FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS...

1. What is the 'dry matter' value of green fodder?
With respect to the dry matter question, we do NOT compare fresh fodder grown in the FodderTech system with dry matter. Dry feed is dry feed, green is green. The two feeds are significantly different in their nutrient value. The only way to make a comparison between the two, is to dry out the sprouts then check the ME and protein etc. But why would we do that?

The true nutrient feed value is in the 'green' as a whole and while the sprouts may be high in 'moisture' content, it is this very moisture that holds all the vitamins, minerals and healthy enzymes etc. The secret to the success of green sprouts ( fresh fodder) is in the holistic food value....ruminants were meant to eat grass not grain. The world authority on holistic animal nutrition practises Jerry Brunetti suggests if livestock were meant to eat grain they would have a crop...and feathers! In otherwords they'd be birds. The issue of fresh vs dried has been the biggest stumbling block we have faced when farmers are trying to evaluate fresh green fodder versus using the dry method. Traditionally farmers have always used the 'dry matter' yardstick and now we are asking them to consider another option to plan future livestock production. I don't think I would be wrong in suggesting all livestock farmers would love to have 'spring grasses' 360 days of the year and that is what our systems offer.

2. Do you need to give any other supplements other than hydroponic fodder to fatten cattle or sheep?
I would recommend that our fodder be fed at a rate of 2% live body weight along with dry matter in the form of straw or hay at a rate of 1% live body weight along with free grazing. Though the dry matter is not needed to add nutritional value to the animal's diet, it does raise energy levels and slow digestion, thereby allowing for a better utilization of the high nutrients and protein in the fodder sprouts.

In terms of free grazing, strip feeding can be a valuable tool to extend the paddock rotation . Of course it depends where you are situated in geographical location.

3. What is the best feed supplement to give to cattle or sheep to fatten them for slaughter?
Fresh green feed supplemented with dry matter in the form of hay. Our Barley fodder is equivalent to, or better than spring feed, where it is higher in energy, proteins, trace elements, beneficial enzymes and is significantly more digestible than other forms of supplementary feeding. The Fodder Tech system will provide your farm with green feed 365 days of the year.

4. If you mainly use this fodder to fatten cattle and sheep for slaughter, will this fodder be working to fatten them 100%?
Our fodder can be used to improve livestock condition for slaughter. I would suggest that if you are looking to use fodder grown in our system alone, to fatten cattle and sheep for slaughter, then you will need to feed the livestock at a higher rate. Keep in mind that you will need to supplement with dry matter in the form of hay or straw to get more nutritional value out of the fresh fodder. I would suggest that, if the quantities mentioned above are followed, you could expect an average weight gain of 1 up to 1.5 kilograms per day. I do not recommend feeding our fodder only to fatten livestock, as it is most effective when combined with dry matter (which free grazing stock may have access to in paddocks).

5. Will it take our livestock take long to adapt to the barley sprouts?
To date we have not encountered any feeding problems with any ruminants or indeed poultry adapting to the fodder grown in our system. Within two to three days of feeding the fodder the livestock will follow the fodder being transported to the paddock and will actually pull the fodder from the moving vehicle. Most famers have commented they have not seen their livestock respond so positively to any other feed.

6. Will the time spent to fatten cattle in the feedlot be less than when fed the normal mix of maize/grain and other supplements?
Whilst the evidence is anecdotal at this stage and not much is documented, it leads us to think that cattle will spend less time in the feedlot when fed our fodder because the digestibility of green fodder is much higher than that of dry matter and other supplementary feeds.

7. If I have Lucerne, should I cut back on the amount of the fodder grown in your system?
You should use both proportionally . If Lucerne is available then it can be used in conjunction with green fodder. Kg for Kg, green fodder sprouts are cheaper to produce, and higher in nutritional value.

Fodder Tech systems take the guess work out of cropping. There is no need to plough ,the fodder is weed free, there are no grubs to eat it like they eat out pasture, no need to fence it and the locusts wont swoop on it like in parts of country plus as one of our customers Glenda Wootten would say, " and I have a really nice environment in which to work".

