Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[RachaelS]

PS Bee, did not know about the other thread. I subscribed got a lot to catch up on

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[Beekissed]

PS Bee, did not know about the other thread. I subscribed got a lot to catch up on

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Just plain ol' gossip and such on there...plans, ideas, sharing of pics and life. We needed a place like that I think...time is a wasting!

 

[LindaB220]

@ LindaB... The weather this winter makes me wonder what summer will be like. lol

For some reason, I bet it's gonna be a killer.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Whelp, entering lockdown on my four remaining Ameracauna eggs that were shipped to me poorly. One in particular has a seriously detached aircell, though none of them are good per say.

I'm going to start a mini bin inside of my bigger bin specifically for fermenting the chick's feed. I'd like their feed to be a little thicker (I feed my FF pretty wet right now to make sure my flock is staying hydrated when their water freezes over so fast) and I'd like to keep feeding layer feed to my hens, even though I am only getting 1-2 eggs a day right now, tops. I have a half-bag of Flock Raiser for the chicks... I should probably cut it a little bit with something seeing as that's 20% protein fermented... I will be getting a bag of mixed soy-free scratch soon anyhow and that should do.

I also discovered how to get my hens out of the coop every day! I dump the used rabbit litter right around their coop and they will walk on it! I suppose they just hate getting their toes cold! I can't say as I blame them. The hay must keep their feet MUCH warmer!

I am SO ready fro spring. Even just a LITTLE bit! I would take mid 30's right now with so much joy! It would let me start on my garden beds again, double digging and spreading compost and litter from the chicken pen to break up our stupid clay soil!

I also have a question... Do any of you grow/feed red clover to your chickens? It's got a fair amount of calcium, fiber and reasonable protein in it so I figure it would be a good feed source too, but do they like it? My chickens are picky about eating long strandy things put in their pen!

 

[Lacy Blues]

Has anyone here ever made kombucha before? I just watched a video

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/156289049541635226/

about how to make a scoby for your kombucha. It looks to me, to be the same thing that happens when I add UP ACV to apple juice or processed vinegar. Is it the same thing exactly? Can I use some of the "scoby" from my vinegar operation and put it in some tea to ferment?

 

[RoseMarie1]

Just 110* over there, heck, that's a winter vacation here! 'Course, I'll take our 120* dry heat over 80* with a high humidity any day. I hate humidity.

Which brings up an interesting thought. Everyone always talks about chickens suffering in the cold and the heat, but I don't think I've ever seen anything mentioned on humidity. Is there a specific way you handle things are change things when it gets really bad? Not that I'll ever need it here, but...

Since this last summer was my first summer to have chickens and them walking around panting I would put large bottles (like milk jug) of ice in their drinking water. They seemed to really enjoy that. I found out though it needed to be really large like milk jugs or they melted pretty quick. I'd changed them out twice a day to help keep them cooler. Also I have a tub that is about 3 foot long and 1-1/2 foot wide and I would put a milk jug of ice in there with water to and they would climb over in it and stand. lol I'd just rinse all these milk jugs of water off once they melted and just sit them in the freezer to refreeze. I think I had like 6 jugs going in the freezer. I have an old upright freezer out there that I just use that one shelf for their jugs.

 

[Triple Willow]

Has anyone here ever made kombucha before?  I just watched a video

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/156289049541635226/

about how to make a scoby for your kombucha.  It looks to me, to be the same thing that happens when I add UP ACV to apple juice or processed vinegar.  Is it the same thing exactly?  Can I use some of the "scoby" from my vinegar operation and put it in some tea to ferment?

I tried it before and didn't really like it. It was before the day of wide spread internet so I probably wasn't even doing it right, don't remember much about it. I want to try kefir water. I don't know if the scoby from vinegar would taste like vinegar...?

 

[Lacy Blues]

She had grown a scoby (in the video) from some sweetened tea and she said that underneath the scoby it tastes a bit like vinegar but you could leave it there for a shorter amount of time if you wanted a sweeter tea, not so close to vinegar. That's what got me wondering if it was the same.

