Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[RoseMarie1]

This is what my 3 way scratch grains and chick starter looks like. I don't use the ACV in my ff I use it in their water. I also don't use the 2 bucket system i have a very tall bucket that's about the size of a 5 gallon bucket but much taller.






That is what it looks like with the film stuff on top that you guys call the mother.

BEE do you give your chickens raw garlic often? Or at all? Just curious if you use it with them?

 

[Beekissed]

Aloha,

I say you do have to drown it. Especially at the beginning.

You should maintain 1 inch of water above feed at all times.

Skip the vinegar, it stinks.

kden, Puhi

Should and do are two very different things. I never maintain any water over my feed and it is perfectly fine...so "should" flies out the window at that point.

The only time the water is above the feed is when it is first poured...then it absorbs and no more water above the feed. Too sloppy to have to fight all that water.

Vinegar doesn't stink any more than the fermented feed stinks...it doesn't hurt a thing to add it.

 

[Beekissed]

This is what my 3 way scratch grains and chick starter looks like. I don't use the ACV in my ff I use it in their water. I also don't use the 2 bucket system i have a very tall bucket that's about the size of a 5 gallon bucket but much taller.






That is what it looks like with the film stuff on top that you guys call the mother.

BEE do you give your chickens raw garlic often? Or at all? Just curious if you use it with them?

Lookin' good like FF should, RoseMarie!!!!

I've given raw garlic before a time or so...but haven't for a while. Every once in awhile I'll add something like that to the feed just for kicks and giggles and because it's healthy, can't hurt and the chooks eat it right up. I've thrown in garlic, fresh grated ginger root, etc.

 

[RoseMarie1]

Lookin' good like FF should, RoseMarie!!!!

I've given raw garlic before a time or so...but haven't for a while. Every once in awhile I'll add something like that to the feed just for kicks and giggles and because it's healthy, can't hurt and the chooks eat it right up. I've thrown in garlic, fresh grated ginger root, etc.

Thank you Bee!

Now what does the ginger do for them?
ALSO BEE....... you said you gave your chicks laying mash or pellets before they started laying......I am fermenting my feed and needed to find out which to get the laying mash or pellets? Which would be best for fermenting? Am considering putting mine on layer when I have to buy more feed. They're 3 months old now and the BA's will be 3 months the 9th I think it is of Aug. ALSO do I still mix the feed half and half with the 3 way scratch and layer to keep the protein level down?
ONE more ? this morning when I went into the chicks pen to clean it and feed them etc. I noticed on their poop hammock was a lot of bloody poop. I've seen this before when a few weeks back but it was a small amount but this was a HUGE amount of it. Saw some where on here where they said they were shedding their intestinal lining? Is this right? Man I think part of their intestines came out to from the looks of this one this morning.

WHY do they do this?

 

[Lacy Blues]

I read some time ago that ginger kills salmonella germs. I've tried putting some in my birds' food now and then but they really don't like it.

I'm sure there are other benefits, such as circulation and respiratory therapy.

 

[RoseMarie1]

I read some time ago that ginger kills salmonella germs. I've tried putting some in my birds' food now and then but they really don't like it.

I'm sure there are other benefits, such as circulation and respiratory therapy.

Thanx Lacy Blues!!!

 

[Beekissed]

Thank you Bee!

Now what does the ginger do for them?
ALSO BEE....... you said you gave your chicks laying mash or pellets before they started laying......I am fermenting my feed and needed to find out which to get the laying mash or pellets? Which would be best for fermenting? Am considering putting mine on layer when I have to buy more feed. They're 3 months old now and the BA's will be 3 months the 9th I think it is of Aug. ALSO do I still mix the feed half and half with the 3 way scratch and layer to keep the protein level down?
ONE more ? this morning when I went into the chicks pen to clean it and feed them etc. I noticed on their poop hammock was a lot of bloody poop. I've seen this before when a few weeks back but it was a small amount but this was a HUGE amount of it. Saw some where on here where they said they were shedding their intestinal lining? Is this right? Man I think part of their intestines came out to from the looks of this one this morning.

WHY do they do this?

