Sprouted Grains for Hog Feed

Here is the results of our first experiment in sprouting organic grains to feed the hogs.

Sprouted wheat ready to feed

This one is sprouted barley

This experiment was easy enough. I poured a 40 lb bag of organic grains in a plastic trash can, added enough water to just cover the grains, and placed the top on. What you see is about one to two weeks later. The hulls are nice and soft, and the sprouts have a quarter to half an inch of growth per kernel. The hogs love this for food, they prefer it to the pelleted food when offered and eat to the last kernel.

My theory is that this is a healthier food for them than dried grains, especially in the winter when there are few growing things available. The dried grains are not fully digestible where the sprouts are (except for the hulls which still provide fiber) and I really like the idea of living growing things to be a big part of their diet.

Now that this is successful and easy, I'll do some research to see the protein content of sprouts and determine how this blends with our new soon to be announced soy free program.