hydroponic fourrage

SALES INFORMATION | 2012

Fodder Solutions 2012

Day 1 – Seed Swelling

Day 3 - Seed Sprouts

Day 5 - Leaf closed > 1 ¾ inches

Day 2 - White Nodes Appear

Day 4 - Leaf starts to take form

Day 6 – Leaf open > 4 ¾ inch


“With my feed supply guaranteed, regardless of the season, there is no risk of having to sell store lambs if the season turns bad.”

COMPANY AND SYSTEM OVERVIEW

Fodder Solutions is an Australian company which has perfected a patented system of growing sprouted grain

to provide green high quality livestock feed. The business has gone from strength to strength since winning the

Queensland Farm Invention of the year in 2006. Self-contained sprouting units are manufactured around the world.

The unique technology developed by business partners Terry Colless and Flavio Raccanello in 2009 has taken the

company international. Fodder Solutions makes a climate controlled growing chamber to meet every farming need,

from the hobbyist to large-scale livestock producers. They can be used strategically to keep stock alive during

drought and adverse weather conditions or to provide a diet for high production.

The system is a hydroponic growing room

that has been specifically developed to sprout

grain and legume seeds, for highly nutritious, yet

cost effective livestock feed. A selection of

grains and legume seeds are spread onto the

specialized growing trays and are watered at

predetermined intervals with overhead sprays.

A set temperature is maintained inside the growing chamber, to ensure that the fodder achieves the best

growth and highest nutritional value possible. Each day you simply slide the feed out of the trays, rinse the tray,

reseed and push the newly seeded tray into the other end of the system. The System holds enough trays to ensure

you produce your desired amount of feed every day. The sprouts grow on the Fodder Solutions specially designed

sprouting trays with no growing medium. Feed-quality barley germinates within 24 hours of seeding. The barley

grows in the same tray for 6-days and is ready for harvest at a 6 inch high sprout mat.

It takes six days to grow from seeding to feed out!

The “sprout mat” is completely edible and highly nutritious as it is a living food. The animals will eat the

entire mat, roots and green growth, so there is no waste. Sprout feeding is an economical option allowing producers

to grow their own 365 days a year (regardless of weather conditions). Because the feed is hydroponically grown, it

is fresh and clean, free of any contaminants, including pesticides and herbicides.


NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Fodder Solutions barley sprouts have been tested at every

stage of growth. The peak spectrum of nutrients are available at the

6 day growth stage, this is when the barley sprouts are harvested.

The nutritional breakdown of the barley sprouts shows that the

sprouts are very high in energy and protein and contain sufficient

levels to meet the needs of most stock.

Barley grass is considered the most nutritional of the green

grasses containing an abundance of nutrients unsurpassed by any

other type of grass. The benefits of fresh green feed such as barley

grass have been well documented over the past 50 years.

Barley Grass has proven to increase the overall health of the

animal through better digestion of the hay and grain. While overall

wellness is the most noted result, studies indicate improved

performance results in other areas as well. Not only will animals be

healthier but also they will experience:

Greater energy and vitality

Stimulates the immune response

Reduction in anti nutritional factors

Antioxidant properties

Independent research studies have been conducted by qualified

academic institutes that prove the value of using barley grass. These

studies show that barley grass is both beneficial to livestock and cost

effective as a substitute for the traditional fodder supplements.

BENEFITS

There are many benefits to be found from using fresh barley grass that has been organically-hydroponically

grown. When barley is sprouted, it releases many vitamins and minerals as well as converting hard to digest

starches in easily digestible proteins.

Benefits of using a FODDER SOLUTIONS system:

No need to wait for rain or soil moisture to plant

No more moving irrigation lines, ploughing fields, mowing, windrowing, bailing and hammermilling.

Save on feed prices – Instead of paying high feed prices in tough times, you can hedge your investments,

buy when others are selling their stock cheap and sell when others are paying high prices. With a

FODDER SOLUTIONS system, you can take control of your feeding and production.

Organic and affordable – Growing demand for economical “natural” animal feed as well as concerns

relating to animal feed safety and the environment make FODDER SOLUTIONS systems an attractive

means of producing affordable organic “green” feeds.

