Sprouted grain successfully replaces vitamin supplements and premixes that animals need for full development and weight gain. It is affordable, environmentally friendly, has a powerful strengthening and health-improving effect, and increases productivity.
Why sprout wheat?
In sprouting grains, the proportions of nutrients change, and a lot of protein is formed. They contain many minerals, vitamins, and as many as 18 amino acids.
Sprouted wheat is used for the following purposes:
- For feeding domestic animals. When sprouted grain is added to the diet, the cost of production is reduced, animals are more active in eating feed, their fertility increases, and in birds - egg production.
- For human consumption. The product is especially useful in winter, when there is a shortage of fresh vegetables and fruits.
- For treatment. Sprouted wheat has a healing effect on the body - it normalizes metabolism, improves digestion, and improves immunity.
- For beauty. Sprouted grains are used to make skin care products.
- For decoration. Sprouted wheat, planted in pots, decorates the premises. Moreover, it is unpretentious, beautiful and makes the air cleaner.
Along with wheat, you can sprout sunflower, pumpkin, flax seeds - they are also beneficial for health.
How to choose wheat for germination?
For germinated wheat to be beneficial, it must meet quality standards.
You can buy grain for germination:
- On the market. Be sure to ask the seller what kind of wheat he sells. If the grain has undergone a certain treatment, it loses its germination and will no longer be able to germinate. Buying at the market is the most profitable option, since you can buy grain at a low price at the market. But there is a danger that it was poisoned with pesticides. Such grain poses a risk to human or animal health, depending on the application.
- In health food stores. Here you can safely buy grain - it is intended specifically for germination. You can also find a similar product in pharmacies. The disadvantage of this option is the high price.
How to choose good wheat for germination:
- The grains should be one-dimensional, not differing from each other either in size, shape or color.
- There should be no broken grains and foreign seeds.
- Wheat is up to one year old. Stale grain is not worth taking.
- The product should not smell of dampness, chemical agents, and there should be no traces of mold.
- The presence of insects is not allowed.
If grain is taken as a nutritional supplement for livestock, then the only reasonable solution is to buy it by weight. In pharmacies and shops, wheat is bought for human nutrition, not animals.
What is necessary?
To germinate wheat, you need to purchase some tools and supplies. The specifics will depend on the goals of germination.
How to germinate the grain:
- No substrate. Grain is obtained with sprouts 2-3 mm long. It is eaten, added to various dishes.
- With a substrate. The grain is germinated to obtain grass up to 15 cm high. It is used for feeding animals, as well as for obtaining medicinal juice.
Germination container
Whichever method of germination is chosen - with or without a substrate, you will need a special container. When choosing a container for germination, take into account how much of the finished product is to be obtained.
Where grains can be germinated:
- Sprouter. These are sprouters with several tiers. Manufacturing material - plastic or ceramics. They can simultaneously plant seeds of different types in large quantities.
- Jars with mesh lids. Such containers are bought or prepared independently. For this, holes are made in the covers. The second option is to cover the cans with gauze and secure it. Banks are placed at an angle, with the neck down - to drain excess water.
- Pallet or tray. Any shallow container is taken. The main condition, the material is plastic or ceramics. Cover the top of the container with gauze.
- Micro farm. Their work is done automatically. The disadvantage of such devices is the high price.
- Deep containers. These containers are used to produce sprouted greens. The containers are pre-filled with soil.
Soil preparation
For germination of grain on greens, you can use purchased or garden soil.
Germination soil:
- Store substrate for seedlings and flowers.
- Coconut fiber.
- Sawdust.
If soil from the garden is used, it must be calcined in the oven or disinfected with potassium permanganate.
The minimum soil thickness in a wheat germination container is 5 cm.
Soak
In order for the grains to sprout quickly and amicably, they must be soaked. This stage is considered mandatory when germinating grains.
How to soak wheat:
- Wash the beans and place them in a container of water. Remove all floating specimens - they will not sprout.
- Place the grain in a suitable container and fill it with water - its volume should be three times the volume of wheat.
- Leave the grains for 10-12 hours - during this time they should swell well.
- Drain and rinse the swollen wheat - it is ready to germinate.
Optimal conditions
For wheat to sprout quickly and efficiently, it needs to create optimal conditions.
How to create favorable conditions for germination:
- Shine. No lighting is required for the seed to sprout. The container with wheat should not be placed in direct sunlight. It can be placed on a closet, on a table, on the floor, or anywhere else.
When greenery appears, the containers are moved to a well-lit place, for example, on a windowsill. But the sprouts should not be exposed to direct sunlight. In winter, the germinated grain is recommended to be supplemented with phytolamps or fluorescent lamps. - Moisture. The grain should not be allowed to dry out, it should always be moist. It is convenient to moisturize it with a spray bottle. Green sprouts are watered every morning, and sprayed in the evening with a spray bottle.
- Temperature. The temperature must be maintained at + 20 ... + 22 ° C.
Conventional incandescent lamps are not suitable for supplementary lighting of germinated grains.
