»Sprouting grains for livestock feed«
Livestock provide farmers with food and income for their livelihoods. Climatic changes make it difficult to get balanced feeds for the animals. However, sprouting grains can be of help in such times.
Properly balanced animal feeds is a key thing for optimal returns in livestock keeping. Climatic changes make it difficult to have constant supply of both green and dry fodder for the animals. During the dry seasons sprouting grains come in handy for the livestock farmers because they can be produced throughout they year, are less expensive and provide animals with the right amounts of proteins, energy, minerals and vitamins.
Techniques
Green fodder and dry fodder are both useful for providing a balanced feed to the livestock but it is not possible to have enough supply of both throughout the year.
During the rainy seasons, the two types of fodder are readily available but during the dry seasons, farmers only have the dry fodder which results to lesser returns from the animals. This is due to not get balanced feeds. Sprouting grains help cater for this for they contain the useful nutrients.
Importance
Farmers can prepare sprouting grains for their livestock at any time of the year because they are not limited by the climatic conditions.
Sprouting makes grains easier to digest. The grains are also rich in vitamins, proteins and minerals which are easier to digest for the animals. They can also be made from various grains such as wheat, barley, oats or maize.
Procedure
The best grains to use are those threshed by hands. If you are to buy them from the market, you should test them first.
To make sprouts, put the grains in a tub and add a half of handful of salt. Add in lukewarm water. Soak the seeds for about 12 hours. Now drain the water and put them in a clean bag. After 24 hours the grains will have sprouted and ready to feed to the animals.
