Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[ChocolateMouse]

What is the difference between up/Apple cider vinegar and store bought Apple cider vinegar. I would love to try this on my chickens and turkey's. I have read about the great benefits. I know I have this problem of understanding the English language but that is all I speak and read.

The unpasteurized(up) ACV contains live bacteria that help kickstart the fermentation process.
Pasteurized ACV has had that bacteria killed from cooking.
You can get UP/ACV from many stores, you just have to look for it.

 

[Cristina Chicken Mix]

The unpasteurized(up) ACV contains live bacteria that help kickstart the fermentation process.
Pasteurized ACV has had that bacteria killed from cooking.
You can get UP/ACV from many stores, you just have to look for it.

 

[Cristina Chicken Mix]

So like Walmart or fred Meyers would have it. You can put this in there water too? I don't know about fermentation it sound easy but I would like to start with maybe 5 lbs so if they didn't eat it I would not e wasting that much. So u just add that to food and water and stir in the morning and at night? Can you give me the ratio of what I need to do. I read were your chicken don't eat as much so it cuts down on feed i have 35 chickens and 9 turkey's 7 of witch I'm going to cull this next month. A lady told me to feed them pees the yellow ones what she didn't tell me is I needed to grind them up. I have soaked them that grown them but they still really don't care to much for them. The water that drains off the food and it gets done is that good for the chickens too? I guess what I'm asking is if you would help me do this?well not in person but by typing step by step for 5 lbs of chicken feed and what to do with left over water. Please

 

[JaeG]

So like Walmart or fred Meyers would have it. You can put this in there water too? I don't know about fermentation it sound easy but I would like to start with maybe 5 lbs so if they didn't eat it I would not e wasting that much. So u just add that to food and water and stir in the morning and at night? Can you give me the ratio of what I need to do. I read were your chicken don't eat as much so it cuts down on feed i have 35 chickens and 9 turkey's 7 of witch I'm going to cull this next month. A lady told me to feed them pees the yellow ones what she didn't tell me is I needed to grind them up. I have soaked them that grown them but they still really don't care to much for them. The water that drains off the food and it gets done is that good for the chickens too? I guess what I'm asking is if you would help me do this?well not in person but by typing step by step for 5 lbs of chicken feed and what to do with left over water. Please

ACV isn't necessary to start your ferment off. Temperature dependent (it likes to be warm), it will take 3-4 days to be fermenting nicely. Always keep back just a little to add to the newly mixed food and water as that will mean the next batch is ready to be fed out 8-24 hours later (depending on the temperature it's sitting at). I would feed out most of what was in my container (remember to use plastic or glass - not metal) then just refill it with food and water to be ready for the next day. Only make as much as you are going to feed out, or slightly more as it can become too sour and unpalatable for your birds if it's sitting around for too long. Stir it at least once a day to keep it nicely aerated.

For grains you just add as much water as will cover them - you don't want or need excess water. For pellets or crumbles you may need to keep adding water as they soak up a lot, just until the mix is nicely wet and scoopable (you shouldn't need to drain or strain any water off).

Chickens don't tend to like legumes of any kind and most will refuse to eat peas.

Back to the ACV I would give it as a winter supplement but leave it out of their water during summer as the acidity of it can interfere with their ability to absorb sufficient calcium. Feeding fermented feed will greatly reduce their gulping at the waterer anyway because they are getting so much more liquid from their food and staying hydrated.

 

[Cristina Chicken Mix]

ACV isn't necessary to start your ferment off. Temperature dependent (it likes to be warm), it will take 3-4 days to be fermenting nicely. Always keep back just a little to add to the newly mixed food and water as that will mean the next batch is ready to be fed out 8-24 hours later (depending on the temperature it's sitting at). I would feed out most of what was in my container (remember to use plastic or glass - not metal) then just refill it with food and water to be ready for the next day. Only make as much as you are going to feed out, or slightly more as it can become too sour and unpalatable for your birds if it's sitting around for too long. Stir it at least once a day to keep it nicely aerated.

For grains you just add as much water as will cover them - you don't want or need excess water. For pellets or crumbles you may need to keep adding water as they soak up a lot, just until the mix is nicely wet and scoopable (you shouldn't need to drain or strain any water off).

Chickens don't tend to like legumes of any kind and most will refuse to eat peas.

Back to the ACV I would give it as a winter supplement but leave it out of their water during summer as the acidity of it can interfere with their ability to absorb sufficient calcium. Feeding fermented feed will greatly reduce their gulping at the waterer anyway because they are getting so much more liquid from their food and staying hydrated.

