FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[Beekissed]

Beautiful yolks!!!! Congrats on a perfectly beautiful first egg!

 

[perchie.girl]

I didn't know we were talking about the plastics safety rating numbers. All my FF buckets are #2 HDPE. I just bought another one at the hardware store yesterday. They sell them as paint buckets for around $3. 50. It's also #2 HDPE. Practically every hardware store carries these 5 gallon white buckets. They don't come with lids, though.

the number is the recycling number The abbreviations for example HDPE etc. are the plastic that the number represents.

I just highlited the ones that are appropriate for food containers.

If they sell the buckets they will also sell the tops separately Usually on the shelf above. They are very very hard to get off the bucket when put on, so beware.... LOL.

deb....

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

I didn't know we were talking about the plastics safety rating numbers. All my FF buckets are #2 HDPE. I just bought another one at the hardware store yesterday. They sell them as paint buckets for around $3. 50. It's also #2 HDPE. Practically every hardware store carries these 5 gallon white buckets. They don't come with lids, though.

Yeah. They aren't hard to find, and aren't expensive even if bought new. I'm not sure why we're making such a big deal out of it. I'm actually feeling bad for bringing it up.

 

[perchie.girl]

My apologies.... I have had several discussions here on BYC about plastics. There is a lot of mis-information out there,,, Right now I am unable to share any FF experience because My poultry all got taken by Coyotes last summer before I found FF.... I am not rebuilding the coop Till I can get some help.... So the only way I can share is about info that I know first hand....

deb "back to lurkdome"

 

[neopolitancrazy]

...your probiotics are working for you by converting the sugars in your grains to amino acids...

Please forgive me , Bee, but my inner chemistry nerd had to clarify the above fragment. Fermenting our chicken feed allows the probiotics to "pre-digest" the feed, converting complex carbohydrates and proteins (not easily absorbed) into simple sugars and amino acids, which are easily absorbed.
Angela

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

My apologies....  I have had several discussions here on BYC about plastics.  There is a lot of mis-information out there,,,  Right now I am unable to share any FF experience because My poultry all got taken by Coyotes last summer before I found FF....  I am not rebuilding the coop Till I can get some help....  So the only way I can share is about info that I know first hand....

deb "back to lurkdome"

The information you shared is very useful. I'm grateful for it.

 

[Tumbleweed Farm]

My fermented feed has been going for 10 days now. It got the grayish film on top after a few days. A couple of days ago a white film showed up, it looks like very thin flakes--like fish flakes sort of. This morning when I got up it was covered in a solid sheet of this white stuff with the grey underneath. I don't know what to think. It smells fine, baby chicks eating with gusto. It bubbles but doesn't seem to bubble as much as last week.

Please help me. I don't know if I should start over. Also, some peeps say don't start with ACV (I did) that it isn't correct for lacto-fermentation. You need buttermilk. Sheesh what are you supposed to think. Thanks everyone.

No mold at all growing.

 

[niqueie]

Are you stirring it? I had a problem with white stuff being moldy, when I had water covering it. I think you should do a smell test and make sure you are not covering it with water. Mold smells a lot different than FF. Hope it's better soon. I feed from an old mix that just gets refreshed with additional feed and water every few days. So it shouldn't be a problem at that age as long as you are stirring it regularly.

 

[niqueie]

One more comment on the plastics discussion. I had a hard time getting pregnant with my 3rd child. I was able to get pregnant very quickly with my first 2. I had been using a water pitcher in the fridge for all our water. This was 5-6 years ago. It was when BPA was still in lots of plastics. I found out it was in our water pitcher and when I changed the pitcher to something that was a safer container, I got pregnant 3 months later. I really think that it was causing a problem in me. It might have been circumstantial, but to me it meant something. BPA is known to mimic hormones that interfere with reproduction.

That being said I use a plastic food safe 5 gallon bucket. It was $4.

 

[Tumbleweed Farm]

Thank you Niquire. I stir it at least 6 times a day and it does not smell at all. I think I will add a little more ACV and put it in a glass container.

Can others input for me as well? Thanks.

Beekissed--what do you think?