FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[LindaB220]

The packet of my probiotic powder says to keep it between 34F and 103F so that tells me freezing isn't good for some of the bacteria/yeast.

Correct, I don't freeze mine.

 

[niqueie]

Is your tap water chlorinated? If so then you need to let it sit out for a day before using for the chlorine to dissipate. Otherwise it kills off the good bacteria you are trying to cultivate. Other options are to use distilled water or to use (as we do) RO (reverse osmosis) water. We have a tap for that installed in our house.

I learned a great trick on chlorinated water. If you crush some vit. C tablets into water the vitamin c chemically adheres to the chlorine and binds it in a non-toxic form. I use it every time I add water from the tap to my fish tank. Fish are super sensitive to chlorine or chloramine (which is what we have in our water). I have not had one fish die after I started using the vit c tablet crushed. It works and adds value to the health of the chickens too, it's much cheaper and easier than fish tank de-chlorinators.
I don't use it in my FF though and have a great ferment going. But I have a 5gal bucket so it's large scale compared to a quart jar. It might make a difference.

 

[Aphrael]

I learned a great trick on chlorinated water. If you crush some vit. C tablets into water the vitamin c chemically adheres to the chlorine and binds it in a non-toxic form. I use it every time I add water from the tap to my fish tank. Fish are super sensitive to chlorine or chloramine (which is what we have in our water). I have not had one fish die after I started using the vit c tablet crushed. It works and adds value to the health of the chickens too, it's much cheaper and easier than fish tank de-chlorinators.
I don't use it in my FF though and have a great ferment going. But I have a 5gal bucket so it's large scale compared to a quart jar. It might make a difference.

That vitamin c thing is a great trick to remember, thanks! Though I currently do not dechlorinate my water for the FF either and have no problem getting a good ferment going, usually pretty fast. I do mine in 5 gal buckets as well. However, I have tried doing a very small batch using chick crumble for a small batch of chicks and I never could get it to ferment right. Kept getting moldy and smelly in no time. So I think there definitely is something to the volume making a difference. Maybe with the larger volume, there is enough of the good bacteria to overcome the chlorine?

 

[RoseMarie1]

That vitamin c thing is a great trick to remember, thanks! Though I currently do not dechlorinate my water for the FF either and have no problem getting a good ferment going, usually pretty fast. I do mine in 5 gal buckets as well. However, I have tried doing a very small batch using chick crumble for a small batch of chicks and I never could get it to ferment right. Kept getting moldy and smelly in no time. So I think there definitely is something to the volume making a difference. Maybe with the larger volume, there is enough of the good bacteria to overcome the chlorine?

Why not put just about 3/4 cup of your ff that is already going in your small batches for your chicks to get it going in the right direction. Thinking like Bee here. hee hee

 

[azygous]

Back with a slightly off topic post. I need your help and no one is responding on the "Emergencies" forum. I have a third chicken sick since I began FF at the start of spring. That's more than I've ever had in the times I've had chickens. I'm disappointed FF hasn't protected them from whatever it is that's causing this. I don't see how it can be directly related to the FF, though.

Anyway, does anyone get any clues from this picture of Izzy's poop? I sent a stool sample to the lab and I need to tell them what to test for. Or can they look through a microscope and see what sort of bug he has? By the way, the orange sliver isn't blood, just a sliver of one of his feathers

 

[Angiebubs]

Here is a great resource for chicken poop: normal/abnormal.

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=17568.0

 

[Nuggetirl]

Back with a slightly off topic post. I need your help and no one is responding on the "Emergencies" forum. I have a third chicken sick since I began FF at the start of spring. That's more than I've ever had in the times I've had chickens. I'm disappointed FF hasn't protected them from whatever it is that's causing this. I don't see how it can be directly related to the FF, though.

Anyway, does anyone get any clues from this picture of Izzy's poop? I sent a stool sample to the lab and I need to tell them what to test for. Or can they look through a microscope and see what sort of bug he has? By the way, the orange sliver isn't blood, just a sliver of one of his feathers

Kinda looks like the clostridium perfringens poop from that link.

 

[subhanalah]

Back with a slightly off topic post. I need your help and no one is responding on the "Emergencies" forum. I have a third chicken sick since I began FF at the start of spring. That's more than I've ever had in the times I've had chickens. I'm disappointed FF hasn't protected them from whatever it is that's causing this. I don't see how it can be directly related to the FF, though. Anyway, does anyone get any clues from this picture of Izzy's poop? I sent a stool sample to the lab and I need to tell them what to test for. Or can they look through a microscope and see what sort of bug he has? By the way, the orange sliver isn't blood, just a sliver of one of his feathers [COLOR=005CB1] [/COLOR]

I would definitely find a vet who can examine it under a microscope. Could the feed you fermented have been bad?

 

[azygous]

None of the rest of the flock has been ill, except for Izzy's mom who had this several weeks ago, and she recovered after ten days on amoxicillin, so no, I don't see how the feed is bad. It's fresh and kept dry until it's fermented.

The nearest avian vet is over a hundred miles away. But I've sent the poop off to a lab to be examined. I'll just need to give them something to test for. Someone

 

[evemfoster]

None of the rest of the flock has been ill, except for Izzy's mom who had this several weeks ago, and she recovered after ten days on amoxicillin, so no, I don't see how the feed is bad. It's fresh and kept dry until it's fermented.

The nearest avian vet is over a hundred miles away. But I've sent the poop off to a lab to be examined. I'll just need to give them something to test for. Someone

Here is another URL to look at poo. http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=17568.0

I'm definitely not a poo expert I can't help with a diagnosis. My experience with poo is in trying not to step in it. My thought was the poo is just waterier than most. She could just be drinking more in the hot weather, trying to keep cool. When chickens drink a lot the poo gets runny. I'd look at more than one poo from the same hen over the next few days. And if you decide she is really ill send in a sample from more than one day.

You never mentioned if the chicken is acting sick. If she is what are the symptoms. They would help us figure out what is wrong with her.