As you are not relying on the external elements to raise and produce a crop, they enable you to produce as much feed as you need, when you need it, and offering predictable parameters of nutrient and protein levels.

8. Should I use the fodder all year?
The FodderTech system is clearly most attractive in the increasing number of regions where alternative feed is not naturally available and expensive to purchase. Our fodder is viable alternative to destocking when things get tough, but even if you have good pasture for free grazing there are benefits: the fodder will help to maintain these paddocks for significantly extended periods; the fodder offers better nutritional value than just free-grazing; and the fodder is great for finishing of calves/lambs in the off-season when premium prices will be paid.

9. Is the moisture content too high?
This is probably the most common question asked. The fact is, that this moisture plays a significant role in the high performance of the fodder. Tests have shown that the digestibility of our fodder is around 75 - 80%, while the moisture content is around 80 to 90%. However, most of what is absorbed is moisture high in vitamins, enzymes, starches, glucose, trace elements and water itself. In addition to the above, the crude protein at 35.88% and the ME at 12.26MJ/Kg, is more rapidly absorbed by livestock over existing forms of feed. So high moisture levels are related to high nutrition, which is one of the primary benefits of the FodderTech system.

NB Tests can vary from lab to lab

10. How do you control the mould and fungus problem?
It is worth keeping in mind that mould and fungus do exist in free grazing paddocks, but are less likely to be noticed because people do not look for it and these moulds rarely pose a problem. However, many competitive 'hydroponic fodder systems on the market' have high humidity problems as they are inherent within the operating system itself and this abundant moisture is a breeding ground for potentially fatal moulds and fungi. Our systems are free of these high humidity problems. If using the high quality grain we recommend and operated as directed, the high humidity that is a breeding ground for moulds is controlled in the FodderTech systems by our state of the art hydroponic and climate control equipment.

11. Will I need to add any nutrients to the water to boost the growth and are these nutrients safe for animal consumption?
Nutrient is added to the water to enhance the growth and the quality of the fodder. The nutrients are very similar to those found in soil and nutrients used for hydroponically grown lettuce, herbs, tomatoes and other vegetables. The nutrients used in the FodderTech System were designed specifically for fodder production by Hydromix. The nutrient is 'approved' under Australian Standards and Regulations, including AQIS for export, and as such it is not harmful in any way to livestock.

NB if you are worried about dangerous chemicals being introduced into the diets for rearing special stock, no pesticides are used on growing fodder, and the nutrients used are natural.

13. Is the Fodder Tech System economical to run?
Given current supplementary feed costs, our fodder is a superior feed that costs significantly less than field grown crops. For example, hay can cost anywhere from 20 to 40 cents a kg, while Lucerne is up around the 70 cents per kg. One kg of fodder will cost you around 13 - 14 cents per kg (inclusive of labour, grain, electricity, return on investment, nutrients etc based on when the system is running at maximum capacity). NB prices will differ from region to region and according to circumstances and variables at the time of costing, but on the whole we know that fodder produced by our system is economical.

TERMS

HORTICULTURE
n : the cultivation of plants [syn: gardening]
[Latin hortus, garden; see gher-1 in Indo-European Roots + (agri)culture.]

AGRICULTURE
The science, art, and business of cultivating soil, producing crops, and raising livestock; farming.
n. [L. agricultura; ager field + cultura cultivation: cf. F. agriculture.

AQUACULTURE
aq · ui · cul · ture
n. In both senses also called aquafarming
· The science, art, and business of cultivating marine or freshwater food fish or shellfish, such as oysters, clams, salmon, and trout, under controlled conditions.
· Hydroponics.

CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT PRODUCTION
is the term that FodderTech has coined to describe the whole of our system. Our system allows us to grow fodder in a totally controlled manner. We control the shelter, climate, humidity, light, nutrient, and water use.

HYDROPONICS
hy · dro · pon · ics
n. (used with a sing. verb)
Cultivation of plants in nutrient solution rather than in soil. Our system uses technology debveloped by Peter Doyle in the hydroponics world, however where the majority of systems spray water from overhead, a situation we believe to be problematic to mould and fungus, our system feeds nutrient and water to the roots.