Fermenting feed mixture

[Jess1411]

I have been raising chickens for many years now but I just started incubating. With my flock growing so fast I want to start fermenting their food. My problem is that I don’t know which feeds are the best mixture for doing this. I have been doing a ton of research on this and I just can’t seem to figure out which feeds to use. Can someone please help me with a list of foods that are good for fermenting please and thank you!

 

[nuthatched]

Any feed can be fermented, really. However, it's not going to save you as much feed and money as some sources would have you believe. The fermentation makes some nutritients more available and makes the feed swell, so birds eat less food, but also less nutrition.
Birds can tell how nourishing food is, if you feed a bargain feed, they may eat more to meet those needs or if you get a higher protein feed, they'll eat less to meet the needs.
Feeding a fermented higher quality feed or a dry high quality feed will help in the long run, as will no waste feeders and making sure you're not feeding mice or sparrows.

 

[Perris]

I have been raising chickens for many years now but I just started incubating. With my flock growing so fast I want to start fermenting their food. My problem is that I don’t know which feeds are the best mixture for doing this. I have been doing a ton of research on this and I just can’t seem to figure out which feeds to use. Can someone please help me with a list of foods that are good for fermenting please and thank you!

this is a reliable resource on the topic:
Haard et.al. FERMENTED CEREALS. A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE, FAO AGRICULTURAL SERVICES BULLETIN No. 138
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Rome 1999. ISBN 92-5-104296-9

Freely available online here
https://www.fao.org/3/x2184e/x2184e00.htm#con

edited to add hello @Jess1411 welcome to BYC

 

[Gax000]

this is a reliable resource on the topic:
Haard et.al. FERMENTED CEREALS. A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE, FAO AGRICULTURAL SERVICES BULLETIN No. 138
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Rome 1999. ISBN 92-5-104296-9

Freely available online here
https://www.fao.org/3/x2184e/x2184e00.htm#con

edited to add hello @Jess1411 welcome to BYC

This article seems to relate to human consumption rather than poultry. Did I miss something?

 

[Perris]

This article seems to relate to human consumption rather than poultry. Did I miss something?

no, you didn't. The best published research on fermented foods relates to human consumption, while the feed industry is only in the early stages of applying it to animal feeds, so at the bottom of the learning curve.

The description of what happens to foodstuffs when they are fermented, and of the processes by which they can be fermented, are the same, whatever the intended use to which the food/feed is put.

 

[Debbie292d]

I ferment equal parts of grains and feed. The main reason is the probiotics/prebiotics and increased nutrition.

I use half Kalmbach's Henhouse Reserve (I quit feeding that to them as they wasted so much), the other half is a combo of some dried legumes, hard red winter wheat, 6-grain scratch, flax, and a smidge of chia seeds. I make up a big airtight bin of it, then fill a quart jar half full, fill almost to the top w/ unchlorinated water. Stir daily and in 3 days drain and serve.

 

[Jess1411]

Any feed can be fermented, really. However, it's not going to save you as much feed and money as some sources would have you believe. The fermentation makes some nutritients more available and makes the feed swell, so birds eat less food, but also less nutrition.
Birds can tell how nourishing food is, if you feed a bargain feed, they may eat more to meet those needs or if you get a higher protein feed, they'll eat less to meet the needs.
Feeding a fermented higher quality feed or a dry high quality feed will help in the long run, as will no waste feeders and making sure you're not feeding mice or sparrows.

I understand that any of it can be fermented but I guess what I’m asking is what is the best mixture to use from other people’s experiences.

 

[nuthatched]

I understand that any of it can be fermented but I guess what I’m asking is what is the best mixture to use from other people’s experiences.

I'm sorry, what do you mean by mixture?

 

[Jess1411]

I'm sorry, what do you mean by mixture?

Which feed is a good mix. I want to do more than one feed.

 

[nuthatched]

Which feed is a good mix. I want to do more than one feed.

There's no need to have more than one, that just complicates things.
Any full ration feed (pellets, mash, whole grain brands -not scratch) will all be fine and be nutritionally complete.
What you want depends on what you have.
Laying hens only? A good quality layer feed while laying, a grower when not. Or just grower with oyster shell available.
Mixed flock, with all aged birds of both sexes? Also a good quality grower.

It also depends on what you have in your area.