Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[luvmyEs]

Got my Cornish x on Friday and started the fermented feed yesterday. They loved it! Mine are being raised by my silkie so they are with my laying hens, and they all loved it too. I think I will continue feeding this to my layers.

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

Fermentation and sanitation don't agree with each other the idea is to promote a healthy environment for good bacteria while unfriendly to bad bacteria. A stainless steal bowl will sanitize to over 99% but once bad bacteria is accidentally introduced it blooms at over 100 times the rate of an oak bowl so in the same situation an outbreak in wood will make you a lot less sick

This is actually true. They've done lots of studies of cutting boards, and wood boards don't harbor bacteria like plastic boards do. Counter-intuitive, but there you go.

Does anyone have any scientific citations about the increase in protein for FF? I'm doing my research, and have been on PubMed all morning, but can't find out the final protein levels for different grains once fermented.

 

[Kilsharion]

This is actually true. They've done lots of studies of cutting boards, and wood boards don't harbor bacteria like plastic boards do. Counter-intuitive, but there you go.

Does anyone have any scientific citations about the increase in protein for FF? I'm doing my research, and have been on PubMed all morning, but can't find out the final protein levels for different grains once fermented.

There are quite a few scientific articles that cover it. I have them saved on my other computer; but, if you search for "crude protein increase fermentation" you should find some.

The average has shown to be around 3% so far as I recall. So, obviously, the thing to keep an eye on is also the decrease in other nutrients and ensure that you don't lose too much of those while getting the gain in proteins.

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

There are quite a few scientific articles that cover it. I have them saved on my other computer; but, if you search for "crude protein increase fermentation" you should find some.

The average has shown to be around 3% so far as I recall. So, obviously, the thing to keep an eye on is also the decrease in other nutrients and ensure that you don't lose too much of those while getting the gain in proteins.

That makes sense. I'm not sure if I'm up to it. My dad's a dairy farmer, and feeds lots of fermented feeds (corn silage, hay silage) but he has a nutritionist, and they sample the feed every three days and adjust the ration.

 

[Lacy Blues]

There are quite a few scientific articles that cover it. I have them saved on my other computer; but, if you search for "crude protein increase fermentation" you should find some.

The average has shown to be around 3% so far as I recall. So, obviously, the thing to keep an eye on is also the decrease in other nutrients and ensure that you don't lose too much of those while getting the gain in proteins.

Oh good grief!

That makes sense. I'm not sure if I'm up to it. My dad's a dairy farmer, and feeds lots of fermented feeds (corn silage, hay silage) but he has a nutritionist, and they sample the feed every three days and adjust the ration.

Well, I KNOW I'm not up to that. I felt my spinal cord tie itself in a knot just by reading the first post! That's why I said "good grief!"

Kilsharion, do you have this stuff all figured out and use an actual recipe? If so, it would be so nice if you were willing to share.

 

[BCMaraniac]

I was going to say the same thing me me me, I thought everyone knew whiskey got it's color from CHARRED OAK BARRELS, but perhaps I only know it from living in Indiana and Kentucky is known around the world for being a whiskey manufacturing state. (maker's mark Jim Beam Wild Turkey and Evan Williams among other makes are produced there). It is clear before being put into barrels. In fact Jim Beam is made in a dry county so if you tour the plant (yes they give tours!) you are served lemonade because you can't buy alcohol there.

Yes, they use charred oak barrels, white oak to be precise, to age their whiskey, and it does in fact impart its color into the whiskey. In Kentucky, the whiskey is called bourbon.....and in Tennessee, it is called Tennessee sipping whiskey.....manufactured under the name of Jack Daniels and George Dickel. After the whiskey is aged some of those same barrels get shipped to Scotland where their second purpose is to age scotch....imparting color there as well.

Some woods, however, ARE toxic to birds. This list doesn't specify chickens, but last time I checked they were birds. Even some types of oak (tan oak) are considered toxic.

http://www.birdsafe.com/woods.htm

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

Oh good grief!
Well, I KNOW I'm not up to that. I felt my spinal cord tie itself in a knot just by reading the first post! That's why I said "good grief!"

Kilsharion, do you have this stuff all figured out and use an actual recipe? If so, it would be so nice if you were willing to share.

I know exactly what you mean. I'm feeling like I'll keep feeding my custom-mixed feed from the mill and forget the fermentation, no matter how good it sounds to have fewer stinky poops. Am I a bad person if I dont' really care that they don't have optimal intestinal health as long as I can keep them clean? After all, they're only around for eight weeks.

 

[BlueMouse]

but, optimizing the efficiency with which your meat birds utilize their feed + less waste of feed (since the feed is wet) + significant reduction of stinky poop sounds prettty good to me! better utilization of feed means less total feed consumed, which in turn means less $$$ per pound of meat. I can get behind that. And it's not that complicated really, you just add 3% or so to your feed protien. So, 18% becomes about 20-21%. A lot of people just buy the appropriate ration: starter, raiser, all flock, ferment and feed that. Some people, myself included, mix their own, or get a custom mix. As far as difficulty of feeding, it's not. I carry the bucket out, slop food into feeders, carry bucket back in, add more dry feed and water, stir, cover with towel, and done. It's not as easy as filling a 50lb automatic feeder, but with cornish you want them to be on 12 hours on 12 hours off feed anyhow past a certain age, so you're messing with the feeders anyhow.

I mean, some people just really enjoy the research and learning all about it, and constantly searching for better ways/better feed mixes, but at the basic level the process is very simple, and still has great benefits for the flock.

 

[bowen012]

Method question, and the answer may be buried somewhere of this thread (but 560+ pages and all...)

Any one better than the other?

2 Bucket system with drain holes drilled (anyone have a photo of this setup by the way? Holes drilled in the bottom of bucket 1 or the sides of bucket 1? How much soggy feed drains into bucket 2? A detailed description of this setup or a link to one would be appreciated).

No strain hot water method described in the articles here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/no-strain-hot-water-easy-fermented-feed-method-w-video

Standard single bucket method?

 

[me me me]

I have been told and read over and over again ferment what you would normally feed. Add 3% protein as rough rule.
lose of nutrients? I always read it unlocks nutrients by breaking down natural protection in the seed. Things like wheat gluten are predigested so to speak and the added probiotics make it even easier to digest.

If fermenting is too much work a 24hr soak with ACV UP w/ mother is still greatly beneficial