HYDROPONIC FODDER
PRODUCTION
Eng.OLIVER M NDEGWA
KENYA
Hydroponic Fodder
Benefits to all animals include:
• Faster weaning and less stress on mothers and
youngstock
• Less manure due to increased digestibility of fodder
• Boosted immune system
• Increased longevity and lifespan
• Earlier heat cycles
• Improved fertility
• Stimulated appetite during heat stress
• Better behavior and temperament
How it is Done
• Day 1:
– Seed soaked in water for 2 hrs
– Seed poured directly into hydroponic propagation
trays at a depth of ½”.
– Begin irrigating with water for every 2 hours for 5
minutes ( if in a machine):
– Seed Swells
How it is Done C’td
• Day 2:
– Continued irrigation and lighting
– White Nodes appear
• Day 3:
– Continued irrigation and lighting
– Seed sprouts:
– Chicken start feeding on fodder this day
How it is Done C’td
• Day 4 :
– Continued irrigation and lighting
– Leaf starts to take form
• Day 5:
•
-
Continued irrigation and lighting
Leaf closed >40mm height
Day 6
Leaf opens >120mm height
Ready to feed
RATION CALCUTION AND COSTING
•
•
•
•
•
A tray of 6kgs will feed
2 goats
54 chicken
8-10 rabbits.
A Friesian cow needs 16- 20 kg of fodder and
3-5kg of hay. 100 g mineral supplement
PIGs
•
•
•
•
Rearing = ¼ biscuit per day
Feeding = ½ biscuit per day
Sow out of season = ½ biscuit per day
Sow in season = 1 biscuit per day
Age of Pig
(weeks)
Day
Weight (in kg)
Daily Gain
(g/day)
Feed
consumption (in
g)
Pigs per biscuit
per day
4
28
7
215
490
16
6
42
12.5
395
870
9
8
56
21.3
630
1450
6
10
70
30.5
660
2100
4
12
84
40.5
715
2800
3
14
98
51.5
800
3570
3
16
112
65
965
4550
2
18
126
80
1000
5600
1.5
20
140
95
1100
6650
1.2
22
154
110
1100
7700
1.1
ADVANTAGES, General
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Requires little land
Fodder produced in 6 days
Reduced cost of feed
Improved livestock performance
Easy to setup system
Low cost structure.
Little waste water, no nutrients lost in
environment
ADVANTAGES CT’D
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Highly palatable and nutritious
Reduces feed costs
Improves general fertility, conception rates
Increases digestibility of nutrients
Improves general animal health
Increases new born survival rages
Has alkalizing effect on the body (Shipard,
2005).
Advantages General
• No need for long-term feed storage and no
nutrient losses that can be associated with
feed storage.
• More beneficial to non –ruminants
• Organic
• Best option for the future where many people
increase yet land does not increase.
Advantages Beef Cattle
• The carcass quality is greatly improved.
• Average dairy weight gain 1.7 kg.
• To attain weight grain of 1.7 kg in grain fed
cattle, large amounts of grains is required
which can cause metabolic and digestive
problems also most of grains is not utilized
and pass through the animal undigested.
Advantages Dairy
• The milk yield is improved up to 18 - 25%
increase.
• The butter fat content is raised.
• Quality of milk improved
• Cows becomes healthy
• The time of birth to weaning improved.
• Increase in appetite.
Advantages goats and Sheep
• The carcass quality is greatly improved.
• There is improved weight gain at finish
feeding.
• Sheep gain daily average of 0.083 kg vs
0.053kg when fed a feed lot ratio over six
months (fayed, 2011)
Advantages Chicken
• Pigs and chickens are mostly raised with high stocking
density, and also show vast improvements in health
and digestion.
• The enzymes in barley green feed reduce the passing of
“Sticky dropping” in chickens. Therefore the eggs that
are laid are cleaner with a yellow yolk due to caroteen.
• An increase of up to 40% in egg protein is evident.
• Hydroponic fodder helps to eliminate cannibalism
among chicken, because there are no deficiencies in
their diet.
Advantages Pigs
• Swine production is enhanced by the rich
enzyme content of the barley/oats green feed
and is particularly beneficial to weaner aiding
in a stressful transition from sows milk to solid
food.
CHALLENGES
• Mold. Moldy sprouts can decrease animal
performance and result in animal deaths. Pretreatment of seed with a sterilizing agent (e.g.
hydrogen peroxide) is one strategy for
preventing mold.
• Good hygiene in the system is also important.
It is recommended that the growing trays be
cleaned between crops with a chlorine based
cleaning solution (11).
MOLD
Repercurtion
•
•
•
•
•
Aflatoxicosis
1 ton of grain comes with 100 billion mold spores
Sprouts and mold grow in a warm, wet environment
Many molds are toxic to livestock and humans
Mold control has limited the use of sprouts as a
livestock feed
• Chlorine, iodine, and other mold-controlling chemicals
can cause damage to enzyems in the sprouts, animals
consuming the sprouts, and humans who consume
animal's milk and meat
Barley Analysis Performed
Unit
Result
Protein
Ether Extract
Moisture
Ash
Crude Fibre
Acid Detergent Fibre
Nitrogen Free Extract
Metabolisable Energy
Vitamin B1
Vitamin B1
Vitamin B1
Vitamin B1
Calcium
Copper
Iron
Potassium
Magnesium
Manganese
Sodium
Phosphorous
Zinc
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
MJ/Kg
mg/100g
mg/100g
mg/100g
mg/100g
mg/100g
mg/100g
mg/100g
mg/100g
mg/100g
mg/100g
mg/100g
mg/100g
mg/100g
35.50
3.40
84.00
3.60
15.20
19.00
61.30
11.40
0.20
0.10
4.00
0.20
150
1.30
7.20
180.00
150.00
2.30
36.00
150.00
4.60
3 TON FODDER ROOM.
3 TON FODDER ROOM FOR 180 DAIRY COWS.
MILK PRODUCTION 3600 LITERS PER DAY.
REVENUE US$ 1800.00 PER DAY.
COST OF RATION US$ 983.00 PER DAY
MARGIN OVER FEED US$ 817.00 EARNINGS PER FARMER PER DAY US$ 68.08 PER MONTH US$ 2 043.00
High Tunnel Model II (8by30)
1.Engineering Specs
Hot Galvanized GI pipe with
200 microns UV
Organic(manure) based
agronomy
Portable unit and easy
installation
Plant population1000 and
output usd120/day for 6
months renewable for 1
extra season
Standard Production based
on usd 0.50 per plant per
day
Total Price including
agronomy per season is
USD2700.
Cooperative Model; Ideal for a Group of not more 8 people
THANKYOU