FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[Beekissed]

At that age they could be moved to once a day feedings if you like, especially if they free range. When free ranging and in good forage times, they get fed in the evenings so that they can fill up on foraged feeds before eating grain rations. Chickens always act like they are starved and more so on the FF, it seems. For some reason it's like crack cocaine for these birds...even my old flock get like sharks with blood in the water with the FF.

Feed enough that they can clean it up completely by the end of the day if feeding in the morning, and by mid-morning of the next day if feeding in the evening. In other words, enough for a good meal and with some left over for a snack. I've been doing it that way for years, even when feeding dry.

You'll get the hang of it soon enough but don't go by how hungry they act. If you feed them enough FF to keep them from acting hungry, soon you'll have some birds that can barely waddle across the yard.

 

[kpgoldstar]

Well, foraging/free ranging in Arizona is not like anywhere else in the entire world. There are few and far between bugs and critters. We don't have worms or grubs, they catch the occasional fly. They mostly scratch around in the grass and dirt areas and probably eat more grit and dead leaves than anything else. I guess I was under the impression that they should eat all the ff that is fed right then and there, like in 20 minutes time and not be hungry again until the next feeding.
I fed them tonight like I mentioned at 4:30 in the coop. I topped off their little dishes when I put them in the brooder at 6. It is 9:15 and they have finally eaten one little dish and still have a little in the other one. I didn't realize that one feeding should last the course of a full day. I think I will still feed twice a day for now, eventually weaning to once a day as they get a little older and are moved from the brooder to the coop. They will be in the coop full time after next weekend so they will just have to deal with the "prison" mode. I will slowly feed more at either morning or evening depending on what works best with my schedule to gradually get them accustomed to a one time a day feeding.
My biggest concern is feeding them too much! Thank you for your help and don't be surprised if I come back with more questions!

 

[kpgoldstar]

I forgot to mention too that so far kitchen scraps have not been going over well at all. First try was some diced melon last week - nothing. Thinnings from my winter garden which was beet greens, lettuce. Yesterday spaghetti squash and a little wild rice. Today some cooked kale then apple this afternoon. They have turned their noses at all of it. Are they too young or just pampered princesses?

 

[perchie.girl]

Well, foraging/free ranging in Arizona is not like anywhere else in the entire world. There are few and far between bugs and critters. We don't have worms or grubs, they catch the occasional fly. They mostly scratch around in the grass and dirt areas and probably eat more grit and dead leaves than anything else. I guess I was under the impression that they should eat all the ff that is fed right then and there, like in 20 minutes time and not be hungry again until the next feeding.
I fed them tonight like I mentioned at 4:30 in the coop. I topped off their little dishes when I put them in the brooder at 6. It is 9:15 and they have finally eaten one little dish and still have a little in the other one. I didn't realize that one feeding should last the course of a full day. I think I will still feed twice a day for now, eventually weaning to once a day as they get a little older and are moved from the brooder to the coop. They will be in the coop full time after next weekend so they will just have to deal with the "prison" mode. I will slowly feed more at either morning or evening depending on what works best with my schedule to gradually get them accustomed to a one time a day feeding.
My biggest concern is feeding them too much! Thank you for your help and don't be surprised if I come back with more questions!

Hi I am lurking her learning.... You and I have similar climates. I live in a small portion of the Sonoran Desert in East San Diego County. Believe me there are quite a few critters out there for the chickens to eat. From seeds dropped by desert plants to grashoppers and small reptiles. I have seen my girls play tug of war over a mousie.... just in time to see one win and it go down her gullet .....

The deal with desert is they will forage further than in meadows and forest.

WRT giving them melon or something new... Provided they are old enough to have grit... sprinkle a little feed on it.... once they get a taste Watch out.... LOL.

deb

 

[Beekissed]

I can honestly say I've never had a problem with any chicken, young or old, not wanting kitchen scraps or any other thing that is edible in their world. I've heard others report different things their chickens wouldn't eat...like when they first gave them the FF or if they gave them layer mash instead of pellets and even BOSS! I have a hard time wrapping my mind around a chicken turning down anything like that.

I've never fed continuous feedings, so that may be where the chickens are different...my chickens are always left a little hungry so they will forage actively, rather than peck around on the ground a little. Perchiegirl is right, there is more out there than you know and I can only imagine what they would find in the desert. My birds eat snakes, frogs, lizards and just about anything else that moves and most things that don't. They will contend with the dog over meat scraps from deer kills and will even try to steal meat from processing of their flock mates. They will not stop licking the blood spill until it is completely gone on butchering day. I feed them all the soft organs and scraps of fat trimmed off the carcass and organs...and they will fight amongst each other to get these choice bits.

Here's a pic of my roo trying to get some chicken meat on processing day.....



And if you think they are on the verge of starvation, think again....here's a pic of a hen of mine butchered recently and the huge layers of fat outside and inside that she had. That was on the FF with only 1 and 1/2 cups given daily to 14 large fowl breeds per day.



The pic below is the inside of her skin!





And this pic below is her gizzard..completely and thickly encased in fat...



I think most folks in America spoil their pets and I think most of the chickens on this forum are pretty spoiled the same way, with continuous feeds available all the time....so much so that many people think that is the way it's supposed to be. Same for dogs and cats...they have so much food available that they turn their noses up at this or that feed. I've never really seen that in any of my animals. My dog is much like the chickens....he forages all day long like they do and nothing goes to waste here. Last year he consumed an entire deer hide, all the legs, the head and the torso...most of it was gone in a matter of days except the hide, which took him much longer.

