Fermented Feed for Quail

[Sill]

This thread is for the discussion of making and feeding fermented feed to quail. Please play nice, there are as many ways to make fermented feed as there are people and everyone will not make it the same. Your way is not the only way, but share what did and didn't work for you and your birds. We can learn from each others mistakes and successes.


Fermented feed for -
Chickens
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/644300/fermenting-feed-for-meat-birds
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/715995/fermenting-feed-for-layers
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/771148/fermented-feed-question
Ducks
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/708434/anyone-doing-fermented-feed-for-their-ducks
Turkeys
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/780435/fermented-feed-for-turkeys

 

[Sill]

My quail get fermented feed daily. This is my daily routine for feeding my quail.

I'm currently feeding 36 adult coturnix. I mix three cups of their dry feed (organic 26% turkey starter) to three cups water. Most days I add a dollop of plain yogurt to the mix, some days it's a 1/4 cup of plain kefir. Cover loosely (a tight lid might explode!) and let set at room temperature for 24 hours. Make sure to use a big enough container to leave several inches at the top for expansion as the grains absorb the water and the microbes create gas bubbles as they begin to ferment the mix.

I serve it in dishes that are high enough that they can't easily scratch it out. I top dress it with oyster shell/crushed egg shell daily.

This day it was topped with oyster shell, plain yogurt, very ripe mango, and cayenne pepper powder. On the side is zucchini slices mostly for added moisture for a 100+ degree summer day.



Before sun down they get regular dry feed, just enough that there should be just a tiny bit of it and the last of the FF at the very bottom of the dishes by morning. It takes some practice and getting used to the amounts, but there is very little wastage.

In the morning I bring in dirty dishes, wash them, fill them with the current day's fermented feed, and mix the next day's feed. It doesn't take much time once you get into the routine.

In winter you can gently warm your FF up and give them a nice warm breakfast!

For fun and extra nutrition I clip various green foods to the cage wire with regular clothes pins (makes them easier to eat). They love tearing into a leaf of kale or moringa. Wet lettuce leaves are fun to roll on in summer.

 

[igorsMistress]

This is what our feed looks like after fermenting about 12 hours. I add about a spoonful from the previous batch each night to jump start the next.

 

[Sill]

Breakfast today was FF with shredded pumpkin, tumeric powder and oyster shell



Yesterday it was FF with yogurt, sprouted smashed English peas, shredded carrots & beets with egg & oyster shell

 

[cookiesdaddy]

This is it. Pretty simple. I got some 2 x 2 1/2 hardware cloth laying around. The plastic bins are from dollar store, 50c each. Oyster shell and fermented feed. Works out pretty well.

 

[CoturnixComplex]

Thank you guys for this thread. I started a small batch yesterday because of it. My quail are indoors at the moment so less stinky poops = yes please. I have a ton of homegrown herbs so they might get experimental flavored batches.

 

[CoturnixComplex]

Whew, mixed results so far. Purina startena fermented great over about three days (chilly house) and smelled good enough I'd have eaten it were I bird. They loved it! And wasted a lot less food than normal.

Unfortunately, every feed store in a 2 hour radius of me is out of it at the moment, and I've temporarily switched over to a blend of a few different foods. Checked on my two-day ferment and EW. I think I'll be feeding it straight until I get my purina back. Must have more fish meal in it. So sour and gross smelling in half the time of the other.

 

[cookiesdaddy]

You made me feel bad about the way I treat my quails, Sill Your offering looks ... delicious! All I do for my quail is building a feeder that will supply enough feed for one week. Low maintenance. But I'm going to try fermenting feed. Just started a batch this morning. Should be ready in a couple days. Don't know if I can keep up with the cleaning and feeding routine everyday, but if it's better for the quail, reduces feed and poops, I'm going to try it. Currently I go through a 50 lbs feed every 2 weeks!

Question: what do you use for the plates? They probably have to be heavy ceramic type with flat bottom so the birds can't flip them over. I have that problem all the time when they just step on the edge and flip and make a mess.

 

[Sill]

This is it. Pretty simple. I got some 2 x 2 1/2 hardware cloth laying around. The plastic bins are from dollar store, 50c each. Oyster shell and fermented feed. Works out pretty well.

Nice! They can't jump in and scratch it out and it will limit beaking too.

 

[Sill]

They can get treats, just try to limit it so they are still getting their protein. Stuff I've given chicks are rounds of zucchini or cucumber, a leaf of kale or moringa, finely shredded carrots or beets (beets will make them poop pink-red!) and chili pepper flakes. Just think healthy and give the treat sparingly. It gets boring in the brooder so a novel food item can be the highlight of their day!