FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[azygous]

I have been meaning to stop by and report how my flock has been doing on FF after being on it for around two years now. One word. Splendid.

Not long after I started my flock on FF, I found out they are carrying the LL virus. That's lymphotic leucosis, a cancer virus that has many symptoms and manifestations. And it kills. Horribly. No cure. No treatment.

So I was hopeful that FF would help my flock resist this deadly disease and maybe allow them a normal life span. Well, it seems that my flock couldn't be any healthier. I even have a hen who is pushing eight years and is in very good health.

When I started feeding FF, I expected immediate results. That's one thing people need to know about FF. Sure, there may be some immediate noticeable improvements in health and well being, but the real benefits seem to take a lot longer to be realized. In other words, the longer your flock is on FF, the healthier they're going to be.

I'm so very glad I took the leap and started feeding FF. I don't see any reason why I would ever go back to feeding un-fermented feed.

 

[mainechicklet]

I began my FF a month ago. They LOVE IT!!!!!!! They are perching on the side of the bucket while I'm divvying it out for breakfast and dinner. I bleached and use a 35# cat-litter bucket and my FF does its thing in my pantry. The sweet "brewery" smell is totally unoffensive. And it requires less than a square foot of space. The only thing that I had to alter was the location of my 40-50# bags of feed, which will most likely simply transfer to the garage. AND the fact that now I have to be home to feed them an hour prior to bedtime....rather than the dry food hanging 24/7. (Bedtime at this time of the year in ME is 330pm, so at 230 in the afternoon I'm feeding them for the night.)

Dry-food is definitely more convenient. So is dry food sitting in a bowl for your cats. BUT, FF and canned feline food is a much better choice for both your chickens and your cats.

 

[Leigti]

I understand what you mean about the dry food been convenient for all your pets. I have made the choice to feed my dog and cat raw food, my tortoises nothing but weeds and greens, and my chickens fermented food.
I'm finding that transition in the chickens was kind a like transitioning my cats. They don't take to it immediately. At least mine didn't. They are eating it pretty well if I throw it on the ground but they will not eat it out of a bowl. They really like buttermilk. So I'm going to keep doing it. Eventually it will be normal to them.

 

[Beekissed]

My cube comes Friday, hoping to get my experiment up and running next week. I will be fermenting in a tub (I got that idea from Hennible, who I think got from you?) anyway, we are sharing a living space now and storing FF in the new space isn't possible. My understanding of the seed mat is they keep temps about 10 degree above the ambient temps, the thermal cube I ordered is the T3 on at 35 and off at 45. My other thought is what to feed it in so it won't freeze. I was thinking about setting up a 5 g no waste bucket feeder on top of a heated dog bowl filled with gravel or sand, was thinking it might keep from freezing.

I will document my experience and share here and on Hennibles FF feeder thread.

If she did, she didn't read far enough. Tried that for a bit but it doesn't work, so gave it up...totally worthless method. Went right back to the 5 gal. bucket. I keep it on my boot tray next to my muck boots at the back door..the tray catches any mess and it only takes up the room that another pair of boots might take up, so not much.

Don't know how low your temps get in CO, but the FF needs to stay above 50* to ferment well...the colder it gets from there, the slower it ferments until eventually it will go dormant if it gets in the 30s. That's one way to slow down sourdough bread mix, put it in the fridge...but even that needs to be brought out, warmed up, new flour added to keep the organisms healthy.

I feed mine on the DL when it gets subzero temps and the warmth of the DL keeps it warm long enough that the chickens can consume it. Some people use heated dog bowls to feed it in the winter.

 

[shortgrass]

My cube comes Friday, hoping to get my experiment up and running next week. I will be fermenting in a tub (I got that idea from Hennible, who I think got from you?) anyway, we are sharing a living space now and storing FF in the new space isn't possible. My understanding of the seed mat is they keep temps about 10 degree above the ambient temps, the thermal cube I ordered is the T3 on at 35 and off at 45. My other thought is what to feed it in so it won't freeze. I was thinking about setting up a 5 g no waste bucket feeder on top of a heated dog bowl filled with gravel or sand, was thinking it might keep from freezing.

I will document my experience and share here and on Hennibles FF feeder thread.

Do share I'm in CO, too, and I was using pumpkins to ferment my feed in for all of November, and there were a few days in there where I was chucking frozen pumpkins on the ground trying to break them open for the chooks... I hurt my back doing it too, lol, wah wah

It would be awesome if it stayed like its been the last week; my pumpkins were nice and mushy ha-ha... Either way, DH won't let me ferment in the garage, big meanie


Let me know how it works, because I'm getting ready to put a space heater in a doghouse just for FF

 

[BantyChooks]

Greeting all! Thought I would jump on here to ask all of you a question on FF.


Here is my problem, live in Colorado where it gets cold enough for the ferment buckets to freeze, as I have to ferment outside as we have no space inside for a ferment station. What all do you do in the cold climates to keep your buckets from freezing? I am not talking the feeding bucket, but the actual ferment bucket. I have a thermal cube on order, I will be setting up an experiment soon. I plan on using a seed mat with a thermal cube to keep the ferment buckets from freezing, set up in an unheated space. Just thought I would ask here first. Thanks!

Should be an interesting experiment and I'd love to hear of your results and success or failure with it.  I just bring mine in...if I have room for a 5 gal. bucket anywhere at all, I have room for a bucket with FF in it.  It's just a square foot of space. 

I'll be interested in the results too, as when I tried FF the smell became overpowering i just a few days, it made the entire basment smell femented.
It worked great though, the chickens loved it!

 

[Leigti]

How many chickens do you have? Are you able to use the one bucket method? That doesn't take up too much space. You can put a lid on it and then just drill some holes in the lid. You could even put a thon towel over it also to help keep down the smell.

 

[BantyChooks]

How many chickens do you have? Are you able to use the one bucket method? That doesn't take up too much space. You can put a lid on it and then just drill some holes in the lid. You could even put a thon towel over it also to help keep down the smell.

15; and I did put a towel over but it still stunk up the basement and wafted up the stairs. Is there such thing as a too good ferment??? It had zillions of bubbles on day 2.

 

[nelly B]

Don't feed it until you are sure it's fermenting...should have a sour smell, much like sourdough bread.  If it still smells sweet, like cornbread, it's not fermented quite enough....sometimes it's slower if you are using chlorinated water or if your home is too dry for wild yeast capture.  Let it have air.  Stir it once a day and just wait. 

When you feed it, make sure they've not had any other feed since the evening before.  The next morning, serve the fermented feed.  Only place 1/2 cup of feed per bird.  Leave it there until they eat it.  Don't feed sloppy, soupy FF to them...if you have to strain it, it's too wet.  In the winter time it's best if fed a little thicker and dryer.. 

No snacks, no treats, nothing sprinkled on top to entice them...just hungry birds in a coop with the only feed available.  They get a taste for it and they are hungry enough, they'll eat it and lick the trough. 

Thank you!!! Started my second batch will see what happens!

 

[Beekissed]

15; and I did put a towel over but it still stunk up the basement and wafted up the stairs. Is there such thing as a too good ferment??? It had zillions of bubbles on day 2.

Yep....keeping it too warm will result in a faster ferment and more smell. A nice, cool and dark space serves it well when you want a more slower paced ferment and less odor. I keep a lid on mine that's just barely cracked on one side and I don't get a whiff of it until I actually open it fully and stir it up.