Here's a pic of him gnawing on a deer head just the other day and he currently has two more carcasses of deer, complete with the heads, and 8 legs to consume as of this Saturday. You'd be surprised how quickly he will have it all gone. He'll be pretty chunky for awhile until he gets back to regular feed.

 

[bruceh]

I've often wondered about Barnevelders..they are a beautiful bird and I've heard such good things about them. I would love to try a hen or two of the breed. Bruce, can you post pics of your RIRs? I think everyone should get to see what quality looks like and there are few things as beautiful as a heritage RIR.

Bob's passing really shook me up too...he's made some big foot prints in the breeds I love best and has been a wonderful teacher. Irreplaceable, really, in the poultry community. I'm so glad you got into heritage birds, Bruce, so that more heritage breeds will be developed and passed along. Something that fine in this world needs to be carried on.

yes bee i will post pics. for this thread. my birds are not in show shape as i pasture raise them. i will also post pics of the barnevelders. my coop set up as well. you are correct. heritage breeds are simply beautiful animals. hatchery birds have a purpose. lets face it they do they the best and are great learning tools. however heritage is heritage. nothing like them. they are just a work of beauty..
bobs passing hit in the heart. as he offered to mentor me on some mohawk reds. not 2 weeks ago. he passed in a manner as he should. commenting on my good friend' jimmy's mohawk on the rhode island red club thread.. here is a website everyone should see jimspetsandpoultry.weebly.com.. jimmy radkin has done one of the most detailed descriptions of the lines of reds i have seen. i am proud to know him.

 

[Windy Bay Farm]

You'll get the feel for it if the notion takes you.  Back in the day I didn't think much about managing a flock as intensively~ we just had them, gathered eggs, killed those who didn't lay anymore and then got replacements.  Then I took a notion to explore my roots and Grandma Ruby's flock came to mind, so I started out stepping back in time a little...then I joined this forum, met some OTs and that feeling grew.  Thought maybe I should go a little deeper into money management, time management and flock management and tie it all together into something more efficient, more profitable and money saving for my family and also something more fulfilling in my livestock husbandry.  Though we had chickens when I was growing up and beyond, I think that was the first time I really felt like I was doing it with intention instead of just having a food supply out back. 

As with many things, it grew out of a need to be more frugal, to intensify my skill level, and to make things actually pay for themselves instead of just breaking even.  Sort of a game that I set out to win and each year I gained a little on my goals.  I wanted to have money left over from my paychecks to give away to those in need, so I started doing many things to keep from spending money...changed out the lightbulbs to the squiggly kind, put all my appliances on power strips so they could be turned off and wouldn't be drawing phantom loads of electricity, heating with wood, living at a place where I didn't have to pay for city water and sewage, where I had lower rent and could expand on growing more foods, increased my scavenging for items I could get for free so I wouldn't have to buy new, making my own laundry soap, etc.

Intensifying my flock management fell into line with that goal to spend less money, so it was the primary motivation on that. 

I couldn't agree more about being frugal. We purchased the home we are in now last year and since then I have installed all new CFL light bulbs, I also put power strips on everything so when it's not in use it gets shutdown completely. Put all new insulation in the attic and just installed a Woodstock this last week ! My wife thinks I'm nuts because of the power strips and whatnot but I told her it's saving us money and that's all that matters ! We also recently installed one new picture window and two new entry doors as the old ones were drafts and in dire need of replacement. It costs a few bucks to do all those renos and additions but in the long run it will save money and be more efficient and comfortable come this winter.

 

[Windy Bay Farm]

yep me to on saving those egg cartons and they're finally laying. Don't think any of those Aussies are laying yet but close I think! Can't wait to hear you to are getting eggs! Hubby is LOVING gathering the eggs!  and to think I had to litterly talk the man into letting me have chickens! 

I hear ya on that Rose ! My wife wanted nothing to do with the chickens and now that they have started laying she is out there collecting the eggs lol !

 

[Beekissed]

I couldn't agree more about being frugal. We purchased the home we are in now last year and since then I have installed all new CFL light bulbs, I also put power strips on everything so when it's not in use it gets shutdown completely. Put all new insulation in the attic and just installed a Woodstock this last week ! My wife thinks I'm nuts because of the power strips and whatnot but I told her it's saving us money and that's all that matters ! We also recently installed one new picture window and two new entry doors as the old ones were drafts and in dire need of replacement. It costs a few bucks to do all those renos and additions but in the long run it will save money and be more efficient and comfortable come this winter.

People would be surprised at how really working at lowering utilities can pay off...I was getting electric bills from $13 to $35 per month, depending on the season. Food costs go way down when you eat your chickens, let them hatch out more,eat those, eat the eggs, sell the eggs, raise them on free range and a little feed. Sheep raised entirely on grass..what a savings! Once the initial cost of buying them happens, the rest is gravy. It adds up and up and soon a person has money left over instead of living pay check to pay check, then the money can be used for those who need it more.

 

[Windy Bay Farm]

People would be surprised at how really working at lowering utilities can pay off...I was getting electric bills from $13 to $35 per month, depending on the season.  Food costs go way down when you eat your chickens, let them hatch out more,eat those, eat the eggs, sell the eggs, raise them on free range and a little feed.  Sheep raised entirely on grass..what a savings!  Once the initial cost of buying them happens, the rest is gravy.  It adds up and up and soon a person has money left over instead of living pay check to pay check, then the money can be used for those who need it more. 

Ok, I haven't managed to get my utility bills that low ! How did ya manage to get away so cheap ? Do tell your secret lol !