Flathead Lake Lodge finds a new way to feed its critters

The days of bucking hay bales may be over at Flathead Lake Lodge.

Owner Doug Averill has found a way to feed his horses, cattle and elk that is healthier and cheaper.

Averill has about a dozen horses, a Scottish Highlander bull, and a small herd of elk on his property north of Montana Highway 35. He’s feeding them barley fodder — sprouted barley that grows quickly. He’s experimenting with the fodder at a shop near Flathead Lake Lodge. Inside the shop, the walls sweat with 87 percent humidity, and grow lights are mounted on the wall. He keeps the temperature about 76 degrees. Seeds are spread in plastic trays then soaked with water. One pound of barley seed becomes eight pounds of barley feed in six days — enough to feed his Highlander bull for one day.

Averill says the cost is $50 to $60 a ton, versus hay, which costs from $150 to $300 a ton, depending on how severe this year’s drought is. “That, in itself, is huge,” he said. “Not to mention barley fodder is healthier for the animals.”

Averill spends about a half hour each day watering the fodder and starting new ones. “I’ve been having fun with it,” he said.

Since the fodder is higher in protein, his animals require less feed. That also means less manure. It takes some time for his animals to become accustomed to it, though. Horses can gobble one of the sprouted mats of barley fodder quickly, and since horses are used to eating for a while during one feeding, they get restless. “It takes them about a day to get used to it,” he said, “then they’ll go to this before they’ll go to hay.”

Feeding fodder helps reduce the risk of colic in horses, Averill said, since the animals are eating food that doesn’t bloat their stomachs. The old Highlander bull that he keeps was near death this winter. But after a steady regimen of barley fodder the animal added over 100 pounds and appears quite healthy, Averill said. “We thought he was going to die on us a month ago. He’s got some energy now, and he’s like a whole new creature.”

For large herds, fodder might not be practical unless a rancher has a substantial grow operation. But for someone with two to three horses or cows, it makes sense. “It’s very simple and economical,” Averill said. “I can’t find anything I don’t like about it.”

With an emphasis on sustainable, low-impact agriculture, using fodder makes sense at Flathead Lake Lodge, where guests are interested in organic farming. “It’s another aspect of education at the ranch,” he said. “Kids can see from start to finish what this accomplishes.”