Nutrient Units Results

Crude Protein % 20.2

Fat % 4.3

Crude Fiber % 11.3

Starch % 15.4

Metabolizable

Energy

(Ruminants) cal/lb 1300

Minerals Units Results

Calcium % 0.15

Potassium % 0.7

Magnesium % 0.24

Phosphorus % 0.46

Sulfur % 0.28

Boron mg/lb 10

Copper mg/lb 5

Iron mg/lb 73

Manganese mg/lb 17

Zinc mg/lb 18


PROCESS BENEFITS

Optimum production

High yield in a very small area

Low energy consumption

Trouble free operations

Accelerated growth

Low water consumption

Easy maintenance

SYSTEM PRICING

Unit Approximate Daily Output

Lbs Biscuits

Price Dimensions

L x W x H (ft)

Approx.

Approximate

Grain use / Day

T12 110 6 $ 8,990 11.8 x 3.6 x 7.9 17 lbs

T18 165 9 $ 12,990 11.8 x 3.6 x 9.8 25 lbs

T24 220 12 $ 16,980 11.8 x 7.2 x 7.9 33 lbs

T36 318 18 $ 19,960 11.8 x 7.2 x 9.8 50 lbs

T72 648 36 $ 33,480 19.4 x 7.2 x 9.8 99 lbs

T84 756 42 $ 34,560 19.4 x 7.2 x 10.2 116 lbs

T108 972 54 $ 42,120 19.4 x 9.8 x 9.8 149 lbs

T126 1134 63 $ 45,360 19.4 x 9.8 x 10.2 174 lbs

*Prices are effective 2/1/2012 and are subject to change without notice.

POWER REQUIREMENTS

T12 – T36 20 Amp 120 V

T72 – T126 30 Amp 240 V

The cost of the power used will depend on power costs in your area.

WATER USAGE

The water usage of the systems will vary, the amount of water used for washing down trays and cleaning the

system is not taken into account in the below list.

T12 – 36 gal

T18 – 53 gal

T24 – 73 gal

T36 – 108 gal

T72 – 192 gal

T84 – 223 gal

T108 – 287 gal

T126 – 335 gal

These amounts may vary due to environmental factors and system adjustments.


Rodeo champion Shane Kenny was spending so much money to buy grain and hay for his stock that he

considered taking the expensive plunge to acquire more land. Instead, he and his wife Leanne have opted to

grow their own endless supply of fresh green feed with an investment that will pay for itself in just two years.

Horses and cattle on the family property outside Emerald are now thriving on a daily ration of 770 lbs of

hydroponic grain sprouts produced in a climate-controlled feed system from Toowoomba company Fodder

Solutions. Shane has 25 national rodeo titles to his credit in a career spanning 20 years. His national Rope and

Tie record of 7.2 seconds set in Rockhampton in 2000 still stands. Leanne is also an enthusiastic participant in

the sport and the couple also contract to supply cattle for major professional events, breeding Texas Longhorns

on a property at Gympie.

Shane said having the right horses was a critical element in rodeo success with the couple having years of

experience breeding, training and trading elite Quarter Horses.

Feeding their stock for high level rodeo performance and presentation has been a major challenge on their

small holding at Emerald and a couple of leased paddocks.

“We have some irrigation, but not enough allocation to grow a crop, so we have had to buy in a lot of grain

and hay. Last year our feed bill was $29,000 and it was getting to the point where we needed to buy another

place.”

“We were thinking about our options for a couple of years and saw friends getting very impressive results

feeding sprouts to horses and cattle so we were confident that a Fodder Solutions system would be a good

investment.”

“Our stock loves their daily ration of sprouts. They

come running like bees to a honey pot.”

Their feed unit turns out 42 biscuits of sprouts daily, each weighing more than 18 lbs. They are currently

feeding 12 horses and about 30 calves and 15 steers. ”

“We are still on a learning curve with the best rations, but our performance horses at their peak are getting a

biscuit each night and morning with access to paddock grazing. We’ve got a couple of good mares that doing

really well on a restricted sprout ration and lucerne hay.”

“We have been adding some lupins to the barley seed mix, but I’m not sure we will persist with the lupins.

Straight barley sprouts seems to be fine,” Shane said.

Shane said he liked the idea of having a trailer mounted small sprout unit which he could travel to feed

stock on extended rodeo trips.

They are traveling with five horses on their annual western circuit which takes in Cloncurry before the Mount

Isa rodeo in August where they will supply 55 steers and 40 calves.


