How to dispose of spent grains?

[Ballaratguy]

Use spent grains with care as feed. Because of the very high fibre content it is often recommended to mix them with two or three times their volume of feed grain, to prevent diarrhoea. If one has only two or three chooks you might not go through them that way before they get moldy.

They are also very high in protein, therefore in nitrogen, but not nearly so rich in other plant nutrients. As such they make a good fertiliser to fire up compost heaps or to use as is on salad plants, edible greens or grass. Scattering them on a lawn attracts a few birds. No worries, they don't stink that way.

Because of the nutrient imbalance heavy applications may discourage flowering and fruiting, but that depends on the plant and the soil. Out my window Moby Zucchini seems to be thriving and producing heavily in ground enriched by pale ales past. I have had poor yields of tomatoes that way.

How do you tell if a chook has diarrhoea?

 

[Ballaratguy]

Being a fisherman (err someone who marinates bait in salt water). I’m about to go out today with my spent grain with tuna oul added
Be interesting to see if it attracts the fish

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Being a fisherman (err someone who marinates bait in salt water). I’m about to go out today with my spent grain with tuna oul added
Be interesting to see if it attracts the fish

It will, when I have been out snapper fishing I have used a large cage feeder and stuffed it with bread and cat food, same on the Maribyrnong with smaller feeders. Never thought about using the grain, should work though.

 

[S.E]

If you have room in your freezer just freeze the grain in large blocks (or a plastic bag) with a bit of rope attached so it stays fresh till you need it. Then just tie off the other end of the rope and chuck the frozen block overboard and let it defrost and disintegrate in the warm sea water.

To attach the rope to the grain tie a short length of stick or something to one end and place it in the middle of the block/bag before freezing it.

Edit: obviously remove the plastic bag before chucking the block overboard.

 

[GordonB]

Dog biscuits..... affectionately known as poo biscuits. Lotsa good fibre and makes " clean up" a whole lot nicer. Treat biscuit not food.

Couple of US websites with heaps of recipes. Dog and human, going to have a crack at a few others.

So this a good idea. I read earlier "if you have a property" and realised my ex brother in law has 2.5 acres at Red Hill, in the NE of WA metro area and has chooks and also kangaroos close by. I asked, he agreed and now he's got chooks, kangaroos and pink and grey galahs lining up. Problem is though supply may not be able to keep up with demand

 

[falcoah]

I used to give mine to the chooks...but then found that the sheep were breaking into the chook pen to get at it...so now I spread it out in the paddock so everyone can have a crack.

The sheep (one in particular who was originally a potty lamb) know it’s brew day when I carry my RO water from the house to the shed and yell at me for hours until I tip the grain over the fence.

 

[TheSumOfAllBeers]

The spent grain is fantastic in my compost heap. You have to mix it through though.

Unlike livestock, the compost heap microflora don’t care if it’s export porter day.