Sprouts for Cattle Feed

The Kaddatz family operates a small Gelbvieh cattle stud. Not having a large tract of land to accommodate expansion, we opted to invest in a grain sprouting machine to enable the economical feeding of show cattle and to help cover us during dry times.

In short, the machine is about the size of a 20’ shipping container and is fitted out with twelve SS shelves to accommodate the grain for sprouting. Either wheat or barley is generally used for sprouting. The grain is soaked for 24 hours and then placed onto the shelves in rows. The equivalent of 2kg dry grain per row and 10 rows per shelf. We are currently harvesting 200kg of sprouts per day on a six-day cycle.

A deal of time has been spent fine tuning the unit to produce optimum quality sprouts. Along the way, I wondered about the use of TM in the soak & spray water, having seen what it achieved in dam water. Without some preventative action the machine builds up heavy mould due to the constant wet conditions. Chlorine blocks are used in the water supply tank, and two shelves are cleaned every day after the removal of the 200kg of sprouts. The shelves receive a final spray of vinegar.

We trialled TM initially and then added Fulvic Plus, both added to the tank at the incredibly low dose of 10mls per day. There is no question about the consistent quality of the sprouts or the cleanliness of the inside of the unit with the addition of both products. I have always observed that TM releases oxygen into water, and it seems that its use in this application helps maintain an aerobic environment, assisting growth and cleanliness. Happy cows, happy farmers.

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