How much wheat can you germinate at a time?
You need to germinate grains as much as necessary for 2-3 feeding of animals or birds.
Why it is impossible to germinate grain for future use:
- The sprouts are given in dosage. The product is useful and seemingly harmless, but the sprouts themselves contain a lot of iron. Overfeeding is especially detrimental to birds and animals with a low body weight. An overdose leads to a deterioration in their health.
- The sprouts are not stored for long, so you need to germinate enough grains to use them within 24 hours.
Sprouted grain should not constitute more than 30% of the diet of animals and birds.
Step-by-step instruction
Grain, both for animal feed and for human consumption, is grown in two ways. The first way is sprouting, faster and easier. The second is somewhat more complicated, but it will allow you to get real vitamin greens, which are eaten with pleasure by domestic animals.
Germination of sprouts
For germination, you need soaked grain. After draining the water from the container with grains, proceed to the next stage.
How to germinate wheat for animal and bird feed:
- Spread the oilcloth on a flat surface. This should be done in a relatively warm room without drafts.
- Spread cheesecloth moistened with water on an oilcloth. Put the grain on it in a small layer - if it is too thick, then the wheat can rot, and all the work will be wasted.
- Cover the grain with a cloth dampened in warm water. The water must be chlorine-free and the fabric must be natural.
- Dampen the fabric periodically with warm water, it should not dry out.
- After about two days, the grains will hatch and sprout. In this state, they can already be given to animals and birds. The next day, the grains are also suitable for consumption - the sprouts will become even larger and juicier.
The most useful are the grains that have sprouted 5-6 mm long. They are the ones that provide serious weight gain.
Growing green shoots
Green sprouts or sprouts grown on the ground are considered by many to be more beneficial than sprouts. Grain receives many nutrients from the soil, so green shoots contain a maximum of valuable elements.
You will need:
- capacity;
- deep container;
- soil, preferably black soil;
- water.
Growing green shoots:
- Soak and germinate the grain. For this purpose, you can use the method described in the previous section.
- Fill the container 1/2 full with soil. On top, evenly, in a thin layer, spread the sprouted grains.
- Sprinkle some soil over the wheat. Layer thickness - 7-10 mm.
- Water your crops with a rain canister.
- To help the grain germinate, cover the container with plywood or any other flat, not heavy object. But be sure to leave gaps for air circulation. Inside, a microenvironment with high humidity will be created and the wheat will germinate quickly.
- Remove the cover after a couple of days. By this time, white sprouts 2-3 cm long should appear above the soil.
- Move crops closer to light. In a few days, green sprouts will appear.
How to use such a product?
How to use wheatgrass:
- For feeding animals. Along with wheat, animals can be fed with sprouted oats, barley, triticale. The product is similar in energy value to corn mixtures. Sprouted grain is added to concentrates, mixed with other feeds or given separately.
- For feeding poultry. For chickens and other poultry, sprouts or sprouts are laid out in feeders. Both day and night feeding is practiced. Overweight poultry is given a nutritious product only during the day in order to exclude weight gain and not to lose in egg production.
- For human food. Wheat sprouts are eaten by chewing thoroughly. But the grain is tough, so only the youngest grain is suitable for eating. It is recommended to use sprouts in the form of juices and cocktails.
To ensure that the grain does not lose its nutritional value, it must not be heat-treated before use.
If green sprouts are used for food, then the grain itself does not go into food. They use sprouts 10-20 cm long. Longer greens are tasteless and even poisonous.
Wheat Sprouted Diet
For livestock feed, grain is germinated in large volumes. There are special installations that allow you to get tens of kilograms of nutritious feed per day.
Manufacturers also offer ready-made "sprouted mats" weighing about 7-8 kg.
Daily ration options for cattle:
- 1 sprouted mat (35x55 cm, 7-8 kg), 4 kg of straw or hay, 6 kg of concentrated feed.
- 2 sprouted mats, 4 kg of straw or hay, 4 kg of concentrate.
- 3 sprouted mats, 4 kg of straw or hay.
Reviews
Irina Yu. 65 years old, pensioner, Urmary. I use grain seedlings to feed chickens. I soak and sprout, give to the birds, until the sprouts are very large. Sometimes I give green sprouts, chickens are happy to eat both. I myself also eat sprouts - it's good for health.
Boris M., 55 years old, amateur livestock breeder, Vladimir region. I grow green sprouts for animal feed. I cut the finished lawns with a knife so that the grain does not spill out. I give one animal 1-2% of its weight. For example, a goat weighing 30 kg receives 300-600 g of green shoots per day. I give ten chickens 200-400 g each. These sprouts can reduce the amount of artificial additives that make the meat less healthy and useful.
Hide
Add your review
Sprouted wheat is an affordable and effective dietary supplement that can be easily obtained at home. The costs of buying grain and its germination are more than compensated for by increasing the productivity of livestock and poultry.
Author of the publication
12
Russia. City Novosibirsk
Publications: 276 Comments: 1