Help with fermented feed

[Squawkers]

How basic is "very" basic? Get your municipal water test, it should show you.

Ok, I’d have to figure out the exact level.

 

[MichaelDJ]

View attachment 3873493
and this is what a simpler batch looked like before straining and rinsing. It has a very slight odour.
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This, for contrast, is what fermented processed feed looked like when I started on this journey. The smell was indescribably vile. It should be obvious from the two last photos that you need to ask WHAT someone is fermenting when they say they use fermented feed, because totally different things are passing by the same label.
View attachment 3873496

only if you are fermenting processed feed. If, on the other hand, you use or add some whole grains, the ferment will start from the microfauna, microflora and microfunga already present on their surfaces.

Why are you rinsing it before feeding??

 

[Perris]

Why are you rinsing it before feeding??

Because the liquor contains the things that we want the fermenting process to draw out of the grains, seeds and peas (the things that the plant put in to try to protect them from being eaten or decomposed before they get chance to germinate and reproduce the plant that they came from).

It can get quite gloopy and stick to the grains, and my birds prefer to eat them without that coating. I have no idea what it tastes like to them, but I respect their likes and dislikes, so rinse it for them.

The drawn off liquor makes a good plant feed btw. This tomato, for example, has had only that and a little mealworm fras as food

(It's inside because it grew from seed outside at the end of a cold wet spring, and hadn't quite ripened before winter cold set in, so I brought it in to let it finish indoors. The point is, healthy plant, perfect fruit, on fermented feed liquor and water, basically.)

 

[MichaelDJ]

Because the liquor contains the things that we want the fermenting process to draw out of the grains, seeds and peas (the things that the plant put in to try to protect them from being eaten or decomposed before they get chance to germinate and reproduce the plant that they came from).

It can get quite gloopy and stick to the grains, and my birds prefer to eat them without that coating. I have no idea what it tastes like to them, but I respect their likes and dislikes, so rinse it for them.

The drawn off liquor makes a good plant feed btw. This tomato, for example, has had only that and a little mealworm fras as food
View attachment 4000755
(It's inside because it grew from seed outside at the end of a cold wet spring, and hadn't quite ripened before winter cold set in, so I brought it in to let it finish indoors. The point is, healthy plant, perfect fruit, on fermented feed liquor and water, basically.)

Interesting about the potential use as a fertilizer.
My ladies eat everything without rising. As far as it getting gloppy that doesn't happen because I only ferment enough rations for each day's use, saving a spoon full or two to start the next batch. Too keep the ferment grain from being too wet I mix in a mixture of freeze dried pumpkin, dry kelp meal and a bit of and freeze dried brewers grain

 

[Perris]

it getting gloppy that doesn't happen because I only ferment enough rations for each day's use

it's a function of the peas rather than the time, as mine are only fermenting for a day too, but some of the pea mixes I buy produce a gloopier liquor than others. I think hemp seeds play a role too.

dry kelp meal

I used to add dried dulce or kelp collected from the beach quite often until I realized it made everything taste of iodine, and they're not that keen on that once they've hit their target for that. So now when I offer it (very occasionally) it goes on as top-dressing on just 1 out the 6 bowls of food that go out, so those who want it can enjoy it and those who don't can avoid it.

I haven't tried brewers grains yet. How do you rate them?

 

[MichaelDJ]

it's a function of the peas rather than the time, as mine are only fermenting for a day too, but some of the pea mixes I buy produce a gloopier liquor than others. I think hemp seeds play a role too.

I used to add dried dulce or kelp collected from the beach quite often until I realized it made everything taste of iodine, and they're not that keen on that once they've hit their target for that. So now when I offer it (very occasionally) it goes on as top-dressing on just 1 out the 6 bowls of food that go out, so those who want it can enjoy it and those who don't can avoid it.

I haven't tried brewers grains yet. How do you rate them?

You have to be careful with brewers grams. They grains involved can very and the remaining nutritional content can also very. There are lots of articles about this, even ones warning not to use them. I took me several months to figure out the right balance. One thing for sure, my chickens love it and at least in my area, very cheap and that helps offset the cost of the organic feed.
I feed whole organic seeds and grains that I ferment along with the other additives I previously mentioned.
If you are interested I can post up my grain mix.

 

[Perris]

If you are interested I can post up my grain mix.

yes I am. Might be better to do it as a new thread though as we have sort of hi-jacked this one already (sorry @Squawkers ) or you're welcome to add it to the comments on my wholesome homemade feed article, as some others have done.

 

[Squawkers]

yes I am. Might be better to do it as a new thread though as we have sort of hi-jacked this one already (sorry @Squawkers ) or you're welcome to add it to the comments on my wholesome homemade feed article, as some others have done.

Don't apologize!! I don't care at all. There was a question that you answered and you can stay on this thread as long as you want!! I like reading it too.

 

[Squawkers]

How cold can you ferment in? It has started freezing here at nights and I assume I can’t ferment that cold?

 

[Perris]

How cold can you ferment in? It has started freezing here at nights and I assume I can’t ferment that cold?

As long as it is in a liquid state I think it continues, though more slowly the colder it gets. Do you have a furnace for domestic heating? I stand my jars on that; it's insulated of course, and it's just the right temperature for a 24-hr ferment.