Fermented Feeds

[Molpet]

Hello I'm new here! Sorry in advance if I asked same old questions but with a five year old next to me, it's close to impossible to read through all the threads. I've been reading a lot on fermented feeds and started having my girl to give a very small amount (1 TSP) to 6 of my one-week old chicks as treats only since yesterday. They eat primarily the baby starter crumbles. At what age can I stop giving them crumbles and switch completely to fermented feeds? Is it a bad idea to exclusively feed them with fermented feeds? I also plan to let them out when the rain storm stops but it won't be happening for maybe another week. If I need to supplement fermented seeds with something else, can I use store bought pellets instead of crumbles when they are already one week old? Sorry again if my questions are so elementary. The learning curve is steep for a newbie like me....

I start my chicks from day one on fermented chick starter, then grower... when they lay you can switch to layer.. I keep them on grower and have oyster shells free choice.
Grit should be available too.. sand for chicks if they get anything but starter that says it doesn't need grit.
https://tikktok.wordpress.com/2014/04/13/fermented-feed-faq/

 

[lazy gardener]

Quote: Welcome to BYC hidekumo. As Molpet says, they can eat FF from day one. If you give them fermented chick starter or multiflock, you don't need to give it to them dry. Simply ferment the same feed that you would be giving them anyways. One warning: Make it nice and thick so they can't do a face plant in it and drown. Also, put it in a small enough container so that one of them can't get trampled into it. I simply put a plop of FF on a piece of cardboard, or something similar. If they are shy about eating it, you can sprinkle some dry crumble on top of it.

As for pellets as they compare to crumbles: crumbles are merely pellets that have been crumbled. But, you don't want to be giving pelleted LAYER FEED to your chicks. You still need to choose the right formulation to meet the chick's needs. Was it a typo in your next to last line where you referred to fermented SEEDS? I'd not give whole seeds to chicks until they are at least 3 weeks old, and even then, I might wait longer than that.

Grit: You might give them a plug of sod from your yard for the many nutritional and immune boosting benefits of it. The sod will have some grit (unless you have nothing but sand for soil. )

 

[hidekumo]

Thanks for the answer & the link! It's very helpful. Didn't realize I was thinking too much!

 

[hidekumo]

Oh lazy gardener, thank you for clarifying. I didn't know the fermented seeds were different from the fermented feeds!! How stupid me! My very first batch of fermented stuff was indeed seeds which I let my girl hand fed the babies as snack. So far 6 of them together had 1 tablespoon twice. I hope I didn't do any long term harm to them

One question about the sod. Do you mean I can pull some weeds with the attached roots and soil all and let the babies munch on? How soon should I introduce grits/sod to them? How often should I feed them sod?

Thanks again for all your help!!

 

[lazy gardener]

I just dig a clump of grass with roots intact. I give them a sod that is about the size of a pie plate. When they destroy that one, I give them a new one. (put it upside down so they can access the roots and soil) be sure it has not been treated with insecticide/herbicides. If your lawn has been treated, give them some untreated garden soil. best to start this within the first 2 weeks of hatch. I start the sod just as soon as they have figured out the feed, know where the feeder is, and are filling their crops with feed.

 

[hidekumo]

Thanks lazy gardener! I'll start it tomorrow morning!

 

[barred2rock]

Can starter/grower like DuMor Poultry chick 20% starter/grower be used for ff? Or does it have to be whole grains?

 

[GC-Raptor]

Can starter/grower like DuMor Poultry chick 20% starter/grower be used for ff? Or does it have to be whole grains?

Whole grains don't have the nutrients chicks need. You can feed Starter/Grower for 16/18 weeks then switch to layers feed or continue with that Non Medicated feed or provide an all flock/flock raiser type of feed and provide oyster shell in a separate container. GC

 

[barred2rock]

Whole grains don't have the nutrients chicks need. You can feed Starter/Grower for 16/18 weeks then switch to layers feed or continue with that Non Medicated feed or provide an all flock/flock raiser type of feed and provide oyster shell in a separate container. GC

Thanks, but that doesn't really answer the question. Since posting, I've read that people indeed ferment the starter crumble, thus I've already started a batch.

 

[balloonflower]

You have your answer. With my chicks, they were resisting eating the ferment. But they would eat crumble and they would eat mashed hard boiled egg. So, I mashed some egg, mixed a spoonful of yogurt for a soured flavor, and some dry crumbles. They ate that, and when it was about half gone, I started adding some spoonfuls of ff. Then, they learned to eat the ff and have been on since. Just know the little picky butts may resist at first.