A couple of newby questions re: fermented feed and heating pad cave

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Finelyfound

Finelyfound

Chirping
Jan 1, 2016
67
15
59
Blue Ridge Mountains Virginia
My 25 chicks are arriving tomorrow. Coop is predator safe. I will be using a heating pad cave and have been reading all the posts on the subject. I still have one question. What is the ideal height on the inside of the cave?
Also, I will be fermenting the chick feed. Local feed store really screwed up my feed order then sold it accidentally. So I am picking up my feed today and will start the ferment this evening. I just want to be 100% certain that it will be safe to feed tomorrow before it has properly fermented?
Last question , the coop is 12x10 should I section off a smaller space initially to prevent them from wandering too far from the heat source?
Thank you!
Jocelyn
 
They need to be able to touch their backs and wings to the heating pad, so it will be pretty low at first. Aim for them to have to duck their heads a bit to scoot under it. You'll be raising it little by little as they grow.

The fermented feed will be safe to feed at any time, but you may not get the full effects for several days for the first ferment since it does take a bit to get going. You may want to set up two containers of it. One to feed oit of and one to let sit for 3-4 days (stirring daily). After the second container is good and fermented, you will be able to feed from it and just backslop. It will have built up enough of the microorganisms to ferment pretty quickly at that point.

I would block off a smaller section at least initially so no one gets "lost" and takes a chill. Once they are using the heating pad regularly without encouragement, you can probably open things up with periodic checking.
 
magicstorm said:
My daughter was backslopping for me and added city water from the faucet. What will this do to my ferment? Will it just have to start over?
Click to expand...


I thnk it must depend on the water? I've never had a problem with my city water--I use it to make FF for the brooder chicks--versus the well water which is used to make FF after the chicks move outside. It still bubbles and sours like usual.
 

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