HORSES

The amount of feed required by horses is determined by its size, workload and shelter. Feeding sprouts

can replace 60% - 100% of your current hard feed diet. Horses that need a high starch feed will require a

supply of starch from conventional feed such as steamed flake barley.

The high moisture content of sprouts benefits digestion and recovery after work. For digestive health it

is recommended that a horse consumes a min. of 1.5% of its body weight as dry matter. This needs to be

considered when calculating the required roughage to balance your horse’s diet when feeding sprouts.

Due to the high nutritional value of sprouts, using the sprouts mat as a primary nutritious feed for your

horse removes the dependence for often expensive prime alfalfa.

Alternatively, you are able to offer your horse grass hay or even straw, for roughage while feeding

sprouts.

Size & Workload of Horse Feed Rate lbs/day

(wet weight)

Mini – Pony 8.8 lbs

Light Work < 16h 17.6 lbs

Cutting, Trail Ridding 17.6 lbs

Jumping, Dressage, 1DE, Mare & Foal 26.5 lbs

Harness, Endurance, 3DE, Racing 35.3 lbs

18H + & Heavy Horse 44.1 lbs

Thoroughbred Racing 52.9 lbs

OTHER BENEFITS OBSERVED THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH FEEDING BARLEY SPROUTS:

Properties known to reduce the incidence of ulcers, inflammatory laminitis, tie-up, compaction &

colic

Reduce recovery time after hard work

Exceptional growth rates

Stimulates appetite, especially during conditions of heat stress

Fed daily, maintains a horse’s well being by aiding the digestive process and supplying protein and

high levels of cool energy. This allows a horse in work to maintain the bulk essential for an extended

campaign

Improvement in general appearance and coat condition

High in digestible fiber, which is digested into volatile fatty acids & is readily absorbed into the

bloodstream as a source of energy

Sprouts contain higher concentrations of the freely available minerals important for animal nutrition,

compared to grain prior to sprouting.

Helps replace essential fluids lost in work and increases hydration, especially in regions where heat

causes excessive loss of fluids from sweating

Provide essential amino acids and vitamins which encourage early breeding (D Cuddeford. PhD

Royal School of Veterinary Studies)

Improved behavior

Higher milk production in lactating mares


Mr & Mrs Abraham of Texas, QLD (Australia) are delighted with their decision to

invest in a Fodder Solutions system. This gives them a year-round, guaranteed supply of

fresh green feed.

Their cattle are thriving on the benefits of the daily dietary addition of a ration of grain

sprouts.

Removing the vagaries of the weather from the equation has also brought them

peace of mind. “It’s a great feeling, knowing you have about 1200 kilos of fresh feed

ready for your stock each morning,” Mr Abraham said.

“We needed to do something to make our small block more

profitable and this has proved to be very cost effective. You

wouldn’t buy much land for the money we spent on our

sprouting system, and we are certainly ahead of the expense of

setting up for irrigation.”

By including Fodder Solutions sprouts in the ration they are able to increase weight

gain. They have also found that less grain mixes are required for a higher weight gain,

reducing input costs.

“Most people in the area have had to sell weaners off early this season, but with our

sprouts we’ve been able to turn off a regular supply of finished cattle for the local market.

Buying the sprouting unit was the best decision we ever made!” Mr Abraham said.


CATTLE

The amount of feed for cattle is determined by the breed, age, season, and size. The advantage of

utilizing a Fodder Solutions system is it will produce according to your stock needs.

Preparing bulls, heifers, weaners, steers, vealers for sale or just trying to hold your stock alive during

drought. It is amazing how little sprouts are required to make a difference to the nutritional value of other feed

stuffs.

Using the sprouts mat as a primary energy and protein feed for your cattle removes the dependence on

expensive processed feed & prime alfalfa hay. You are able to utilize grass hay or even straw, for roughage

while feeding the sprouts due to its high digestibility.

Size & Energy Requirement Feed Rate lbs/day (wet weight)

Poor Season 4.4 lbs

Confined cattle 8.8 lbs

Weaner 17.6 lbs

Finishing < 660 lbs 17.6 lbs

Finishing > 660 lbs 26.5 lbs

Cow & Calf 26.5 lbs

Dairy Cow 35.3 lbs

Show Bull 44.1 lbs

THE BENEFITS OF FEEDING FODDER SOLUTIONS SPROUTS:


Increased milk production a n d milk fat

Improvement in general appearance and coat condition

Better quality meat for color and texture

Supplies high protein and energy from small quantity of grain

Reduces bloat and acidosis

High in digestible fiber, which is digested into volatile fatty acids & readily absorbed into the bloodstream as a

source of energy

Supplies higher concentrations and bio-available minerals and vitamins, important for animal nutrition - compared

to grain prior to sprouting

Provides essential amino acids and vitamins - which encourages the early breeding and increase gut function

High digestibility due to the fact that when grains are sprouted starch is converted into simple sugars, which are

called (Maltose and Dextrin’s). These sugars are easier to digest and take the pressure off the animal’s digestive system

increasing the net available energy for the animal.

