Questions about fermented food and feeding

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I've seen people fashion feeders out of PVC pipe cut length wise and secured from rolling. I've also seen feeders made from aluminum house gutters.

I use a plastic dish that's about 1" in height. I only feed mine once a day. sometimes I find it dumped upside down but the feed is always gone so I know it got dumped when it was almost empty.

as far as mold goes on the top of the feed....a grayish film is normal. Fuzzy mold is not. Look towards the end of the big fermented feed thread and you'll see pictures. Everyone has that question. I agree, it looks gross and rotten.
 
I scanned all of the pages and didn't find an answer to my question....perhaps someone will know.
Can you keep the fermenting buckets outside, or is the summer heat too much for them? I'd like to keep the buckets as close to the feed, which is stored outside, as possible. Thanks
 
I don't know for sure, but I'd say it depends on what kind of heat you're talking about. Different temps will enhance different types of microorganisms. I'd say you are probably fine if the temps are below 90, in the shade. You can also get inexpensive pH test strips, get the ones that go from 2.9 to 5.x. You want it to be below 3.8. If it is higher than that or starts rising, compost it.
 
dmpllck said:
I have been feeding mine ff  and they love it... does it hurt if it gets mold ..can  i just clean the mold off and throw it out ?
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You can generally just scrape the mold off the top, maybe with a bit of the feed underneath it. As long as what's below the mold looks and smells pickled, you're good. You can also just stir the FF feed daily...any mold that might begin to start will be overpowered by the lactic acid bacteria in the feed.
 
I ferment layer pellets and scratch with buttermilk. So far, I have tried it with many brands of pellets and crumbles without a problem. I bought Nutrena Country Feeds layer pellets since it was on sale ($8.50, how could I pass that up?) I added it to my fermented food and it turned to paste. It didn't take much water either. Usually I add 2 to 3 times the water to pellets. (And more water the better.) I added less than half. I tried more and less. Still paste. My chickens ate it but only after starving for a day and a half. Has any one else had this problem? It wouldn't be so bad but I bought 6 bags since the price was so great. Silly me.

Has anyone ever added sprouts to their femented food?
 
I finished reading all of the other posts. Many wrote that it's more work. I've been doing it for for about 6 months. It's is less work for me. When I do dry feed, I have more containers that screw together that get knocked over and very dirty. I have to take them apart and clean them, often. Also, I have to refill their water twice a day. With the fermented feed, all I do is scoop and toss in the pellets. I use bowls instead of feeders, the chickens leave them spotless and they drink very little water. I made ceremic dog bowls and butter churns. They can't tip the dog bowls and I use the butter churn to mix the feed. My chickens (50) eat 3 to 4 gallons (2/3 water) a day, until the paste.
 
400

Thought I'd share my PVC feeder. Also I sometime put sprouts on top of my fermented feed.
 
I have been fermenting my chick's food since they were a week old. I never needed a starter, after a couple days it started fermenting on it's own. I have it in a large food container, scoop out what i need each day, replace it with more dry, give it a good stir and make sure to add water as needed to keep the level a couple inches above the mix. We are lucky to have well water so have no chlorine issues. After 5 weeks I have never seen any mold. They turned their little beaks up at it the first day but after that, they attack the feeder as soon as I place it back into their pen like they haven't seen it in weeks, LOL. They seem very healthy, active and BIG! They will be going outside permenently within the next week or so since the evening temps are starting to stay in the 40s now.
 
I have three five day old chicks. I have tried fermenting their food and offering it to them and they won't touch it. I just put a scoop on the plastic lid from a container and set it in their brooder for about an hour. No chick touched it. I did this every day and no luck. Am I missing something? Did I do something wrong with the fermentation? I took Scratch n' Peck starter and put it in a glass container covered with an inch of water and let it sit covered for 3 days to start (although now it's been about 7 days).
 

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