Sprouts

By sprouting grains, you can scientifically increase the nutritional value, improving gut health and providing a higher energy content.

You can use any grain such as wheat, barley, oats, maize, triticale and peas, or you can make a mix.

I use seed raising trays, which are approximately 30x30cm trays, one without holes and one with.

Day 1: soak grains in cold water

Day 2: place grains in the drainage tray and rinse well. Leave to drain, then place back in a dry container. If wishing to add peas, do it now because they need less time.

Day 3: place grains in the drainage tray, rinse and drain well; add the peas, and mix well. Then place them back into the original container.

Day 4-5: repeat steps 2 and 3.

Day 6: the sprouts are ready to use!

Sprouts can go mouldy; to reduce this spray with a diluted solution made with cider vinegar at least once a day - 65ml of cider vinegar to 1 litre of water or 1 ½ teaspoon to 100ml of water.

Smell the sprouts daily. If they start to stink, they should not be used because they have grown harmful bacteria.

The most likely causes are not draining correctly or bad air circulation.

Sunflowers

Every year I grow a bed of sunflowers in the veggie patch.

Not only are they great at attracting bees, but they are a great winter energy booster for your chickens, especially when moulting.

Sunflowers are ready to harvest when the middle part of the flower starts to go brown.

Rub off the tiny flowers and the seeds are below.

Cut the stem off around 30-60cm below the flower head and hang in the shed to dry - away from rodents! Remove the seeds by rubbing them, and they will fall out store the source in a container that is dry.

Or you can simply place the whole flower head in with the chooks.

Warning: do not over feed, as sunflower seeds have high fat content and can cause health issues. In winter, a handful of sunflower seeds per three chooks is sufficient. The rest of the year, a handful for nine chooks is ideal.

Maize

Maize comes in many different colours: red, white, yellow and blue. There are also combinations of these colours.

It is high in energy and nutritional value, rich in vitamin A C and E and several essential minerals and contains up to 11% in protein.

Maze is also rich in dietary fibre and carbohydrates.

Maze may need cracking, my chooks don’t have a problem, but bantams might; hand cracking operators are available online.

Or another way is to boil up the kernels and put them through a meat mincer and allow them to dry and mix in with the rest of the feed.

Greens

Silver beet and kale are both great to grow as they produce over a long period and in large quantities over winter when green feed is scarce.