Reduces the pressure calves place on cows, as they are able to eat and digest the sprouts from as young a 7

days old, resulting in healthier cows with more milk and larger calves at foot

Stimulation of appetite, especially during conditions of heat stress

Spring green for increased fertility for breeding

Less wasted feed


Northern NSW sheep producers Raymond and Brenda Kneipp have taken the seasonal

gamble out of their farming enterprise by installing a grain sprouting unit. With feed security

underwritten by a regular daily supply of fresh barley sprouts, Raymond is planning to change his

enterprise mix to breed more lambs for feedlot finishing on the property in the Dundee district,

north of Glen Innes.

Since he invested in the 750 lb/day capacity sprouting unit from Toowoomba-based Fodder

Solutions in October 2010 (as an upgrade from the old system he had since 2007) he hasn't

looked back and already expansion plans are on the drawing board.

'' With my feed supply guaranteed regardless of the season there is no

risk of having to sell store lambs if the season turns bad. “

Combining Fodder Solutions barley sprouts with low grade stubble, whole barley and some

feedlot finisher, Ray has been able to decrease his input costs while increasing his output.

In feeding this new ration Ray has been able to set up a 120 head feed lot that turns out prime

lambs every three months with weight gains around 9.7 lbs/head/week.


SHEEP

Fodder Solutions systems are great for feeding sheep, goats, pigs, alpacas and lamas. The low acid content

of the barley sprouts makes the use of barley sprouts totally safe for all types of stock. Even the fussy eaters

improve in condition and weight gains. It has been noted that when feeding Fodder Solutions barley sprouts to

stock there has been:


Increased milk production

Improvement in general appearance and fleece characteristics

Better quality meat, color and texture reported from butchers

Supply high protein and energy from a small quantity of grain

Increased hydration in flocks, less loss due to heat stress

High in digestible fiber, which is digested into volatile fatty acids & readily absorbed into the

bloodstream as a source of energy

Supplies higher concentrations of bio-available minerals and vitamins, important for animal nutrition

- compared to grain prior to sprouting

Provides essential amino acids and vitamins which encourages early breeding

High digestibility - due to the fact that when grains are sprouted starch is converted into simple

sugars, (which are called Maltose and Dextrin’s). These sugars are easier to digest and take the

pressure off the animal’s digestive system, increasing the net available energy for the animal.

Reduce the pressure young stock place on mothers, as they are able to eat and digest the sprouts from

as young a 7 days old - resulting in healthier ewes or does with more milk and larger lambs or kids.

Reduced feed waste

The Benefits of Feeding Fodder Solutions Sprouts:

The amount of feed for sheep is determined by the breed, age, season, and size. The

advantage of utilizing a Fodder Solutions system is it will produce according to your stocks

needs. Most breeds will consume around 2% of their body weight in barley sprouts, if energy

load is higher, pregnant, lactating and fattening, this can be increased to suit.

Preparing rams, ewes or fat lambs for sale or just trying to hold your stock alive during

drought. It is amazing how little sprouts are required to make a difference to the nutritional value

of other feed stuffs.

Using the sprouts mat as the primary energy and protein feed for your stock removes

the dependence for expensive processed feed & prime alfalfa hay. You are able to utilize grass

hay or even straw for roughage while feeding the sprouts due to its high digestibility.

Size & Energy Requirement Feed Rate lbs/Day (wet weight)

Poor Season / Drought 1.1 lbs

Mob in Paddock 1.1 lbs

Fatten Lambs 2.2 lbs

Prior to Joining 4.4 lbs

Ewe & Lamb 4.4 lbs

Dairy Goat 5.5 lbs


(wet weight

Manufactured by Simply Country Inc

Phone: (530) 277-3455

[email protected]

www.simplycountry.net

http://www.simplycountry.net/

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hydroponic fourrage