FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[LeslieDJoyce]

It's a lot cooler here.

I have to come up with another feed trough. I've been using the plastic gutters. They're inexpensive, quick and easy. The trouble is that I'm seeing a lot of blood because the roosters are scraping wattles and combs. I'm going back to my original plan of making V shaped troughs out of 1/4 " or thicker HDPE plastic with a reel top on it.

Our PVC feeders are working great ... I filed them down after cutting them so there would be no comb & wattle damage. I love the design I came up with ... they have a handle.

 

[subhanalah]

I think I screwed up my FF, lol.it was smelling really yeasty before I went to bed (the whole living room and kitchen smelled like a bakery) so I stuck my nose in it and could detect an alcohol smell. As per some directions online, I added a bit of ACV and stirred it. This morning, it smells VERY strongly of alcohol and its not really bubbling anymore.
Do I give it a few days like the instructions said or toss and start over?

 

[Audio51]

Quote:
We would love to see a picture of it.....

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

Here is a photo of one of our new trough feeders we just set up today ... so we can feed more FF and I can get my glass cooking pans back! Each feeder is 4' long, cut from PVC pipe, and we left a little strip intact in the middle so we have a handle. I sanded everything smooth so nobody snags a comb or wattle on it and it is comfy to handle for us. We set them up in concrete blocks ... its a pretty good height for the birds, I think. If we have chicks we'll set one up a bit lower so they have a chance. It is a dreary wet day, so not the best day for photos. I'll do a better job getting pictures when we have a nicer day. You can see two tube feeders in this room of the coop. One has grit and the other has oyster shell. You can also see one of the automatic waterers we installed. Now we just need to figure out how much FF the birds are going to want to eat in a day ...

Here is a repost of a post I made about them a few weeks ago ... it has a pretty crummy photo, but it does give one the general idea ... I found the general idea at a DIY sharing thread here at BYC ... but I added the detail of the handles. And I knew from making PVC hopper feeders for dry food that sanding the cut edges is a good idea.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

I think I screwed up my FF, lol.it was smelling really yeasty before I went to bed (the whole living room and kitchen smelled like a bakery) so I stuck my nose in it and could detect an alcohol smell. As per some directions online, I added a bit of ACV and stirred it. This morning, it smells VERY strongly of alcohol and its not really bubbling anymore.
Do I give it a few days like the instructions said or toss and start over?

Honestly, you just need the feed and water. That's it.

 

[Ms Jellybean]

I think I screwed up my FF, lol.it was smelling really yeasty before I went to bed (the whole living room and kitchen smelled like a bakery) so I stuck my nose in it and could detect an alcohol smell. As per some directions online, I added a bit of ACV and stirred it. This morning, it smells VERY strongly of alcohol and its not really bubbling anymore.
Do I give it a few days like the instructions said or toss and start over?

You don't want to smell alcohol. I'm of the play it safe instead of being sorry mindset.

Here is how Beekissed told me to start my chick feed. I followed her directions and mine it perfect. I didn't measure anything out but would guess I used about 1/8 cup ACV and 6 cups of feed to get it right, I had to keep adding feed to get the right consistency. No idea on the water amount since I just used filtered water from the faucet. I'll post some photos of it in a bit.

"Fermenting starter food for chicks is as simple as placing starter in a bucket and pouring water into it until you've mixed all the feed well enough that it's moistened fully. Add more water~about 6 in. more~to account for further absorption. You can add some mother vinegar~doesn't really matter how much..just a splash~or not, your preference. Leave it somewhere warm and you can place a lid over it but don't snap it down tight on all sides..leave a crack for air exchange. The next day, give it a stir. Is it about the consistency of peanut butter or very thick oatmeal? Perfect. If too dry, add just a little more water until it's a smooth, thick mixture that can be stirred. You should see some bubbles rising when you stir. If not, no worries. Sniff it...does it still smell sweet or does it have a slight sour smell like sourdough bread? If still sweet, it will need more time, if smelling sour, the fermentation has started and you can st art feeding it then. You don't really need to strain it if you keep your mixture nice and thick. Just stir it every day before you feed to moisten the top of the feed and then feed it out to the chicks."

 

[subhanalah]

[...]

Thank you Ms Jellybean

 

[Ms Jellybean]

Here are photos of my FF Chick Starter. I started it almost a week ago (14th).

This pitcher holds 1 gallon.

Bubbles pop in it.


It's about the same thickness as oatmeal. As the chicks get older I will probably thicken it up more.

 

[Tikkijane]

I made a video of my second batch of FF. I bought a BPA FREE bucket online. I used Scratch and Peck organic no corn/soy feed, covered free with water and poured in some mothers organic raw apple cider vinegar. I had no lid on my bucket but it was inside my house. My dog wanted a taste and after a few days decided to sample the FF and it got her approval, lol. As of now I cover it with a wire mesh because I think completely covering it with a lid will make it rot. I think the FF In the video is about 2 days brewing. If you go to about 30 sec on the video you can see the consistency. I have since experimented with more water but I really like this oatmeal type consistency in the video. It seems to bubble more and you can even hear it. About 1/2 cup FF per LF laying hen seems to be working right now.

I keep mine lidded- I mean, it's open and getting air when it's stirred during the day. I don't have any rotting going on.... (and fermenting is sort of a rotting in that things are being broken down...}

 

[subhanalah]

I keep mine lidded- I mean, it's open and getting air when it's stirred during the day. I don't have any rotting going on.... (and fermenting is sort of a rotting in that things are being broken down...}

The lacto-fermentation process is anaerobic, so does better without the presence of oxygen, but it can explode if there's no where for the gasses to escape, which happens when you stir it, lol.

Yeast needs oxygen to ferment, if I'm not mistaken.I would love someone that has actual knowledge (instead of just me guessing) about it to chime in lol.