FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

ak rain said:

Cool im still on track. maybe Ill try the holes. . My 8 13 week old pullets are liking it.
Thank you
Ak rain

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man it seems like an eternity since mine was 13 weeks old but it was just a short time ago. Man how fast they do grow up.
Glad yours is liking it to. Mine will take you down for the stuff almost like they're addicted to it or something. IF I'm not careful they will hop up on my arm to get at the bucket.

I have to really be watching them so they don't make me drop the thing.

I've been feeding after dark lately...so they cannot anticipate the feeding time and wait outside the door all day instead of foraging~they just wake up in the morning to a little dab of breakfast and that's all they get all day. They still get excited when I come outside and run to mob me, but they are learning that it no longer means feeding time.

AND...they are no longer waiting on the doorstep, all the while picking their molting bodies all over the place! Looks like someone had a big pillow fight in my backyard!

I can't wait for my fist egg!
Ak rain

Beekissed said:

I've been feeding after dark lately...so they cannot anticipate the feeding time and wait outside the door all day instead of foraging~they just wake up in the morning to a little dab of breakfast and that's all they get all day.  They still get excited when I come outside and run to mob me, but they are learning that it no longer means feeding time. 

AND...they are no longer waiting on the doorstep, all the while picking their molting bodies all over the place!  Looks like someone had a big pillow fight in my backyard! 

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This is a good idea. I think I may try it because the mob scene, while funny at first, is getting a little out of hand. And I am TIRED of rinsing off my back patio once if not twice a day!!! (Didn't get much sleep last night. I might just be overly cranky today...)

wlhtx said:

This is a good idea. I think I may try it because the mob scene, while funny at first, is getting a little out of hand. And I am TIRED of rinsing off my back patio once if not twice a day!!! (Didn't get much sleep last night. I might just be overly cranky today...)

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I'll tell you what else I did...I cut their feed ration by over half. If they can sit outside the door all day until evening, waiting for that ration...I concluded they must not be all that hungry. So, I cut rations and they are returning to normal free range behavior of constantly foraging instead of sitting by the back door waiting for food. I've always fed in the evenings for a free range flock but have never experienced this phenomenon of their sitting and waiting for the food instead of foraging. Must be the FF..it's the only thing I've changed.

This also tells me it's a more complete nutrition or they wouldn't be sitting and waiting for food. When I fed dry they are constantly foraging, daylight to dark, so I'm thinking it was because the dry feed lacked valuable nutrients and the proper protein amounts.

So, my solution was to cut amounts until they needed to go forage, even with the FF supplement given. It's working out great, everyone seems to have a full crop and not be suffering too much from the heat. Wish I had done this all summer long....

Beekissed said:

I'll tell you what else I did...I cut their feed ration by over half. If they can sit outside the door all day until evening, waiting for that ration...I concluded they must not be all that hungry. So, I cut rations and they are returning to normal free range behavior of constantly foraging instead of sitting by the back door waiting for food. I've always fed in the evenings for a free range flock but have never experienced this phenomenon of their sitting and waiting for the food instead of foraging. Must be the FF..it's the only thing I've changed.

This also tells me it's a more complete nutrition or they wouldn't be sitting and waiting for food. When I fed dry they are constantly foraging, daylight to dark, so I'm thinking it was because the dry feed lacked valuable nutrients and the proper protein amounts.

So, my solution was to cut amounts until they needed to go forage, even with the FF supplement given. It's working out great, everyone seems to have a full crop and not be suffering too much from the heat. Wish I had done this all summer long....

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love how you explained that! Makes it seem so much better when you explain it like that because I was feeling sorry for them with less food but I totally see where you are coming from here. Mine is staying away from the patio more as well since I cut theirs. ALTHOUGH today since it was the first day without all those roosters AND we had to be some where today I couldn't let mine out to free range. So I gave them more food since they'd be inside all day. I got a chuckle this evening when I went in tending to things out there when one of the little RIR pullets came up to me with her craw so full she looked deformed, haven't seen that since they were tiny because the cockerels were hogging all the food.

wlhtx said:

This is a good idea. I think I may try it because the mob scene, while funny at first, is getting a little out of hand. And I am TIRED of rinsing off my back patio once if not twice a day!!! (Didn't get much sleep last night. I might just be overly cranky today...)

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Bee wont leaving the feed in there during the night draw critters though? That's what I was trying not to have, left overs to draw critters to then pen at night.

RoseMarie1 said:

Bee wont leaving the feed in there during the night draw critters though? That's what I was trying not to have, left overs to draw critters to then pen at night.

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My dog and cat sleep and roam outside my coop all night and the cat has access. I'm hoping it does draw some critters so that his diet is supplemented! I don't have the normal setup that other people have...critters would have to be plumb stoooopid to go through THAT mine field just for a bit of sour grains. Jake will kill mice just like the cat does..has since he was a pup. He used to run up to my old cat, Spike, and steal the mouse right out of his mouth. Jake is a true forager, just like my chickens and cat...anything that is tasty is on the menu. If he could get into the coop, the FF would be all gone too....

It's bears that go after the feed and compost here between electric fencing and close coopI at night i do the best I can to protect. I feed in coop am and pm and compost in middle of run. I'm still trying to figure out amounts of feed.

galanie said:

The birds really are self regulating as to what they eat. When I first added the soybean meal they attacked it. Now they barely touch the soybean. When this batch is used up, I'm going to be feeding the soy separately. They still refuse to eat any type of crumble, even game bird feed or chick starter, which they used to love. They seem healthy and they are laying really well.

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I have found mine are that way, they like one thing for awhile then want something else. I feed a product called Black Rooster. It is formulated for Game Chickens and birds. I keep other stuff like cracked corn, Sunflower seed, oats, and other grains and feed a few times a week off scedule for snacks. Seems to keep them eating the main feed. I do feed the Rooster to everyone: Ducks, geese, Layers. Bantams, and the pot bellies love some straight grain now and then