Fermented feed, free choice.

[U_Stormcrow]

I feed both. I don't like leaving it out, though, for a different reason: if it dries out, it's so hard to clean - lol! I give fermented in the morning, go feed the goats, and pick up their dishes. They have access to pellets the rest of the day.

That would be a tertiary concern I hadn't imagined, but now that you bring it up... That's a good one!

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

Would you consider doing a mix of both? I offer fermented feed in the morning, but I also put out a feeder of dry pellets. The FF lasts my flock several hours, but after that it's just pellets. That way they always have food available even though they eat slightly varying amounts each day, and there's no waste or mess.

same

 

[zenstarling]

Would you consider doing a mix of both? I offer fermented feed in the morning, but I also put out a feeder of dry pellets. The FF lasts my flock several hours, but after that it's just pellets. That way they always have food available even though they eat slightly varying amounts each day, and there's no waste or mess.

I use @rosemarythyme’s method also. when I unlock them first thing they’ve got their heads in the mash bin just dying for me to pour it in, while the dry feeder goes ignored. I have figured out the amount they’ll finish through the morning. once that’s gone they’ve got dry feeder access for the rest of the day.

 

[lori_smith99]

Would you consider doing a mix of both? I offer fermented feed in the morning, but I also put out a feeder of dry pellets. The FF lasts my flock several hours, but after that it's just pellets. That way they always have food available even though they eat slightly varying amounts each day, and there's no waste or mess.

This is what I do. I feed them fermented in the morning about 9-10ish. Leave it with them until like 3-5 (I don't mix anything in that would go bad just pellets and oats and herbs) and then just leave the pellets. That way if one missed out or didn't eat enough they still have a snack. Seems to work great so far.

 

[TooCheep]

Would you consider doing a mix of both? I offer fermented feed in the morning, but I also put out a feeder of dry pellets. The FF lasts my flock several hours, but after that it's just pellets. That way they always have food available even though they eat slightly varying amounts each day, and there's no waste or mess.

This is what I do. My girls finish off the FF during the morning, so it doesn't have a chance to dry out or go bad and they have pellets available the rest of the day.

 

[Stephoney]

Since the weather took an unexpected turn cold this past week, my hens have decided they no longer are interested in their fermented feed. Anyone else experience this?

 

[Kayla's Lunch]

Mine only eat fermented feed, so they have no other option. They have never seemed to not want to eat it, but they do eat variable amounts each day. Are you feeding them something else along with the fermented feed? Did you start a new bag of feed? Could there be something wrong with it?

 

[Perris]

Since the weather took an unexpected turn cold this past week, my hens have decided they no longer are interested in their fermented feed. Anyone else experience this?

it may be to do with molting rather than the weather. Shadrach has a thread on that.

 

[lori_smith99]

Since the weather took an unexpected turn cold this past week, my hens have decided they no longer are interested in their fermented feed. Anyone else experience this?

Mine eat a different amount form day to day but they are always excited for it. Are you serving it cold? Maybe because it is winter they would like it warm?

 

[Stephoney]

I leave about an hour and a half before the hens get up in the morning so the food is probably cold by the time they get up. No way around that unfortunately. They have a choice between dry food and fermented feed and they free range for half the day. It’s been like this since I started fermenting feed this summer. I haven’t made any changed to their fermented food. They’re just not eating it much at all. They’re definitely going through a pretty thorough molt (most of them) so that could be part of the reason. I give them black soldier fly larvae as a snack before bed to help up their protein. I just wondered if anyone else had hens that didn’t want cold, moist food. The food ferments for 3 days. I’m going to try a 2 day soak instead to see if that improves things. If not, I may just back off until the spring/summer when weather gets warm again.