 

[LindaB220]

Has anyone here ever made kombucha before? I just watched a video

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/156289049541635226/

about how to make a scoby for your kombucha. It looks to me, to be the same thing that happens when I add UP ACV to apple juice or processed vinegar. Is it the same thing exactly? Can I use some of the "scoby" from my vinegar operation and put it in some tea to ferment?

Love me some kombucha!!! I have a big 2 1/2 gallon container. And over time it makes a BIG scoby. It has a spicot at the bottom and I draw off the finished product. Then a day or 3 later just replace the made up sweetened tea in the top. No need to empty it out and start over. Periodically I clean out my container. The scoby is over 2 inches thick. Peel off a few layers to replace back in the container. Then with the rest I cut up a few 2x2" pieces and put in a few qt jars. Save a little finished kombucha and add with it. Maybe 1/2 c then fill with sweetened tea. Put a coffee filter over and secure with a rubber band. I place in my dark closet with the door cracked a little. A few days later, a brand new batch to give to friends or sell for $5 to customers. You will always have scobies left over. Blend or chop up and give to your babies. Love them. I promise.
I have not tried to make FF with it yet. But you can make vinegar by just letting container sit for a month or two. I have 1/2 gal I made a couple of months ago so to have it ready for my chickens. It's much cheaper than kefir (about the same benefits) because you don't have to add milk.
To make kombucha 1 gallon
4-5 teabags ( i mix black and green)
1 cup sugar
3 qts water or a little more
Boil unclorinated water and add teabags for 10 min. Discard teabags. Let cool until barely warm under 110 degrees. Dissolve sugar while hot. When cool add to large container containing scoby and 1/2 c. fluid from previous batch. (If you order a dehydrated scoby and no liquid it will take longer the first time. Up to 10 days or so. You can tell when you taste it. It will have a slight tang of vinegar. At this time you pour up into bottles. I just use plastic but a lot of people don't. Add a few slices of fruit. Peaches, pear, grapes, raisons banana slices, vanilla. whatever. I like to add 1 T honey to the individual bottles. Close tightly and leave on counter overnight or even 2 days. Once every 12-18 hr open the top and let out a tad of bubbles. Don't want it to explode. Then put in fridge to chill. This is so easy and cheap. I can't tell you how much I have enjoyed it. Totally gave up cokes and mostly coffee. About 50 cal per glass. After you have your scoby it will cost under $1 for that big container. Love, love, love it. I took the winter off from making it and I can tell because I started getting sick again. So healthy
One last point (thank God you say?) you can save your scobies in a scobie hotel. heehee. Put several of them in a container and cover with finished kombucha. It will last for months in your closet. Do NOT leave uncovered. Fruit flies will lay eggs and spoil it.
Love to talk kombucha. Any more questions?

Edited for content: And no, it must be kombucha scoby. Sorry, look on Ebay. Lots of it out there.

 

[KrazyChromatics]

has anyone else run into the funny thing that when on fermented feed their chickens only want to drink roughly once a week? i offer water about every 2 days, but its usually once a week or less that they want it, i haven't lost any, and they are all bright, i even have a hen who just started to lay!

I ferment mostly alfalfa, then mix in corn/scratch/BOSS and only recently have added fish chow to up my protein (its was really pretty low, and i wanted richer hatching eggs, once i have my batch ill lower it again)

Before i added the fish chow my rabbits LOVED getting in on the FF, i had once bunny that would hop out on her pen and follow me to the rabbit trough and shed chow down till someone pecked her i also had terrible luck with breeding bunnies, never had a litter, well ive got a litter of 6! (was 7 but he was pulled out and didnt crawl back into the fur pile) mom is looking great, but they are back on pellets solely (which means they are drinking heaps more water also, i now have to check several times a day to make sure they have liquid, its been freezing or below most of the winter)

I plan to get 2 more trash bins and do one bin with just alfalfa, one bin with just whole grain, and one bin with just the fish junk, i think itll be easier to mix out everything and then i can give the rabbits and horses snacks cause they all love to lick the bucket!