First time fermenting chicken food

[mrl8810]

I have raised chickens for the better part of 10 years consistently. I have one coop that has bantams(mostly old English game bantams) and one coop that has standard chickens(Orpingtons/isa browns/barred rocks) over the past six months I’ve heard more about fermenting food and how it’s better for the chicken and how it also saves money on chicken food.

I’m wanting to try it for the first time and I think I know how to do this properly but wanted to ask on here first for reassurance…

I don’t do do pellets as my chickens have never eaten them…I do crumbles.

I wanted to put my regular crumble feed in and mix it with things like meal worms and layer…from what I’ve researched I would put it in a food safe bucket, put water in the bucket to cover the food completely…stir it a couple of times per day…and in 3-4 days it should smell sour which means it’s ready for the chickens?


Also I’ve read to store it in a dark and cool place. I live in the southeast and this time of the year it’s like 70-80s each day…is this cool enough? Thanks for any help.

 

[nuthatched]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/fermenting-chicken-feed-a-straightforward-method.75967/

 

[rosemarythyme]

I don't know how quickly your particular feed will ferment. Start with a very small amount and a shorter time frame and adjust from there. In hotter weather feed ferments faster and I do get mold issues in hotter weather on occasion.

I also don't like to complicate things. It's just feed and water, enough to cover by about 1/2" to 1" (varies on your feed, temperatures, etc). I don't stir, I don't strain. My goal is to have something like very thick oatmeal as the end product. I begin serving it at around the 24 hr mark, and usually use a batch up by day 3.

I have no idea what would happen to dried mealworms soaking for 4 days...

 

[Penpal]

I don't think I would soak the dried mealworms. They aren't going to change and become more digestible.

I wouldn't soak crumbles for four days. I fed the new chicks crumbles, but I just got it wet. It breaks down pretty fast. Let it soak for an hour.

 

[Perris]

fermenting is beneficial for whole grains, not already processed feeds. I describe how and why I ferment feed in this article, which has links to further reading on it if you want to follow up
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...eat-tears-a-calculator-or-deep-pockets.78655/