Fermented feed feeder

[Leigti]

I just got my 14 Indian runners(7 weeks of age) a grown-up water container 5 gallons and two metal feeders. They have them oval holes on the top. They are scared of all there new things. What should I do?

You don't want to use metal with fermented feed. Either to feed on or store in It will eat through the metal and release bad stuff into the feed.

 

[mischievouslady]

You don't want to use metal with fermented feed. Either to feed on or store in It will eat through the metal and release bad stuff into the feed.

they are eating 16% complete egg ration. It's chicken feed. 16% protein. No feed store around here has duck feed. What is fermented food?

 

[paneubert]

they are eating 16% complete egg ration. It's chicken feed. 16% protein. No feed store around here has duck feed. What is fermented food?

You are posting on a thread called "Fermented feed feeder". If you don't know what fermented feed is, you might be in the wrong neighborhood! Did you mean to post this question somewhere else?

If you are curious about fermented feed, check out the following: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/645057/fermented-feeds-anyone-using-them

 

[Newmamabear]

Hi I'm new to backyard chickens and I think I've got an idea that might work... Kinda excited to try it out for fermented feet during our cold Alberta winter. My idea is a 500 gallon barrel full of water and a couple/three acrylic aquarium heaters and a circulating bubble pump the keep the water moving. These will help the three aquarium heaters from being over worked. Also it'll provide a bit of insurance against one if it fails. The bucket will have a spigot to use the water for filling waterers and after putting the 5 gallon bucket of mash sitting in the middle of the warned water. What do you guys think?

 

[hennible]

Could work, but I always worried the heaters would get fried. I haven't tested out anything though.

 

[Newmamabear]

Could work, but I always worried the heaters would get fried. I haven't tested out anything though.

Hah cool thanks for the reply! Yeah it's kinda expensive test with the heaters, maybe if I wrap the barrel in that shiny bubble wrap it'll make it even easier on them? I want to keep it inside my coop, it's about 20x 32'ish and insulated so maybe that'll help. Gotta give it a go

 

[aart]

Hi I'm new to backyard chickens and I think I've got an idea that might work... Kinda excited to try it out for fermented feet during our cold Alberta winter. My idea is a 500 gallon barrel full of water and a couple/three acrylic aquarium heaters and a circulating bubble pump the keep the water moving. These will help the three aquarium heaters from being over worked. Also it'll provide a bit of insurance against one if it fails. The bucket will have a spigot to use the water for filling waterers and after putting the 5 gallon bucket of mash sitting in the middle of the warned water. What do you guys think?

500 gallons is way overkill, 55 gallons would be plenty....it would need to be insulated.
You don't want a 'bubble' pump(which I assume means an air pump), you want a small pond pump for circulation.
You could put horizontal nipples in the barrel near the bottom for the birds to drink from, set the 5 gallon pail in the top for the ferment vessel.

 

[Newmamabear]

Brilliant I was thinking nipples for it too but I've never used them before, is there a non leaky sort? I would be concerned that the water part of barrel design would run dry. I agree on the 500 gallons! My bad it's 45 gallon drum that I would be putting the 5 gallon mash bucket into. I just figure with the power used it would be more sustainable in these broke *** times lol

 

[aart]

Brilliant I was thinking nipples for it too but I've never used them before, is there a non leaky sort? I would be concerned that the water part of barrel design would run dry. I agree on the 500 gallons! My bad it's 45 gallon drum that I would be putting the 5 gallon mash bucket into. I just figure with the power used it would be more sustainable in these broke *** times lol

Actually, shorter but same diameter barrel might be better 30-35gal....
....and, well, it's not really a feeder, per se, as I don't know how they could feed out of it(and you'd have to keep them off the top of it),
but rather a warm place for fermentation right in the coop where it's easy to dole out for eating how ever many times a day.
Keeping it from freezing while they eat is a whole nother story.

This is what I use for winter watering, just top it off everyday.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/aarts-heated-waterer-with-horizontal-nipples

 

[hennible]

I had to make it the house during winter... It was simpler in the long run. By minus 10C it did not work in my feeder. I just dished it up a few times a day. I have to get back into fermenting and test out some feeder ideas again.
I think your best bet for fermenting in the coop, or for a fermenting feeder would be to insulate well and heat it from the outside (insulating over the heat source)... But I can't think of anything that would stand up in real cold weather... Total blank, sprouting mats for seedlings or heating pads I think would burn out or simply not be hot enough.