anybody used spent grains as bird feed?

[rhys333]

Wondering what to do with all these leftover grains. Its -20 deg C here, so lawn fertilizer is out, but can I feed it safely to wild birds? Anybody tried this?

 

[brew_ny]

my chickens love it and I have seen the wild birds eating it also

all the best

S_M

 

[fuzzy2133]

+1 however I do not have any chickens and have not seen any dead birds around my house.

 

[headbanger]

I've heard of people using it for chicken feed so I don't see why not.

 

[rhys333]

Have some out there already and they seem to be going for it...

 

[Homercidal]

I tried it once, and they left it there to rot. Probably because my efficiency is so high the residual sugar content was a negative number...

No, seriously, they did not go for it. It went bad in a couple of days.

 

[Black Island Brewer]

OTOH, pigs love it, even with
80+% efficiency!

 

[Rhumbline]

I throw it in the yard for the squirrels. I think they've figured out to let it sit for a few days. I went out one day to find three squirrels dazed and confused.

 

[max384]

I toss it in my compost pile in the garden. The birds absolutely love it. Not much of it actually gets composted by the time those hungry bastards are done!

 

[rhys333]

I throw it in the yard for the squirrels. I think they've figured out to let it sit for a few days. I went out one day to find three squirrels dazed and confused.

Maybe I should store the stash somewhere nice and warm for a week to get a little fermentation going. Bet they'll loooove it then.

 

[Rhumbline]

Maybe I should store the stash somewhere nice and warm for a week to get a little fermentation going. Bet they'll loooove it then.

No problem here, it was in the 80's. might explain the note I found telling me I needed to work on keeping my fermentation temps stable.

They also requested a chocolate stout.

 

[rhys333]

Mine highly recommend american brown ale

 

[LabRatBrewer]

The birds around here don't touch it.

 

[DrunkleJon]

Asked one of my coworkers about this because he is a bird fanatic. I mean ridiculously so. He obsesses over them like we do beermaking. Weird huh?

He told me that at least most of the birds around here are not barley eaters so they will not touch it. Go on the internet and look at the birdies around your area of living and you should be able to find out what they eat. If it does not list barley you are probably out of luck. Additionally, there is concern with how little nutrition most likely remains in the grains.

 

[Hello]

The birds around here don't touch it.

Well it is Laguna, even Nigel. Those bastard birds are so picky. They probably wait for Starbucks and donuts!

I haven't given any to the birds but I bet the squirrels would dig it.

 

[deadfall]

Last winter I was putting it out for the birds and the deer. The birds ate a little. The deer would eat some but didn't seem to like it. The pile got about a foot and a half tall. I was beginning to think I'd have to move it in the spring. Then one day the Wild turkeys found it and it was gone in an hour.

 

[max384]

Asked one of my coworkers about this because he is a bird fanatic. I mean ridiculously so. He obsesses over them like we do beermaking. Weird huh?

He told me that at least most of the birds around here are not barley eaters so they will not touch it. Go on the internet and look at the birdies around your area of living and you should be able to find out what they eat. If it does not list barley you are probably out of luck. Additionally, there is concern with how little nutrition most likely remains in the grains.

Meh. I highly doubt it'll kill 'em. If it does, great! I'm not allowed to shoot guns in town! :cross:

 

[LibertyBrewer]

I feed my spent grains to the horses. They love it.

 

[mikescooling]

Nothing eats my spent grain. I dump it in a pile in the back yard, that gets bigger and bigger. We have big Chicago rats here and they don't eat it.

 

[DrunkleJon]

Nothing eats my spent grain. I dump it in a pile in the back yard, that gets bigger and bigger. We have big Chicago rats here and they don't eat it.

I bet that pile smells like death. Especially in the summer.

 

[mikescooling]

Yes it does. It's stink'n now and it -20 to -30 below zero with wind chill.