fish alive when you go fishing).
This is the exact same way I started doing fodder 10 yrs. I never did bleach water I just emptied the catch trayebey day . But I could start putting bleach water in catch tray because it could use it.
Is there a reason for adding holes at one end and tipping the no-hole trays? They do have trays with tiny slits all through the bottom, and they will still drain. Do they not work as good? I like your channel and have subscribed.
I get allot of mould, I used plastic trays from the dollar store made holds I have it I front of my window. I soak the seeds 24 hours w/a little javex. I get allot of mould
+Marc Noel You'll want good dry air if you can get it (dehumidifier if necessary). Some people that have mold issues also add a bit of hydrogen peroxide to their soak and/or rinse to prevent the mold.
I've been thinking about starting a fodder system and I find the biggest turn off being the cost of trays. I've seriously considered plastic growing trays (which is what I assume you're using in this video) because they're so cheap. My question is, are these functional trays for this use, for you? My husband mentioned that because I'd be taking them down constantly, lifting them up, putting seed in them, and cleaning, they just might not hold up. I just want to know if it's a smart buy, so long as they are supported.
Leneka Pilarski Yes, these are the plastic grow trays that I was using. I used them from Dec - Jun, about 6 months, and only had two of them crack. However, I always removed the fodder from the trays into a 5-gallon bucket to take to the animals, so the trays never left the room. I have since switched to Rubbermaid "bus/utility boxes" and plan to do a video on that soon. I like them much better, and while pricier, they make the system so much simpler that it's not even close. IMO, start slow - if you have to buy the shelving and stuff and are on a budget, get the shelves and start with the seed trays. Then later on switch to the Rubbermaid. Be sure to check back within the next week or two for that new video.
hello :) Love your videos, just found your channel. I have a question about the system you use on your rabbit cages for tracking and identification. I believe in this video there was some sort of markers on the cages? thank you!!
+Dragonfly Grace (Nichole) What we did is bought a little tiny photo album from the dollar store and then cut up the pages into squares. The info is written on them with a sharpie and then pinned to the metallic feeder with a magnet clip holder.
Hi Thomas from Arizona so you have 3 days growth in blue buckets ,they all have holes in them and you run half bucket of water through each day and let drain so the 4th day remove seed from a bucket put in the tray and add new seed to blue buckets? So the led lights are key will not grow without the lights?
+April Emann It's not draining well enough, and it's probably going a litle anaerobic on the bottom of the tray. I've since swapped out the seedling trays for larger, strong Rubbermaid bins: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-prqi_wOdKfE.html. I would recommend adding additional drain holes in your trays, as well as to make sure, for the first couple of days, move the seeds around so that the ones on bottom don't stay on bottom the whole time.
+Ashley Hansen No, but I've abandoned this system of trays in favor of these: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-prqi_wOdKfE.html With the new trays, they're much easier clean. For the most part, just a rinse and a scrub with plain water. Occasionally, a mild dish soap.
RC Lego Lemon www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0058PTK6M?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00 They have held up surprisingly well. I've only had 1 crack to the point that it couldn't be used anymore.
+Advanced Nutrition Inc In this video I'm using 10x20 seedling grow trays. I have a newer video where I've switched to rubbermaid bus totes and I like them much better.
I notice the lights on the wall next to the fodder system on a timer.. How often do you turn them on and off? Is there a recommended amount of light the fodder needs?
Larry Kindrick Those lights are on a timer and run from 6 am to 10 pm. The room lights are essentially the same, but are not yet on a timer. I turn them on my first visit which is usually around 6 am and off at night on my last visit around 8-9 pm.
The Tactical Homesteader Thanks for the info.. I've seen a couple videos where people have the lights but don't mention the times they use them,.,. I've got a small system I'm using to feed my alpacas. I don't get consistent germination rates though.. I'll try the lights and see how the improve the overall production.. I also water it every 4 hours in a flood and drain system.. maybe I'll cut that back to every six hours..
Larry Kindrick You might try cutting back on your water. We soak our barley overnight the first night for about 8-12 hours depending on what time it gets attended to - most of the time it's 12. Then we water twice a day (flush & drain).
The Tactical Homesteader I'll try that.. the seed does seem awful wet when I pull the mat out... I also decreased the depth of the seed bed to .5 inches.. from 3/4".. I might even decrease it further..
Hi I’m raising pigs and want to try this out to reduce cost have couple ?’s 1st what type of lights are needed for this to work 2nd is you soak the seeds for about 12-24 hours then you let them sit in empty buckets for 2 additional days without water and light?
Crystal Walker It certainly helps. For the first few days while it sprouts, it's not necessary, just like sprouting seeds for your garden. Once sprouted and green appears, it definitely needs light to reach it's full potential in the short timeframe you'll be growing it for.
I was going to watch it till I saw that gun crazy crap from the beginning of it your emblems well thank you these days with killing kids and other people in my community I don't think it's the right thing for me to go to