Go ahead and get the laying mash and cut the protein if it's still at 23%.

Many have reported intestinal sloughing after starting the FF and that's a good thing. Out with the old, in with the new. The gizzard sloughs its lining as it is a heavy use layer of tissue that wears out eventually and so must slough off to grew newer lining with deeper ridging/thicker walls than the old liner.

My old, sick flock that had been poorly treated by others did the same thing...had huge tarry poops and then intestinal sloughing and bleeding. Then...perfect chicken poops!

Just keep a watch on their general condition and it will tell you more than the poop will.

Don't forget to note the size of yolks you are currently getting and tell us if you see some bigger yolks starting to show up!

 

[RoseMarie1]

Go ahead and get the laying mash and cut the protein if it's still at 23%.

Many have reported intestinal sloughing after starting the FF and that's a good thing. Out with the old, in with the new. The gizzard sloughs its lining as it is a heavy use layer of tissue that wears out eventually and so must slough off to grew newer lining with deeper ridging/thicker walls than the old liner.

My old, sick flock that had been poorly treated by others did the same thing...had huge tarry poops and then intestinal sloughing and bleeding. Then...perfect chicken poops!

Just keep a watch on their general condition and it will tell you more than the poop will.

Don't forget to note the size of yolks you are currently getting and tell us if you see some bigger yolks starting to show up!

Thanx Bee, yep already got em off the 23% stuff and on what you had said before. But plan on getting the laying mash next time I buy food. Would I need to cut the laying mash with some other kind of food to like the 3 way scratch or something else? They've been on ff for about a month now, so would this still be the slough you're talking about? I DID change their food to 1/2 ......3 way scratch and 1/2 chick starter about 2 weeks ago though so this could be what's happening with the change reacon? The scratch seems to have a whole lot of small pieces of corn in it........ I was about ready to get some amprolium because yesterday morning it looked like someone partially gutted a chicken over the poop hammock and it really scared me..... I thought they may have cocci or something. I guess since it's cloth it just made it look much worse than it really was. I noticed two spots today in separate areas but no where near as bad as that one yesterday morning. It had like little clots in it, is what they looked like.......They're not lying around or anything like that. They're eating and drinking and running around like nothings wrong. They free ranged most all day today and I kept watching them to see IF any was lying around more than normal and all was fine. They're eating the raw garlic every day that I've been giving them and drinking their ACV water as well.

 

[Beekissed]

I wouldn't reach for any medicines just yet...or ever. If they are eating fine, looking fine, laying fine...then they are fine. How's that deep litter coming along in the run? Post a pic if you have it built up and working yet..should be interesting to see how it goes along in that large of a run.

 

[Lacy Blues]

Thanx Bee, yep already got em off the 23% stuff and on what you had said before. But plan on getting the laying mash next time I buy food. Would I need to cut the laying mash with some other kind of food to like the 3 way scratch or something else? They've been on ff for about a month now, so would this still be the slough you're talking about? I DID change their food to 1/2 ......3 way scratch and 1/2 chick starter about 2 weeks ago though so this could be what's happening with the change reacon? The scratch seems to have a whole lot of small pieces of corn in it........ I was about ready to get some amprolium because yesterday morning it looked like someone partially gutted a chicken over the poop hammock and it really scared me..... I thought they may have cocci or something. I guess since it's cloth it just made it look much worse than it really was. I noticed two spots today in separate areas but no where near as bad as that one yesterday morning. It had like little clots in it, is what they looked like.......They're not lying around or anything like that. They're eating and drinking and running around like nothings wrong. They free ranged most all day today and I kept watching them to see IF any was lying around more than normal and all was fine. They're eating the raw garlic every day that I've been giving them and drinking their ACV water as well.

I wouldn't reach for any medicines just yet...or ever. If they are eating fine, looking fine, laying fine...then they are fine. How's that deep litter coming along in the run? Post a pic if you have it built up and working yet..should be interesting to see how it goes along in that large of a run.

I agree with Bee. However, if you're concerned at all, you can give them some plain unsweetened yogurt. The beneficial bacteria can out-compete cocci if there are enough of them in there. You can just stir it into their fermented feed before serving.