Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

what is "the mother"?
The mother is the dark, cloudy substance in the ACV formed from naturally occurring pectin and apple residues - it appears as molecules of protein connected in strand-like chains. The presence of the mother shows that the best part of the apple has not been destroyed. Vinegars containing the mother contain enzymes and minerals that other vinegars may not contain due to over processing, filtration and overheating.
 
Ok, I have a question. I just got some day olds on Saturday and I bought chick starter for them and started the ferment. It's separated, like... say what oil and water would do, there is a layer of water and then the feed. My other FF never did that, still looks awesome and bubbly. So I looked at the bag of chick feed and noticed I got the medicated.
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Would that cause the separation?

Thank you!

When I first started, I had medicated starter because that's all I can get around here without a special order. Anyway, it worked fine. I don't remember there being a separation though. Do you have the water stirred down into the feed?
 
Does anyone have experience feeding any type of fermented feed in cold weather? Cold enough weather that it is below freezing during the day as well as at night?

And do I understand correctly that a lot of you ferment formulated feed like pellets? Could mash be fermented?
I do. I feed half scratch half layer pellets that is fermented. I do the single bucket method and keep it rather thick. I serve it up in a heated doggie dish, otherwise it froze too fast and they couldn't eat it all. Now it's gone every day.
 
When I first started, I had medicated starter because that's all I can get around here without a special order. Anyway, it worked fine. I don't remember there being a separation though. Do you have the water stirred down into the feed?
Yep, just like always. That's why I thought it looked so weird. My other bucket is still going strong. When I stir it all up (this new bucket), then it looks bubbly and all but after a bit, there's the separation. I stir it up before giving it to them.
 
I was comparing this years egg rates with last years and was fully expecting the decrease in lay to start going up the first week in January, like it did last year. Instead it dropped so much that only 4 hens out of 18 were laying at all. I did take into consideration that the older half could be molting (invisibly) or something, but even the pullets quit. The big difference was that I was using FF this year. I was seriously thinking about switching back to free feeding layer pellets when the guy at the feed store suggested adding fish meal to the mix. So, I got 1 bag to try. It's about 1/6th to 1/5th of the mix. Last week I got 23 eggs. This week I got 49. From the egg colors, I can tell that 7 hens have started laying that haven't been laying since October. Whew! Almost had to tell the local restaurant I couldn't be a supplier anymore!

Q about Layer Mash - where are you guys getting this? Am I right in thinking that this isn't a pelleted feed? More grain-like?
 

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