A Community and Forum For Aquaponic Gardeners

Sprouted Barley?

Check out this article:

http://www.maximumyield.com/article_sh_db.php?articleID=741&yea...

You will see it boasts 40% protein with 90% efficiency when used as livestock fodder, however I had a hard time verifying that snippet of data. If it is true it could potentially have huge implications for us aquapons.

If you were able to sprout barley in a standard nursery flat, more or less as described in the article, run it through the blender, roots and all, again as described and freeze in to cubes or pellets. Voila, high nutrition feed , grown with our precious fish water, for pennies! Especially for those omnivorous varieties we're growing out.

Someone help me out in finding the veracity of the assertion, I already have an email into the editor of the magazine, and any input on if I'm onto something would be appreciated!

Thanks all!

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by TCLynx on December 21, 2011 at 4:29pm

Amaranth isn't a grass but do you mean to be saying sprouts in general?

Permalink Reply by Gina Cavaliero on December 21, 2011 at 5:24pm

I didn't check out the article David, but what I think they are referring to is barley fodder. Crop King use to manufacture the Fodder King to grow fodder in seven days for livestock feed. The protein content percentage is accurate. It is the only grass fodder with higher protein levels for livestock than Alfalfa at 36% and it will grow in a ap system. I have been researching this for some time as I've been looking for an alternative to buying dried, dust filled, expensive hays for my horses. It would definitely provide the protein levels needed for fish growth, but would definitely need to be supplemented for the minerals that are an essential part of commercial fish feeds.