So why do we feed cows on grass instead of grass seed?

 

Because grass is cheap and easy to come by, it doesn't rot within days, and cows can just walk around on it until they eat it.

Sprouted grains would be much richer nutritionally, but would also require a lot of extra hassle. It just isn't efficient under most circumstances when pasture is so easy to come by.

 

The sprouting process turns sugars into vitamins; there's some enzyme action going on as well.

 

^^ That's what it's about, not energy. The seed, undergoing germination, is converting that raw stored energy into more complex nutrients.

Those other nutrients, namely vitamins, aren't as stable long term as the oils and starches the germ is packed with. The nutritional value of raw grains is greatly improved by germinating them, but their shelf life is drastically reduced.

 

Excellent information about sprouting - - -
http://sproutpeople.org/

The Marvel of Sprouts!

Research shows that sprouts are a veritable fountain of youth. Sprouts abound with antioxidants, they are full of protein, chlorophyll, vitamins, minerals and amino acids. Broccoli sprouts have been found to contain 50 times as much of the antioxidant sulfurophane as mature broccoli. Wheat Grass juice is the closest substance to hemoglobin, and is therefore a phenomenal blood purifier and liver de-toxifier. Sprouts contain enzymes, giving your body a much needed rest as they digest themselves - invigorating you while requiring no help from your body to process them. New research indicates that peanut sprouts reduce harmful cholesterol and that sunflower, buckwheat and grain sprouts dramatically improve the quality of life for diabetics. The list goes on and on.
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Good to know

 

Sprouted wheat is the very best feed for chickens.

 

There's nothing odd about it. Sprouting increases the amount of bio-nutrients in the grain which would not be otherwise available. That's apart from the fact that sprouting increases the weight sevenfold, depending on time and temperature conditions.

 

Weight is all water.

 

Sprouting does little for feed value. The survivalist might need that little to make it of value.

 

Fodder

actually Sprouts are prefered by my horses to grains.. the softer sprouts are also easier for them to digest than even rolled oats. The chickens love them. For ruminants that are designed to eat grasses it makes it much easier on the digestion rather than feeding grains or cracked corn .. (look at the brewers grains or other feeds that you give to cattle and you'll often find that they've added bicarbonate of soda to help with the soured stomach and gas). Cattle gain weight faster on grasses, and yes, some of that is water weight ..of course if you consider 70% of a vertebrate is water weight that is neither unusual OR undesirable.. why would you want dehydrated meat on the hoof?

Look up crop king or the other fodder systems and you'll find a wealth of advertisement information on how well barley and wheat sprouts perform. I can honestly say that using sprouted grains as scratch for my chickens has produced better eggs (they are pastured chickens but will race in at night for the scratch).

Generally, the enzymes are active nutritionally and are easier for animals to break down than a dried seed or grain because they already have such a high moisture content as opposed to the grains.

Cheers.