Find out exactly how much barley seed you need per day, how many sprouting trays to run, and what it'll cost — based on your actual livestock.
Your Livestock
Animal Type
Count
Avg Weight (lb)
Your Fodder System
Fodder Needed Daily
—
lbs of sprouted fodder
Seed Needed Daily
—
lbs of dry barley seed
Trays Running
—
trays total (1 ready per day)
Seed Cost / Day
—
dollars per day
Seed Cost / Month
—
dollars per month
vs. Commercial Feed
—
estimated monthly savings
System summary:
How the Fodder Calculator Works
Sprouted barley fodder is one of the best ways to cut feed costs on a homestead. One pound of dry barley seed sprouts into approximately 6–7 lbs of living fodder in 7–8 days — and that fodder is dramatically more digestible than dry grain.
Feeding rate: Most livestock need 2–3% of their body weight in feed daily. Dairy animals and horses get closer to 3%.
Seed to fodder ratio: We use 6.5× as a conservative average (1 lb seed → 6.5 lbs fodder).
Tray rotation: With a 7-day grow cycle, you plant one tray per day and harvest one tray per day. You'll always have 7 trays running at once.
Cost comparison: Organic barley seed runs $0.25–$0.50/lb. Typical hay or commercial feed is $0.15–$0.25/lb but far less digestible — real savings come from reduced waste and better feed conversion.
This calculator assumes 100% fodder replacement. Many homesteaders start at 30–50% replacement and supplement with hay.