FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[RoseMarie1]

Speaking of ff.....I had put me a order in for some heritage Rhode Island reds and he told me his girls wasn't laying much since it was soooo hot here and it might take a month to get the 10 chicks I wanted. So I told him OK so the day he called I was like oh dear I NEED to get some ff starter going for these chicks and mega fast since we were going after them the next evening. I already had some layer ff so I said I know what I will do, I'll get about 1/2 cup or so of that and get it started with. I knew that SMALL amount wouldn't hurt the baby chicks since I was doing at least 1/2 five gallon bucket for em. So I have had them for about 2 weeks now. They're growing like weeds to. LOVE the ff. A few of them were already a month old and used to dry crumbles and I was like HOW am I going to get them to eat the FF? So I put like a tea. of it on the floor of the pen and they started gobbling it up. Kept doing that for a little bit that day and then put it into their bowl and they've been gobbling it up ever since.

 

[ReillyJ]

i have to say that all of mine are eating it heartily now and Thelma looks better, she's starting to really eat it (geez, it's been going on 2 months!)

Still have to find time/energy for a feeding system that they don't kick it out and mash it all over the concrete run...

 

[evemfoster]

i have to say that all of mine are eating it heartily now and Thelma looks better, she's starting to really eat it (geez, it's been going on 2 months!)

Still have to find time/energy for a feeding system that they don't kick it out and mash it all over the concrete run...

Glad the hear Thelma has started eating the FF. Its good to hear.

 

[evemfoster]

In a different note i found this 'pellet' in the crumbles i was scooping for the ferment this morning. I think the chickens would have had a hard time swallowing it.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

It was probably left over in the assembly line from hog, cattle, alpaca, etc. feed production.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

This is the way I did mine. They can't stand in it. They can't knock it over and they pretty nearly eat every single morsel. Ever so often I hose it out. I've been pretty pleased with it. Some times I drop some trying to spoon it in but they eat that too. When I fill it in the morning they are still in the coop and that is easy. In the afternoon they are all over the place trying to get at it. So funny. Sometimes I hold out the spoon and they eat off the spoon. That used to be helpful for the younger ones.

Nice setup.

 

[evemfoster]

It was probably left over in the assembly line from hog, cattle, alpaca, etc. feed production.

I crumbled it a bit and found smaller crumbles inside. Even smaller pellets. Interesting.

 

[Tikkijane]

Some people use a cooler in the coop/run/shed and the insulation keeps it from slowing down or freezing.

Although, Bee found her SCOBY went dormant in the coop {in a cooler} at 36-38 degrees.

Mine is in the mud room in the house. I live in the house and have to go outside to let chickens out. It's not a big deal for me to grab a bowl of feed to take out before letting them out. I feed again before bed. On any of the return trips, I pass the feed shed and grab a bucket of dry feed. No biggy.

Mud room has vents turned off and door shut, so it gets cold in there during the winter; not as cold as outside, though.

 

[cutipatooti]

Does any feed any whole grains? If you do do you ferment them also ? I got whole grains to sprout for my chickens and know some people add it to their regular feed and ferment at the same time.

 

[carolb5]

Does any feed any whole grains? If you do do you ferment them also ? I got whole grains to sprout for my chickens and know some people add it to their regular feed and ferment at the same time.

I only feed whole grains. And I ferment them. Sometimes i sprout them. I don't feed prepared feeds. Meat scraps, veggie scraps, fermented wheat, barley, and oats. Sunflower heads sometimes. This is for mature birds. Chicks, I grind grains as needed and ferment.
Carol