FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[Beekissed]

Heading into town to get my cooler so I can get this going. I have a feed shed which I think will be fine for the cooler most of the time, but I'll probably start it indoors at first because it's cold! We're moving coops; finishing the interior today and I don't know if I'll have a spot inside or not. I might get one with wheels to move in and out of the feed shed, since I'll be feeding outside unless it's raining. Right now, they can get under the coop to stay dry, but the new one is a pre-fabbed shed/barn deal so while it's not on the ground, it's not as high up as the other. Even though the FF is wet anyhow, I try to give them space to stay dry while eating if they want to.

I assume pellets will break down just as well as crumble? I use a combo (because the higher protein I use only comes as crumble). I watched the videos and noticed it was the two-bucket method- is there a difference in time for one bucket or two?

I may have to feed the guineas later in the evening because they like to wait until later to eat and then head to bed. Either way, it's going to be interesting moving them and changing their feed pretty much at the same time, lol.

All processed feeds seem to break down into a fine mash except mash, which is kind of funny. Mash has more texture when fermented than the crumbles or pellets. The only difference between the two bucket and the one bucket method is that the two bucket has that reservoir of scoby in the bottom that prevents it from being lost in the feed out and also allows one to keep a dryer mix altogether because the scoby water is in the reservoir and not so much up into the feed bucket. In the one bucket method you'll have to keep a little more of the fluid handy in the mix for when you rebatch if you want the new mix to get a good jumpstart and ferment quickly, so when you start to hit the bottom of the feed bucket you'll be feeding out a wetter mix than when you first started. When I hit that part of the feed I just go ahead and rebatch/refresh it.

Good idea to start it indoors to get your FF colonized well.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I'm using the one bucket method but I have two buckets brewing. One is finished that I feed from and one is brewing. When the one bucket is almost completely fed out, with a little residue, I start a new batch in it and pour the water that covers the brewing bucket into the new batch. So far it's working. I don't have as much experience with it as others here.

One 5 gallon bucket isn't enough feed for me so rather than tie two buckets up with one bucket of feed I'm preferring this.
When I tried one bucket, it didn't have enough time to ferment well.

I used to program and install equipment in feed mills. And you're observations are correct. Mash is ground differently than pellets/crumbles. Feedstuffs for mash are more coarsely ground because birds prefer larger particles, so would appear to have more texture in the finished fermented feed.
Feed for pellets and crumbles is ground the same. It has to be finer to make a suitable pellet and after it comes out of the pelletizer the pellets are run through a crumbler to make crumbles.
There are cylinder grinders and hammer mills. Not all mills use both. The size of the sieve, holes in the grill, speed of the hammer and speed of the rollers are among the things that affect particle size.
I'm sure those who have fed dry pellets and crumbles have encountered the fines that are left after the birds pick out the larger particles.

 

[Tikkijane]

?

60 quart cooler. About the consistency of oatmeal right now. I'm sure I'll need to add more water.

How much air does it need?

 

[Tikkijane]

?

60 quart cooler. About the consistency of oatmeal right now. I'm sure I'll need to add more water.

How much air does it need?

My scoop has holes to help drain and retain the liquid for the next batch.

Many, many thanks for the help!

 

[Beekissed]

?

60 quart cooler. About the consistency of oatmeal right now. I'm sure I'll need to add more water.

How much air does it need?

Just leave the lid cracked open and stir it once a day to let out trapped gas under the feed. You may not have to add more water as some may be trapped under that upper layer of feed, so don't add any until you've stirred it well and then just add it in dabs while stirring if you don't want it to get too soupy. Mine continues to absorb water all the days I'm feeding out so it tends to get dryer and dryer as it goes along...but I usually don't add more water to it because I like the dryer mix. You'll know when it's too dry and that will be when you can no longer stir it or turn it over with your scoop with any ease...then you can add a little more water to moisten it up.

 

[Tikkijane]

Just leave the lid cracked open and stir it once a day to let out trapped gas under the feed.  You may not have to add more water as some may be trapped under that upper layer of feed, so don't add any until you've stirred it well and then just add it in dabs while stirring if you don't want it to get too soupy.  Mine continues to absorb water all the days I'm feeding out so it tends to get dryer and dryer as it goes along...but I usually don't add more water to it because I like the dryer mix.  You'll know when it's too dry and that will be when you can no longer stir it or turn it over with your scoop with any ease...then you can add a little more water to moisten it up. 

I've added a ton of water. At one point, it was mortar, lol. Right now, the consistency is more along the lines of grout; my spoon stands up nicely.

We've got some good heat going on! I have it cracked (hope the cats and dogs leave it alone) and will stir one more time tonight.

Can it be over-stirred?

 

[Beekissed]

Nah! But it's not really necessary to stir it more than once a day...but if you like to stir it, stir it!

Mortar is good...I like mortar consistency.

 

[1Chick Magnet]

I mixed up a tiny batch to try. layer mash-barley-cracked corn-acv-water. put it in a mason jar on the kitchen counter. will it work? do I need to do anything?

 

[Tikkijane]

I mixed up a tiny batch to try.  layer mash-barley-cracked corn-acv-water.  put it in a mason jar on the kitchen counter.  will it work? do I need to do anything?

Don't tighten the lid. Several pages back, someone had hers explode, sending glass everywhere. Bear in mind it's going to grow, too.

 

[Tikkijane]

Nah!  But it's not really necessary to stir it more than once a day...but if you like to stir it, stir it!    Mortar is good...I like mortar consistency. 

It's our science lesson for schooling, lol. Everyone is very interested. Well, ok, really my youngest girls are interested. I'm like, "Leave it alone! Quit poking it! Keep the lid on!"