Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[blessedchick]

I'm feeding ff to my chicks right out of the 'bator for the first time. I have one group that is now almost a month old and another group that is 2 weeks old. They are WOLFING down the ff and doing great! I don't know if this has been mentioned on here before, but another benefit that I have noticed after feeding the ff is NO PASTY BUTT! My previous hatches have never had a terrible problem, but it was always something I obsessed over and treated at least a couple chicks/hatch (12-24 chicks/hatch). This is a gang of 17 baby showgirls and silkies without a pasty butt among them! Yet another benefit of feeding ff!

 

[armorfirelady]

I use the layer pellets and have never had a problem with them breaking down. I tend to keep my FF thick like oatmeal cookie dough. Less mess on the hens most days. If its to wet they tend to wear it. I stir it about once a day and rarely is there water covering the top. I can see it on the sides as I use up the FF In the bucket. Since I use it so thick I don't need to drain it. Rarely do I get any mold on top.

Here is my FF this morning about an hour after I added more pellets, oats, boss & scratch. As u can see e pellets already broke down. I currently have it setting next to wood stove to give a jump start to the fermenting of the new added ingredients. I also added oregano, garlic, and cayenne pepper for the hens health. It smells like a pizzeria

 

[vwright0401]

I just went to Walmart at lunchtime and bought the Heinz brand of ACV unpastuerized with the Mother and it says "New" so I'm thinking its a new product for the Heinz company. It was almost $4 for a quart size glass jar. I'm going home today and going to start the first batch of FF for my layers. I'm going to try mixing layer crumbles and scratch grains. Just one batch to start with and see how they like it.

Could I put some "Quick Oats" in with that mix do ya think? I have several canisters of it that was given to me, that I'll never use.

The more that I've read about the FF and benefits the more excited I get. We're starting 100 CX the beginning of March and I can tell you they will be on FF exclusively and I'm hoping to increase the profit margin on them quite a bit.

This thread is sooo educational!!! I love it!

 

[armorfirelady]

Sure I have used quick oats before if I am out of the old fashioned kind. My hens don't even notice

 

[chickeemama]

Our local Walmart has started to carry the Heinz brand of ACV with "the Mother" as well. I mixed a batch of layer feed and lots of spent grain obtained from my local brewery, let is set for 5 days and waa laa ....ff. Trialed it today, they seemed to go after it just fine. Stirred up another batch with the water drained from this batch. I too am anxious to see if it helps with my hatch rates. I plan to start my babies this year on it from the bator, and not use medicated feed. I have appreciated all the wonderful info on this thread, although I read thru the first 50 pages, then skipped to the last 10 or so. I have been lurking so I am now hooked.

 

[Toast n Jelly]

I just went to Walmart at lunchtime and bought the Heinz brand of ACV unpastuerized with the Mother and it says "New" so I'm thinking its a new product for the Heinz company. It was almost $4 for a quart size glass jar. I'm going home today and going to start the first batch of FF for my layers. I'm going to try mixing layer crumbles and scratch grains. Just one batch to start with and see how they like it.

Could I put some "Quick Oats" in with that mix do ya think? I have several canisters of it that was given to me, that I'll never use.

The more that I've read about the FF and benefits the more excited I get. We're starting 100 CX the beginning of March and I can tell you they will be on FF exclusively and I'm hoping to increase the profit margin on them quite a bit.

This thread is sooo educational!!! I love it!

I have a lot also and I do add some to the FF.

 

[B J Hopkins]

Has anyone here used other products for the live cultures? I've used Western Yeast cultures and it's dry but has that yeasty scent to it.

http://www.westernyeast.com/wywhatis.htm

It's mixed with the feed and gives them the same sort of active cultures as the fermented, wet feed. I'm thinking of doing some of both, continue adding the top dressing of the yeast with the dry for them to nibble but also trying some cracked corn that has been fermented so they're getting enough hydration in the winter.

The yeast cultures are grown on cornmeal looking stuff then dried to keep the cultures active and alive, I'm thinking I'll just add a cup of this to my bucket of corn and water for fermenting. There may be some good baterial cultures in the yeast that I wouldn't get from just fermenting.

I've used Kumbacha tea for my ferment. I still use the ACV but I started w/Kumbacha.

 

[B J Hopkins]

Does anyone have experience feeding any type of fermented feed in cold weather? Cold enough weather that it is below freezing during the day as well as at night?

And do I understand correctly that a lot of you ferment formulated feed like pellets? Could mash be fermented?

I started my FF the first of Oct and have been using it all along. I was able to leave it outside with the temp down to 20F, but below that it was freezing. I now have it in the mud room where we have a wood burner for supplemental heat. Mostly the chickens eat it up before it freezes in the feeders, but if it does freeze, they still peck at it till it's gone.

 

[Arielle]

Quote: You don't think the glue is toxic?

I just went to Walmart at lunchtime and bought the Heinz brand of ACV unpastuerized with the Mother and it says "New" so I'm thinking its a new product for the Heinz company. It was almost $4 for a quart size glass jar.

Oh wonderful news! Finding Braggs is hard.

 

[Kassaundra]

You don't think the glue is toxic?
Oh wonderful news! Finding Braggs is hard.

I wouldn't trust the glue in a fermented environment not to break down, also your screen won't last long before the ferment eats through it. Maybe a nut/bolt and large metal washer would work.