[rustyme]

I have , for some years , eaten sprouted mung beans . This is very easy to do and they sprout within a couple of days usually. Some years I have even planted and grown my own plants from bought seed and this has harvested well . The facts and figures on mung bean plants are ,
 1 seed= 1 plant, , this plant produces pods which contain, 10 - 15 seeds per pod and 30 - 40 pods per plant . Not bad , thats a 300%-600% increase per seed !
 Planting rate is 4-8 plants  per row foot  and 30" or 15" between the rows. AT 30" between rows there is considerable weeding to be done as they do not form a canopy , but the harvested yield at that spacing is about 1000-1200 lbs per acre,  and for the 15" spacing is about 2000-2400 lbs per acre . The protein content is appx 25% by weight of seed . So in theory would make a good animal feed !! Some testing has been done in the states on feeding pigs with it , but not much . It is also fed to cattle sometimes , but in the main is used for human consumption, as the seed is expensive to buy . Why that should be so I can't understand , as a 300%-600% increase in seed is good to say the least !!   I know the plant grew well and easy when I have grown it , and it provided viable seed for further supplies for sprouting . Doing some very quick and simplified sums , 1000 lbs of seed would supply, 5 lbs of 25% feed per day for 200 days . Therefore , at the closer spacing of 15" between rows yielding 2000 lbs of seed , would supply , 5 lbs of feed per day  for 400 days , per acre. This used in conjunction with other home grown feed ie , mangels , swede , J. artichokes , comfrey etc etc , it would be easy to supply all the feed needed for  1 or  2 pigs . You can do the same with soy beans , but you hit the problem of finding assured NON GM soy seed !!! .  I will continue to use and grow mung for my own food supply , but will try it on a bigger scale next year to see how it goes , maybe an area about 30'x10' . Food for thought again maybe ...?

cheers

Russ

[Tullywood Farm]

The Soya Bean thing is quite a problem.

Up until recently all pig food contained at least 15% genetically modified Soya - yes - even the ORGANIC FARM Pig food.

We used to point this out to customers in the market when they asked if we feed organic pellets to our pigs - cause it didn't make any difference - there was no such thing as Organic Pork if they were fed pelleted food.

When the food scare hit Ireland in December ( The Irish Government went on TV at 9.30 on a Saturday night to announce that all pork and bacon products had to be thrown away from your freezer and fridge).when they found out the pellets contained engine or cooking oil 
I stuck my neck out and said that our meat was safe!  (I think if you google tullywood farm the statement still comes up).

I hadn't fed any pelleted pig food for months and could prove that to the officials over the next 3 days by showing feed receipts back to August.
We received "Bord Bia"  (another Irish Government office) status within four days and gave us rolls of stickers to use, then they released our meat that was in the abattoir that was being made into Ham, back on the market. 

Our abattoir had to throw out over 22,000 euros worth of pigs and meat, because others on bigger farms could not prove their feed as easily, and it was weeks before their meat got clearance.  It was a horrible time for pig farmers, and abattoirs.

If you find a supplier of unmodified soya bean seeds, let me know.

Julie

[rustyme]

yes ... records now show that some 80%-95% of the worlds soya, is either GM or contaminated by GM , good old  M******o ( THAT !!! company again ). They WILL do it with all seed before too long . They already sell really cheap seed, in third world countries , ALL GM . How can you expect some poor farmer in Africa to pay 4 or 5 times the price for known GM free seed , when companies run by M , will sell for 1/4 the price and guarantee their seed is safe ? I hate that company and all it does .

cheers

Russ

[welshboy]

Rustyme- very interesting- how do you harvest them or could you just turn the pigs in if you were not too worried about harvest efficiency. If you could turn them in with a few rows of spuds as well bingo self feed for a while.

[rustyme]

hello WB,
           I hand picked the few I grew , but that was easy enough with only 50 plants yielding about 3 lbs . Here is what I have read about harvesting :

For the whole seed market, quality of the
seed is important, so care in harvest and
post-harvest handling may be important to
avoid cracked or split seed. Mungbeans
can be direct combined using a platform
head or a row crop head. Adjustments to
combine settings, and possibly screen/sieve
sizes, should be made for the smaller size
of mungbeans versus soybeans. The grain
should be stored at around 12% moisture or
less.

I am not sure how well they grow when not weeded or mixed with other crops , I grew mine on a small area just for them . I have no idea how pigs would be, if allowed free range on them ? Could you do that with peas or beans ? If so you could grow them instead !! I just thought I would throw the idea open, as I grew them without any difficulties , and they are a nitrogen fixer , ideal in a crop rotaion . Maybe they could even be grown and sold for sprouting seed ? They would make a fortune then  !!  Ideas Ideas !!!!


cheers

Russ

[welshboy]

Good thread thanks Rustyme.
Here is a link regarding peas http://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/livestock/poultry/bba01s21.html which shows an average 23.5 % protein.
You have got me thinking !

[rustyme]

www.jeffersoninstitute.org/pubs/mung_beans_guide.pdf
 The above link is where I got the info on mung beans ! Gives good basic info . Here is another on field beans :
http://www.international.inra.fr/partnerships/with_the_private_sector/live_from_the_labs/gladice_a_winter_field_bean_combining_agronomic_performance_and_nutritional_benefits