Fermented Feeds

[cornfedhogedito]

I'd get away from jars and little quantities so you don't have to refresh so often. It sounds like it's not fermented or barely so and the deeper the ferment, the better for the bird.

I'd get a 2 gal. bucket and start a mix in that. The temps you are fermenting in are sufficient for a good ferment if you just give it time to build a strong colony of LABs. You don't have to warm the water or the mix to get a good ferment...mostly it just takes time, but if you keep adding fresh feed and water every day you aren't giving it a chance. Wait until you've almost emptied your bucket before refreshing with water and new feed, stir it well and the old will inoculate the new. The laundry room is fine for the FF....mine is outside next to the coop and I'm having cooler weather than you..and it's been out there for months now.

Also, there comes a time in their consumption of the FF where they will slack off and start eating less. Everyone pretty much figures this is the point where their nutrient starved bodies are finally getting leveled off on all the vitamins and minerals they've been missing all along~which are now being satiated by the FF~ and so now it's just about calories. That's a good thing! If they stay in good condition on half the feed they had been eating, you are golden and finally realizing the benefits of the FF.

How long does it usually take to start slacking off? At just shy of 7 weeks old it has been 1 week on FF. I am using a gallon glass jar filled have way up. I am taking out about 1 1/2 cups daily and adding that back daily with about half a cup of water. Can you over ferment the feed? if not then I will go with a 2 gallon bucket.

 

[cornfedhogedito]

If you only have 3 chicks at 7 weeks old they won't be eating much anyway. I think I fed my 4 girls at that age about 1/2 cup total spread out over 2 feedings per day.

I measured todays FF and it was 1 1/2 cups, they have been grazing on it all day and because I don't want them to go without food I also leave the dry food feeder in for them they eat 8 oz of that a day too along with the 1 1/2cup FF. Until yesterday that is and they ate half of the FF and 16oz of dry food. They finish off the FF just before they go to bed, usually. They are not fat, I have not weighed them but they seem to all be the same weight and size. Should I be getting a weekly weight of them or just go by looks? Thanks again everyone.

 

[quail325]

Can coturnix quail be fed with fermented feed? If so does someone have a recipe to share?

 

[distincthead]

quail325 - yes, you can feed FF to quail. I imagine you could just start out by fermenting your current feed while you devour all the information the internet has to offer on various recipes. Here's a good place to start:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/644300/fermenting-feed-for-meat-birds/3590#post_10066217

That thread has a wealth of information. The post that link goes to has some info on what a poster named PeepsCA feeds their Coturnix quail.

Quote:

 

[quail325]

Hello my current feed is chick starter that is 24% protein.Do I just add water to this in a jar and let it sit for a few days or do I have to add ACV with Mother? Thank you very much for posting that link I have been looking for several hours on here for info on fermented feed for quail.

 

[kpgoldstar]

Hello my current feed is chick starter that is 24% protein.Do I just add water to this in a jar and let it sit for a few days or do I have to add ACV with Mother? Thank you very much for posting that link I have been looking for several hours on here for info on fermented feed for quail.

You don't need the ACV, just simply chick starter and water. Add enough water at first to make it soupy, some feeds absorb more than others. Stir it once or twice a day and leave a lid cocked so it can breathe. 3 days usually you will start to see bubbles and it will begin to smell sour. Once you have a good ferment you can decide how dry or wet you want to keep it based on your individual needs and whether daily straining for your feedings fits with your schedule. Mine is pretty dry, like grout and I've been working with the same batch for 8 months.

 

[quail325]

Thank you very much.I'm going to start it this evening.

 

[kpgoldstar]

I measured todays FF and it was 1 1/2 cups, they have been grazing on it all day and because I don't want them to go without food I also leave the dry food feeder in for them they eat 8 oz of that a day too along with the 1 1/2cup FF. Until yesterday that is and they ate half of the FF and 16oz of dry food. They finish off the FF just before they go to bed, usually. They are not fat, I have not weighed them but they seem to all be the same weight and size. Should I be getting a weekly weight of them or just go by looks? Thanks again everyone.

My bucket is 2 gallons and I am feeding 4 7 month old hens. I make enough FF to last about 4-5 days. I don't think you can overferment. It starts out pretty full and as I feed out twice a day it gets soupier and more fermented smelling. When I have less than a cup or one feeding left, I fill it again with feed and water. Using what is left in the bucket is called backslopping and by doing this my bucket is fermented again by the next feeding time.
I don't have dry food available at all. My girls have been on FF since 2 weeks old and that is all they eat other than occasional garden scraps. I feed about 1/2 cup per bird per day total. They get their main ration in the morning and a small snack in the afternoon when they are let out of the run to free range.

 

[AmyPaperlady]

Quote:
I started this batch about a week ago. I'd say that the container's probably about a gallon or so. Right now, it's primarily going to my 2 new pullets in quarantine--1 laying, one a few weeks short of laying. My older girls (5) are finishing up the layer feed--the ONE time I buy layer instead of all-flock is when my husband brings me someone that's not laying yet

Once the layer feed's all gone, all 7 will be getting the fermented all-flock.

 

[kpgoldstar]

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Bee did you deliberately remove your posts?