Fermented Feeds

[kpgoldstar]

This question is directed at those who do, not are planning to do. I am currently feeding my hatchery flock fermented feed. I ferment in three containers. The food ferments for three days I rotate the buckets. I get about 10-11 eggs a day right now out of nineteen 9-1/2 month old pullets. My birds are dirty from the ash bowl in the coop but they seem to have good vigor. In other words they are healthy, as far as I know with my limited experience.

I want to feed my new Heritage Ancona chicks fermented feed next month when they arrive. I must admit it scares the crap out of me! Currently my mix is whole corn, wheat bran, alfalfa, whole steamed oats, rolled barley in equal parts with 5% fish meal and 5% BOSS. I am thinking this might be too large for my chicks to handle and I could start the chicks on un-medicated starter for a few weeks than offer some of my fermented feed slowly.

Please can those of you with experience advise.

You can ferment the non-medicated chick starter and feed that to them for up to 20 weeks or more. That is what I have been doing with my small flock. I use simply chick starter and water, no additives, no ACV, no grains. Start in a bucket with a fairly wet mash, the feed will absorb the water, add more as necessary and stir twice a day. It will ferment in about 3 days and you can feed that out to your chicks for as long as you choose.

 

[LindaB220]

You can ferment the non-medicated chick starter and feed that to them for up to 20 weeks or more. That is what I have been doing with my small flock. I use simply chick starter and water, no additives, no ACV, no grains. Start in a bucket with a fairly wet mash, the feed will absorb the water, add more as necessary and stir twice a day. It will ferment in about 3 days and you can feed that out to your chicks for as long as you choose.

Love this. Got me chicks coming in March. Going to do exactly this.

 

[kpgoldstar]

Love this. Got me chicks coming in March. Going to do exactly this.

I make a big enough batch to last about 4 days of feeding, then with about 2 cups of water and feed left, I just refresh the bucket usually in the evening and it is fully fermented again by the time I serve breakfast. It works great for me. I only have 4 hens, 21 weeks and have gotten my first 2 eggs this week!

 

[har]

Can you do the same with medicated feed?

 

[kpgoldstar]

Can you do the same with medicated feed?

I'm not an expert and I don't really know the answer to this. Maybe try asking in the fermented feeds ... anyone using them, or the fermented feed for meaties forums.

 

[ten chicks]

I wouldn't as it could dilute the amprolium that is added to medicated feed.

 

[Brada Puhi]

Aloha,

Medicated means it has antibiotics which is meant to kill all bacteria, the bad kind and the good kind. FF is all about the lactic acid bacterias.

kden, Puhi

 

[ten chicks]

Medicated feed does not contain any antibiotics,what it contains is Amprolium,which is a thiamine blocker to control coccidiosis(parasite needs thiamine to reproduce,stop reproduction and parasite comes under control),but this is not a guarantee that chicks will not have an overload/outbreak of coccidiosis.

The concern regarding fermenting medicated feed is diluting the amprolium,dilute the amprolium and your chicks are getting no benefit from medicated feed.

 

[har]

Thanks for the answers to my question.

 

[ten chicks]

What i did when my birds were chicks is i added warm water to medicated feed(so it resembled oatmeal)once a day,usually in the morning,most chicks love this and it does encourage eating,but i always had medicated chick crumbles available at all times.

I started fermenting feed after mine were off medicated feed,but i still have crumbles available to them all day,as not all my birds love fermented feed,this way i have no worries as to whether they are eating enough. This is a personal preference and not all do this,but for me and my birds it works,i have never had any health issues and all my birds are healthy,beautiful,friendly chickens.