Avian diseases and fermented feed

[Bkaye]

I’ve been going down a rabbit hole lately reading up on fermenting feed. I’ve read halfway through the big fermenting feed thread in the layers section as well as bookmarking the one in the meat bird section for when I’m finished.

I mixed up a batch the beginning of last week using my all flock crumble and started feeding it out last Friday. My goal in doing this is to hopefully cut out a lot of the issues I have with my flock. I have Marek’s in my flock and it seems that I’m constantly battling coccidiosis or some other type of infection. My goal is to have my flock healthier overall. I know I cannot get rid of Marek’s so I want to live with it the best I can.

I will say that I had been battling a slow/doughy crop in a little pullet. Since starting fermenting feed her crop is completely empty in the morning. So thus far it seems to be helping even if it’s just in a small way.

I guess my question is for anyone that ferments feed and has an Avain virus in their flock, have you been able to tell it made a difference? @azygous I know you have leukosis and I’ve seen where you are/were fermenting, have you been able to tell any change with the overall health of your flock?

 

[azygous]

While I have no scientific evidence, I believe that fermented feed has improved the immune systems of my chickens and has resulted in far fewer chickens becoming symptomatic.

Of course, lymphoid leucosis and Marek's viruses are different and behave differently. The most dangerous means of transmission of the LL virus is from an infected hen to the embryos in the eggs she has produced and incubated. This is not the case with Marek's. Even though most of the chicks hatched from my flock either died in the egg or within one year of hatch, two of these chickens are still alive and healthy at age seven. My conclusion is that fermented feed may have supported their immune systems to give them an edge against the virus.

A few years ago, a symptomatic hen adopted four hatchery chicks, brooded them and three became symptomatic at around five months and died. The fourth ended up dying a couple years later. Again, I have no scientific evidence that fermented feed extended the life of that fourth chicken. I had noticed one chick out of the four elected not to sleep under the hen, so she may not have received as heavy a dose of contaminated dander from the hen as the other three the hen covered. This is where unknown variables can contribute to outcomes and without a scientifically controlled experiment, we can't know about causation and effect.

My conclusion about fermented feed to enhance survival in a virus infected flock is it can't hurt.

 

[Bkaye]

That’s pretty much where I’m at with it, it can’t hurt and if it can help save one or even give them an edge with a better immune system then it’s worth it.

I plan to keep trying. I have one boy now who I thought was resistant but now I’m not so sure. He’s been sick since the beginning of November. Put him on sulfa and he seemed to improve. After he came off sulfa a week later he seemed to decline again that’s when I started the research into fermented feed. I do not have a steady way to feed probiotics because I’m on county water. I’ve seen people have good results with fermenting feed on municipality water so figured I’d give it a go. 2nd day in I had bubbling and fermentation. I put my boy back on sulfa so see if I can clear up whatever he has going on. Hopefully once this round is done and he can get on ff he will bounce back. I’m really not optimistic though. He will be 2 beginning of March.

 

[Penpal]

If you are feeding chicken kibble of some sort, you only need to get damp. You don't need to ferment it. Soaking is for grains.

Feeding fermented grains is supposed to be healthier, but I haven't kept a scientific study going.

 

[Bkaye]

People ferment crumble and pellets all the time. They do in fact get additional benefits from feeding their crumble fermented vs just feeding damp feed.

 

[bhawk-23]

People ferment crumble and pellets all the time. They do in fact get additional benefits from feeding their crumble fermented vs just feeding damp feed.

How is your flock doing on fermented crumbles? I also have mareks in my flock.

 

[Bkaye]

They have been doing pretty good. I’ve noticed since starting fermented feed they seem to respond to treatment better when coccidiosis flares up. I’ve lost one since starting ff but she was sick prior to starting and had gone blind.

In my opinion it seemed to help and I plan to keep on with it. During the summer I do not think I’m going to do it every day, it gets really hot here and I worry about the feed turning while I’m at work. So I haven’t quite figured out how I am going to do that yet. I may just put out a little bit before work then give them a little more after coming home.

 

[bhawk-23]

They have been doing pretty good. I’ve noticed since starting Covid they seem to respond to treatment better when coccidiosis flares up. I’ve lost one since starting ff but she was sick prior to starting and had gone blind.

In my opinion it seemed to help and I plan to keep on with it. During the summer I do not think I’m going to do it every day, it gets really hot here and I worry about the feed turning while I’m at work. So I haven’t quite figured out how I am going to do that yet. I may just put out a little bit before work then give them a little more after coming home.

Thank you! I’m really glad it’s having a positive effect on your flock!

 

[azygous]

Temperature plays a big role in keeping fermented feed going moldy. The good molds that play a role in fermentation depend on temperatures of 65-75F. Bad molds do not like it that warm. If the fermented feed is kept too cool, the fermentation is slowed way down and bad molds are more likely to colonize the mixture. It's why I ferment indoors in my warm kitchen.

Feeding fermented feed in summer should in no way risk the feed going moldy after you dish it up for the flock twice a day. Fermented feed is not usually fed as constant demand as dry feed is. My chickens are fed twice a day winter and summer, temps ranging from below freezing to the 80s in summer. They consume the feed completely withing ten minutes. There is no chance of the feed taking off in the wrong direction.

 

[Bkaye]

Temperature plays a big role in keeping fermented feed going moldy. The good molds that play a role in fermentation depend on temperatures of 65-75F. Bad molds do not like it that warm. If the fermented feed is kept too cool, the fermentation is slowed way down and bad molds are more likely to colonize the mixture. It's why I ferment indoors in my warm kitchen.

Feeding fermented feed in summer should in no way risk the feed going moldy after you dish it up for the flock twice a day. Fermented feed is not usually fed as constant demand as dry feed is. My chickens are fed twice a day winter and summer, temps ranging from below freezing to the 80s in summer. They consume the feed completely withing ten minutes. There is no chance of the feed taking off in the wrong direction.

Thanks! That makes me feel better for the upcoming summer. I will say my girls seem to love it.