Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[jrsckn]

I've been deflated (for lack of a better word) since losing some of my meaties so I really haven't felt like posting. I did all my calculations for week 5 and found them dead before posting them. Then, I reweighed everyone that night when it cooled down so I'd have a new starting point but even thinking about thinking of how I'm going to re-work everything so this wasn't all for nothing makes me want to pull my hair out; so I haven't. I think the heat is getting to me so I'm waiting until it cools off enough to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee after morning chores and start working on it. Then I'll post my results and before n after pics of my layer pullets who have been on fermented feed for 10 weeks.

DH went to the feed store today because I didn't make it earlier in the week and they were sold out of steamed rolled oats. They're a feed store, how do they run out of oats?????? Two hours round trip

. We thought about steamed rolled barley but it was $40/50lb

 

[LunaticCafe]

jrsckn, I am so sorry you lost some of your chicks. Losing chicks is upsetting on its own, but the fact it puts your experiment in jeopardy must make it so much worse. I've been following your experiment with much interest.

 

[jeapa]

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it has changed the way I feed! Now it's your turn to add some posts!

Ok. Yesterday I fed my small flock (12), the crumbles and grains that I soaked for 24 hours in the warm water with a little bread yeast and 1 spoonful of sugar. My chicks are 9 weeks old and they loved it. I have never fed them FF before, but they acted like it was the best thing I had ever given them. I added another cup of crumbles and grain to the same bucket. Can I just keep reusing the same water and yeast? At what point will I need to add more yeast? The bucket smells a lot like beer and has the white film on the top so I think it is fermenting correctly. My plan is to keep feeding them this once a day and still offer the dry Crumbles free feed.

 

[Kassaundra]

I only ferment the grains not the feed, the feed was to much a hassel for me, but I ferment the grains in a 33 gal trash can 50 lb bags at a time and have used the same base water for over a year. I just add more as I need to. If I could find some sort of feed that was grains and balanced all purpose feed that had all the nutrition they need I would ferment that, but every feed store I ask looks at me like I sprouted a third eye when I ask.

I also started my ferment w/ water and grain, no acv, yeast or anything else.

 

[jrsckn]

Thanks everybody for your support on my losses, it really helps

. It was a little cooler today and it feels good not to have to worry so much.

I think I'm going on my 3rd week without adding more ACVand its going strong, I just keep adding feed to keep the microorganisms multiplying.

 

[Costa Rica Art]

Today I fed some mash that had been fermenting 72 hours it was so good the rooster was gobbling it up like there was no tomorrow. Most of the chickens and guineas took their turns. Some of the chicks were eating as well. Those were silkie chicks about half grown, the very young silkies didn't seem to be interested. It has rained almost all day so this afternoon I scattered some cracked corn around in the coop as they weren't going out in the rain. There was enough of the 72 hour mash to give another feeding tomorrow so I'll see how they care for something 96 hours fermented. I'm still looking for some oats or wheat to add to the mash, I hope I can get some at a reasonable price. I'll be getting some new chicks about the middle of next month, I don't know the breed yet but they are supposed to be dark almost black of good weight when they reach maturity and lay good size eggs. As soon as I get more info I will post it. These chicks will have mash available from day one but they will also have regular chick starter, I may even try to ferment that too. This is a good experiment for me and the flock. Perhaps I can get more folks fermenting feed for their flocks here in Costa Rica. And I retired or was that a trick just to get me to raise chickens.

 

[binders]

Costa Rica Art - what kind of grains do they grow locally. Wheat and oats may not be the best choice for you. I would see what are grown fairly locally and try those.

 

[burnyourmoney]

Just an update on my current FF status, the 16 layers+roosters have been eating fermented scratch for about 2 months now and are enjoying it. We just got 208 white rocks 6 days ago and for the first day they got crumbles because I had forgotten to start the FF for them. I mixed up a batch using half the water from the layers FF and it was bubbling within minutes. I put some out to them and they just ignored it. I tried lining the top of it with dry food and they would pick that off and avoid the FF. Finally, on day 5 they made the complete conversion over to FF. They love it now. Or, it's because there is no more dry food going in so they don't have a choice

Even with the crazy heat we haven't lost a single bird to natural causes, Praise God. However, one was killed due to neglect on my part the first night. He snuck under the water dish when I was putting it back in and I didn't notice until the morning

I am fermenting medicated chick starter crumbles. I do have to line the top of the troughs with dry food otherwise they walk in it and sink to the bottom (1 inch). If I line it then they can stand on top of the food without sinking in.
It's been 6 days and they just finished their first 20kg (44lb) bag of feed.

 

[jeapa]

I think I could drain my FF a little more before I feed it, but everyone loves it so I guess I am serving a wet mash..LOL..


Here is what it looks like when I serve it, 50% grower crumbles 50% scratch grains:



The gang chowing down:



I always have one that has to get inside the feeder:




Does that RIR ( Production Red) look like a Rooster to any of you? These are 9 weeks old and I get about a 50/50 split when I have asked before.

 

[LunaticCafe]

it has changed the way I feed! Now it's your turn to add some posts!

I've been fermenting feed for 8 days now, feeding it for 6. I started with 1/3 cup whole wheat and cracked corn combined with 1 cup water and half a tablespoon of Bragg's vinegar (I'm feeding just 3 pullets as a supplement to their regular feed). After two days I still hadn't seen any bubbles, but it smelled like bread instead of like vinegar, so I drained and gave some to the chooks. They gobbled it up! I've been feeding it to them daily, adding more wheat and corn, then a little oats, water as needed, and once another little splash of vinegar. After 5 days of fermenting, I finally saw bubbles and the mother! I never remove all the feed, just take out as much as half, and add back as much as I remove, and give it a good stir. I can't believe how they wolf it down.

I don't know if it is related, but for the last couple of days they've started following me around when I let them out of the coop, instead of running from me. I am now their favorite person.