Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Beekissed]

Whatever you use, be sure they are going to make a mess of it with this FF...at least mine did. I used a small plastic trough of my own making with a wire overlay that they could walk upon and eat out of...they still got their little feet in it now and again but since I only portion out what they can eat in a few hours, it wasn't a lasting problem. Then I'd just flip the trough and knock out any bedding or dirt in it before dishing out the next portion.

If they are regular chickens they grow out of that walking in the trough stage and graduate to standing beside it...if Cornish Cross they still want to get inside the feeder, the big hogs.....

 

[knightie]

I got mine from TSC this year, which was from Mt Healthy. I have go in and out for YEARS from TSC, I've seen their shipping slips and they all get their chicks from Mt Healthy. Its a corp contact. I have read OVER and OVER again that Welp Hatchery has some AMAZING Cornish x. So if I can find someone to split an order with me next year, I may just order from them.

I am happy to say, I did another weigh in last night and my 2 lightest birds finally hit 5 lbs and the bigger of them are now over 6 lb each. So we're getting there. That's enough that I will process them next week one way or another. So I'm not really screwing much up!? lol

Ok, swinging by the feed store today to pick up the flock raiser again... its probably the cheapest option.

Actually not all get them from there ... Here in Carthage tx ours came from privett hatcheries.

 

[jrsckn]

Here's a pic of my "meatie bird picnic" today lol. I've been singing the "Ladybug Picnic" song from Sesame Street modified to "Meatiebird Picnic" all day long while weeding my garden

I modified the long plastic troughs that I've used since their heads got too big by securing them to a broken oak garden stake with zip ties, which is nailed to the wooden legs and then I have boards going across so they can reach in easily to discourage them from jumping in too often

I'm planning an upgrade later this week because at 4 weeks, I have to fill it 3-4 times a day for 18 birds.

 

[knightie]

Thanks!  Thats cool, I always thought rally and agility would be fun to do but I don't trust my dogs off leash 100%

Well with rally the first level is on lead and agility training usually starts on lead. I honestly never 100% trust my dogs off lead (though my current dog I trust most 99.96%) I've been doing agility for almost 20 years so (g) we have done the first level of rally in akc (have the RN title) and have a leg in uKC rally. We have our ukc champ a point in akc and tons of agility titles from akc to Usdaa and cpe. (g)

 

[Island Roo]

Quote:

Now my wife is singing that song.

 

[jrsckn]

Now my wife is singing that song.

It's sooo much fun 1 2 3, 4 5 6, 7 8 9, 10 11 12 ......26 meatie birds at a meatie bird picnic

Knightie,
I should amend my statement; I trust my dogs 98% in normal conditions but in a high energy environment with other high energy dogs, I trust them 2%, most of mine are dog/animal aggressive

 

[myhubbycallsmechickeemama]

I know there was someone on here that was going to feed FF to their quail. If you're still here how did it go? My Bobwhite quail arrive tomorrow and I was curious.

 

[kelpieschick]

Ok, Beekissed, I love how the FF is working out so far, and I really want to try it for our next meat chicken batch, but I have one more question... What do you recommend for feeders for when they are tiny chicks? With our dry feed we just used the red 20 inch flip top chick feeders - 2 for every 50 chicks. This worked great until their heads got too big and then we graduated to troughs on the side of the brooder boxes, and then in the tractor coops. The troughs would work great for the FF, but I am not sure about the chick feeders... Any suggestions?

That's what I used for my FF when the chicks were about a week and a half old. Before that I used a little round plastic chick feeder that is meant for feeding dry crumbles. I filled the base with FF and then put the plastic insert back on just so that nobody accidentilly crawled into the middle and drowned ha ha. Worked great!

 

[kelpieschick]

Just wanted to add a quick pic of my gang at four weeks old. We just finished their outdoor run so this is their first time outside (except for the time when they escaped). It's my first time doing this but I think they look mighty fine! Edited to add: Sorry about their dirty heads.. they just finished eating their FF breakfast ha ha

 

[knightie]

  It's sooo much fun 1 2 3, 4 5 6, 7 8 9, 10 11 12 ......26 meatie birds at a meatie bird picnic


Knightie,
I should amend my statement; I trust my dogs 98% in normal conditions but in a high energy environment with other high energy dogs, I trust them 2%, most of mine are dog/animal aggressive

I understand... Have done pit rescue in the past. I have acd's and my girls could be.... Well they had no trouble telling everyone the agility course was theirs!

Like I said rally first level is all on lead. So give it a try... It's more titles! (g)