How much hydroponic fodder to feed dairy cows
Hydroponic fodder is a fresh green feed grown from barley, wheat, or maize seed over a 6–8 day germination window.
Hydroponic fodder is a fresh green feed grown from barley, wheat, or maize seed over a 6–8 day germination window. The whole mat is fed: roots, seed, and shoots. For dairy cows it works as a supplement to the existing ration. It is not a complete feed, and the right amount is a decision for each farm rather than a fixed number.
Why there is no single rate
The amount that makes sense depends on the cow's body weight, her stage of lactation, her production level, and what the rest of the ration already supplies. A fresh cow, a high-producing cow in mid-lactation, and a dry cow have very different requirements. A rate that suits one group can be too high or too low for another. For that reason, the farm's nutritionist sets the final rate after looking at the whole diet.
Think in dry matter, not fresh weight
Fresh hydroponic fodder is mostly water. Forage analyses typically show a dry matter content of roughly 12 to 15 percent, compared with close to 90 percent for unsprouted grain and hay. A large fresh weight on the scale therefore supplies a much smaller amount of dry matter and energy. Rations are balanced on a dry matter basis, so fodder should be weighed, sampled, and entered into the ration on the same basis. Independent reviews also note that sprouting consumes part of the seed's stored starch, so the mat contains less total dry matter than the seed that went into the tray.
How fodder fits into the ration
In most published dairy trials, sprouted fodder replaced part of the concentrate or was added on top of a total mixed ration. Several studies recorded lower total dry matter intake when fodder was fed, which the nutritionist needs to account for. Long fibre from hay or silage remains essential for rumen function, and fodder does not replace it. The rest of the ration continues to come from forages, concentrates, minerals, and vitamins.
Practical steps
Start with a low amount and increase it over 7–10 days while watching intake, manure, and milk. Mix fodder into the existing ration rather than feeding it separately in large portions. Feed it fresh on the day of harvest, because the high moisture content makes stored fodder prone to spoilage. Never feed fodder that shows mould. Have a laboratory analyse the fodder from your own system, because nutrient content varies with seed quality, variety, and growing conditions.
Sizing a system
Because the rate is set by the farm, a fodder system is sized to the daily fresh fodder requirement that the farm specifies. SproutTray systems are quoted to herd size, power, and site. Send the daily requirement, the preferred container size, the power supply, and the delivery location, and the configuration is confirmed on the quotation.