Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Brada Puhi]

Thanks Bee.

 

[Costa Rica Art]

Aloha kakou,

When I mow the lawn, I put all the clippings in a pile in the corner. Mowing the lawn is my favorite way to "rake" up the mango leaves. Anyways, cockaroaches love compost. Bombai I gather the compost(aiming for cockaroches when I shovel) and I throw it into the pen. Henny Lo and the gang love it. Days later, they're still looking for more. As the kick the stuff around, they mixing the dudu in with the compost and covering it. It also gives them a taste of free ranging.

Hey Beekissed, I have 2 questions:

People say that the beneficial bacteria(FF) in the digestive system and the dudu kills Fly eggs. What is your opinion on that?

Also, when getting tree trimmings from the tree trimmers, should it be composted first, or put straight in with the chickens?

Mahalo nui for your mana'o, Puhi

There was a thread about composting with chickens, folks ended up putting their compost materials in their chickens runs or where the chickens could get to it when the free ranged, some were huge piles, the chickens did their thing the pile shrank fast. We toss all of our table scraps where the chickens free range, what they don't eat gets turned over and over till it is composted into the soil, that feeds the chickens and takes care of all table/kitchen scraps plus what ever yard clippings and garden trash. There are no bugs where the chickens range.

The probiotics in the FF gives the chickens all kinds of internal benefits as Beekissed says. The FF helps to maintain a healthy digestion system plus making the feed easier for the chickens to digest, the list goes on and on. There are commercial chicken producers that have installed large systems to feed FF, I think that tells the story.

Shredded tree trimmings go direct into the coop and/or chicken runs. The chickens will turn it over and over looking for bugs which helps break down the trimmings. if they use bad chemicals on the trees in your area then you might want to put it in their run till the rain washes the trimmings clean. We have a lot of wild sugar cane growing along the roads here, that shredded and tossed out for the chickens is really a treat for them, it gets constant attention till it is gone. Of course any lawn trimmings from your place goes to the chicken composters too.

 

[Brada Puhi]

Aloha, I think that the bacteria that break down compost lack nitrogen in a compost pile. The chicken dudu has lots of nitrogen, so it's a perfect system.

 

[Brada Puhi]

I like composting on the side too though just for the cockaroaches and other bugs. It gives them something to look for, even if they're all eaten up already.

 

[Peneliva]

My feed today. Lots of mother...

 

[RoseMarie1]

I'm not sure about that and can't imagine why it would...beneficial bacteria and yeasts are beneficial to most things except to some other forms of bacteria and yeasts, which they can prohibit.

What I find is that the feces no longer has the attractant to the flies that it did when those proteins and sugars were left undigested in the fecal matter. My dog won't even eat the chicken poop now and I'm assuming it's because it's lost its sweet flavor...because he will eat most anything that is edible and he no longer finds the feces appealing now. Apparently neither do the flies because I haven't seen on one feces in 2 years now, since I started the FF.

I'd put the tree trimmings right in with the chickens so that it can compost in place.

Aloha!!! Wish I could see where you live....always wanted to go there!

Bee putting the trimmings in there not broken down, wouldn't that make it mega hot up in there from the heat of them breaking down since they're green? It's soooo hot here right now I'd be scared to do that. Mine is out there no panting in the night time it's so hot.
I noticed today that my ff has a much stronger smell than it's been having. I guess it's just due to this heat. ??

 

[Beekissed]

Bee putting the trimmings in there not broken down, wouldn't that make it mega hot up in there from the heat of them breaking down since they're green? It's soooo hot here right now I'd be scared to do that. Mine is out there no panting in the night time it's so hot.
I noticed today that my ff has a much stronger smell than it's been having. I guess it's just due to this heat. ??

There is so much ventilation in your run, Rose, I wouldn't worry about the heat from composting. If your coop doesn't have enough of the same, especially where you live, now would be a good time to open it up a little. It takes a long, long time for wood to break down, so the only concern would be the leaves and they will be finely ground...I'd try it and see what happens. Could be that that kind of rough material is what it would take to keep your run from being sopping wet as the birds will be stepping on branches, twigs and larger pieces of wood instead of fine chopped shavings and such.

Yes, the FF gets a much deeper fermentation right now and the smell is a little more strong...no worries though!

 

[3 NH reds]

I got a free composter that I feed the shavings from chicks I raise. I added some ACV to it and rotate it every now and then. The ammonia smell gets strong,, all that nitrogen. IT breaks down quickly like that and yes it gets warm but never hot enough for a fire. So it is safe to deep liter your runs with no problem

 

[Triple Willow]

I got a free composter that I feed the shavings from chicks I raise.  I added some ACV to it and rotate it every now and then. The ammonia smell gets strong,, all that nitrogen. IT breaks down quickly like that and yes it gets warm but never hot enough for  a fire. So it is safe to deep liter your runs with no problem

That reminds me of when I worked at a horse farm. We had a huge compost pile. One day I was in one of the barns cleaning stalls and the farm manager came running in all out of breath asking where the water hose was. I'm sure I looked at him real goofy because of all the excitement over a water hose. The poo pile had caught on fire. lol That stuff does get hot!

 

[Triple Willow]

Yesterday one of my pullets layed the first egg that's been layed on this place in YEARS! I was so excited! lol Today no egg ...feel like somebody stole my candy or something. lol Not bad though, a BA mix and a little over 19 weeks. The egg was probably a medium size.