Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[shadowmane]

From what I've read, the feed should be mush. How long did you let it sit? And it really shouldn't last long enough to go bad. You should only make batches in sizes that you will use up in a relatively short time. That will prevent spoilage. But the fermentation should slow that problem down. It was, after all, how they preserved their foods before refrigeration.

 

[trifecta]

Is anyone concerned about botulism? The reason I ask is due to the link in improperly fermented feeds in horses, especially (like haylage/silage) and botulism.

Otherwise I really want to try this. I am experimenting with home-made sauerkraut as well!

As an aside, where do you find unpasteurized ACV?

 

[Beekissed]

Bragg's is the foremost brand and I've heard of it being sold in many places. I had some of my own make and also some Bragg's, so I just split it off into regular ACV that you can buy in any old store and just "infected" it with the mother spores. Thus, you only have to really find one gallon of "mother" vinegar to make more of the same.

I'm no more concerned about botulism in my grain fermentation than I am in my sourdough mix. Actually, the vinegar I use to jump start my fermentation is a known prevention for botulism.

 

[shadetech]

 

[Erica]

I ferment milk (kefir) and use it as the methoinine supplier in a sprout-soy diet for chicks. I'm finding the chicks grow faster and feather earlier than on a commercial diet, but boy is it fiddly.

Botulism has to be there in the first place in order to cause trouble. I gather the danger is because it (like the fermentation bugs) is anaerobic (i.e. grows without oxygen) and a silage pit is ideal for this. But as I said it has to be there in the first place to be a danger. Is it a common bug in the environment? I wouldn't think so.

Thanks to Beekissed for the how-to on fermenting grains. Such a great way of improving cheap grains.

 

[trifecta]

you are right, botulism is anaerobic. And its commonly found in the environment, which is the main way that chickens get it (limp neck).

It sounds like you can obviously see "the bubbles" in the fermented feed, indicating that this is not an issue.

I am going to try a small batch of this today if I can find the ACV.

 

[Beekissed]

Yep...I leave the lid to the ferment bucket cracked open to allow good air flow and I stir it twice a day to aerate the bottom contents, bring them to the top and allow the whole mix to get a little more action. A pleasant sour odor, to me, is indication of growth of good bacteria...I really can't describe the smell of the bad bacteria but it definitely smells more "rotten" than fermented mix.

One can smell it if they haven't fed their sourdough mix well enough and allowed an overgrowth of bad bacteria. If the mix is discolored, darker than normal, has that rotten odor, etc, then I toss the sourdough starter.

 

[gingit]

The research was done in other countries, other continents where the grains are of different source, differen breeds, and I could not find exact information about the effect of the protein level. Still - I keep an open mind and can't wait for your results.

 

[Beekissed]

Here are some thoughts....

All grains are pretty much from a different source and type...I'm sure I'm not using the same grains that folks on here are using. The composition of certain grains are the same pretty much the world over with minimal differences. Corn is pretty much corn the world over and the same with barley, wheat, soy, etc. It pretty much has the same nutrition, no matter what the type and I'm sure the differences are minimal.

Research is research, if it is done in an approved and scientific manner, and I can't see anything in these experiments that indicates the results weren't obtained in a controlled manner. American agricultural research if often slanted somewhat to advocate for commercial ag biz and this research seems to be looking for ways to actually cut grain usage instead of using more.

If this were research done on some disease and I was using the results on my own children...well..I just may give some pause and consider the research sources and do a more determined search for more studies done....but this is chickens and they cost me $1.20 per chick. I think I'll take the risk on losing some money here. There are folks on here who build $1200 coops for 3 chickens, so in the broad scheme of things, I think my risk is minimal compared....

I try to keep an open mind about these things as well and nothing makes me happier than actually applying the things I read and learn about to see if I get similar results. I'll take that risk just to learn and grow!

 

[shadowmane]

Besides, we're talking meat birds here. You try it out with them first, and if it works, then you can experiment with your laying flock if you want to. If it don't work with the meat birds, then you still have the meat from the birds regardless. And all you are out is a few month's experimentation.