So 2 buckets feed and water stir everyday and in 3 days the first batch will be ready keep some back to start the 2 batch and it only take 24 hours before it's ready. It smells like sour dough when done right. How hot I live in Alaska so winters up here are long and cold my house I keep at 68 to 70 but at night it gets down to 68 from 10pm to 7 am does it take longer to ferment? Next question what do u use to deworm your chickens o think money might have worms and turkey's also I let my chickens free range but turkey's i have in a pull house we pull it on new ground everyday but the chickens can get to all ground i just read were you are not supposed to let chickens and turkey's on the same grass because what chickens poo can give turkey's worms. I have 1 of my white breasted showing signs and one chicken like they can't get air not all the time just some times. I was told stress can do it to but tonight I was feeding the turkey's some bread and she was eating fine and than she Acted like she needed air no reason to be stressed. I have talked with others and they have raised turkey's and chickens together forever so I don't know this is my first year. Being a kid don't count I lost my dad years ago so can't ask him. I have read up on it well it can be so much I can look into the turkey's mouth and there is white lines looking things that could be worms. I can not the chicken some one told me De earth is good to use.

 

[Mosey2003]

It's gonna depend on what you have access to in Alaska, as far as deworming goes. If they have worms, DE will not take care of the problem. There is usually Wazine, that goes in water, but that only takes care of roundworms. Personally, I would try to find Safe Guard goat liquid dewormer, that's fenbendazole. If they don't have the goat liquid, might have the horse paste. Head over to the health forum for dosage and other ideas.

The disease turkeys get from chicken waste is called Blackhead disease, that's about all I know on it.

 

[trudyg]

I think you are overthinking this. If you want to be sure they'll eat it, do this: in a 3 gal bucket, put one measure of feed and 3 measures of water. Stir it up. You may need to keep adding water to get the consistency you want since it'll absorb a lot of fluid. At the next scheduled time to feed, scoop out half of this mix and feed it to them. Put more dry feed and water in the ferment bucket, stir. Since it hasn't fermented yet, it's just wet food (mash) and they'll eat it just as usual. Do this every time you feed--scoop out what you need, replenish the ferment bucket, and feed what you scooped out. It will ferment over time and the flock will become accustomed to the new taste. (You may want to get a bigger bucket as you get used to doing this.)

I don't scoop out most, probably leave 1/4 in the ferment bucket. Play it by ear--if it's very hot then it'll ferment faster and you can leave less as a starter; if it's colder, you will see that even a half-full bucket of starter takes longer to ferment fully. Mine love it. You can make it wetter if it's really hot to hydrate them.

 

[oliviaik]

Hello! I've been reading through as much of these thread as I can, and I did also find the FAQ website and read through that. I have never raised meat chickens before, so I am still a little confused about how much to feed. The FAQ page says that adults typically get 1/2 to 1 cup of FF per meal and that they usually get 1-2 meals a day. So, here are my questions. 1) Is this amount the same for meat chickens as it is for laying hens? Or, do you need to feed meat chickens more?, 2) How do you know/decide whether to feed one meal or two meals a day of FF?, 3) How much should baby chicks get to start with?, and 4) What protein percentage is ideal to use if you are using FF. I will likely use a starter or start/grower feed, but I am not sure which percentage is best. Thanks!

 

[Hamster0425]

Hello! I've been reading through as much of these thread as I can, and I did also find the FAQ website and read through that. I have never raised meat chickens before, so I am still a little confused about how much to feed. The FAQ page says that adults typically get 1/2 to 1 cup of FF per meal and that they usually get 1-2 meals a day. So, here are my questions. 1) Is this amount the same for meat chickens as it is for laying hens? Or, do you need to feed meat chickens more?, 2) How do you know/decide whether to feed one meal or two meals a day of FF?, 3) How much should baby chicks get to start with?, and 4) What protein percentage is ideal to use if you are using FF. I will likely use a starter or start/grower feed, but I am not sure which percentage is best. Thanks!

I'm still a newbie but I'm doing a FF for my freedom rangers. I'm using the chart on this site, and initially started at 75% but I'm finding my birds are needing more. I bumped it up to the full 100% and they seem to do better. I'm using a 20% non go, soy free starter but will switch to 18% in the next week to two when we run out of the current bags. They are fed twice a day.

 

[Bugsdad]

Shadowmane, your wife's book "Nourishing Traditions" is a great starting place. Lactobaccili and other species of the endogenous digestive microflora can produce phytase (Famularo G and others. Probiotic lactobacilli: an innovative tool to correct the malabsorption syndrome of vegetarians? Medical Hypotheses 2005 65(6):1132–5.) to offset the phytic acid. So combining whey and ACV will benefit the fermentation of the whole grains.

BruceH, the wet feed is fermented and will continue to ferment until eaten. The Acer bacteria from the apple cider vinegar, and the lactobacillus from fresh cole crops (think making saurkrout) or whey will likely outcompete any negative bacteria. If left out it will attract insects, which your chickens would enjoy. How long are you talking about leaving feed out, dry or wet? You could try two pans one wet, one dry. Feed only enough wet that would be consumed in one day.