Fermenting feed for newborn chicks

[Rethia]

Just hatched my first ever chicks and I'm in love! Trying to figure out what would be best for them in terms of nutrition. I have chick crumble (20% protein) I got for them and I'm wondering if it would make it easier for them to eat if I fermented the food? It's not as relevant right this second for first foods, but for my next batch, I'd like to know if there are benefits to fermenting their food when they're this small?

Is it really just as simple as soaking their feed in three buckets? Also, can you over-ferment their food? How do you decide how much to ferment? Do you offer dry along with fermented so you make sure they have as much as they want or need?

 

[Debbie292d]

We ferment grains for the older chicks, chickens, but the young ones don't get that until they're around a month old, then get grit at that time too.

Daily the little ones get wet crumbles though, and act like that's a treat.


Here's how I ferment grains. And when you see flax listed, that is sparingly. It gums it up otherwise.

I make a batch of around 20# dry to put in my quart jars.

1/2 part Kalmbach's Henhouse Reserve (get from Chewy) to 1/4 part hard red winter wheat and 1/4 part whole oats (get from our local feed mill in 50# bags), a tblsp each of chia seeds and flax.

Day 1: I fill one jar half full of the grain mix, then add non-chlorinated water almost to the top. I stir that and cover it with screened lids I bought on Amazon or can rubberband cheesecloth around the top. It has to breathe but keep out gnats or flies. Set out of the sun. I mark my jars with the day of the month I prepared them with a perm magic marker. That scrubs off with a scrunchy.

Day 2: I fill the second jar the same way as above. I stir the first jar and add water to cover it so it won't mold.

Day 3: I fill the third jar same as above, Stir the 1st and 2nd jar.

Day 4: I drain the first jar and serve in silicone loaf pans. (They usually can't tip those over.)

If you don't want it every day, just start it any day you want and know that on the 4th day, you'll be serving it.

You can use other grains and change this up to suit yourself or your chickens.

 

[Rethia]

We ferment grains for the older chicks, chickens, but the young ones don't get that until they're around a month old, then get grit at that time too.

Daily the little ones get wet crumbles though, and act like that's a treat.


Here's how I ferment grains. And when you see flax listed, that is sparingly. It gums it up otherwise.

I make a batch of around 20# dry to put in my quart jars.

1/2 part Kalmbach's Henhouse Reserve (get from Chewy) to 1/4 part hard red winter wheat and 1/4 part whole oats (get from our local feed mill in 50# bags), a tblsp each of chia seeds and flax.

Day 1: I fill one jar half full of the grain mix, then add non-chlorinated water almost to the top. I stir that and cover it with screened lids I bought on Amazon or can rubberband cheesecloth around the top. It has to breathe but keep out gnats or flies. Set out of the sun. I mark my jars with the day of the month I prepared them with a perm magic marker. That scrubs off with a scrunchy.

Day 2: I fill the second jar the same way as above. I stir the first jar and add water to cover it so it won't mold.

Day 3: I fill the third jar same as above, Stir the 1st and 2nd jar.

Day 4: I drain the first jar and serve in silicone loaf pans. (They usually can't tip those over.)

If you don't want it every day, just start it any day you want and know that on the 4th day, you'll be serving it.

You can use other grains and change this up to suit yourself or your chickens.

Thanks for the rundown! I can't have flax or chia seeds in the house--I'm severely allergic to them. I'll definitely try wetting down some of their crumbles with water and see how they like those! They were only just getting a handle on drinking from the waterer today, so that will help boost their hydration too. Thank you!

 

[Debbie292d]

Thanks for the rundown! I can't have flax or chia seeds in the house--I'm severely allergic to them. I'll definitely try wetting down some of their crumbles with water and see how they like those! They were only just getting a handle on drinking from the waterer today, so that will help boost their hydration too. Thank you!

Yes, just wet crumbles will be a big hit! I do that for the older ones too and most love it that way. I have a crossbeak hen I have to make it for anyway, so they all get some daily.

The chia and flax is just my own thing. You can make it your own mix of whatever you chose. I fermented their feed once and never did that again as it's just mush, so went to grains.