Fermenting Feed?

[12Chicksand1Lady]

I made a trough for the chickens to eat their fermented feed from. I had to make a second longer one for the new batch coming down the pike.
The littles recently got upgraded from their chick trough to the old 4' trough and the hens and rooster are using the new 6' trough.
View attachment 1795492

New 6' trough for the hens and rooster:
View attachment 1795493

The smaller diameter pipe suspended over the trough keeps them from getting in the trough. It is suspended on a coated wire so it moves when the try to perch on it and they quickly give up and jump off.

I really like your trough. I don't have a picture of ours yet, but i probably will tomorrow.

 

[DobieLover]

I really like your trough. I don't have a picture of ours yet, but i probably will tomorrow.

Thank you. I'd like to see what you use too.

 

[Henriettamom919]

I started FF about three weeks ago now and they LOVE.IT!

I use scratch n peck layer because I was an easy mark early on as a chicken momma and the co-op saw me coming a mile away That being said they really love it and lay nearly every day even through winter.

I just do a large glass jar filled about two thirds with the feed. I leave out jugs of water to allow the chlorine to evaporate out. Fill about an inch over, stir every 24 and voila! Feed!

I tried a trough but one of mine is a little wench about food in general and she bullies my sweet girl no matter where she positions herself. Now I just take a soup ladle and the jar outside and scoop a pile for each right on the ground. The piles form a triangle so when Carol my bossy girl pulls her usual crap they just rotate.

I've had great results and noticed improving egg size and overall health of my birds within the first week or two.

Good luck! You can do it!!!

 

[Criticalicious]

Good point! Most city water has chlorine, and it helps to let that evaporate out. I always forget that part, since I'm on a well. I use the RO water for FF rather than tap water.

 

[12Chicksand1Lady]

So i made way to much!! it's ok though i think lol i just put all the extra into a deep freezer... Is it ok to put into the freezer?

 

[12Chicksand1Lady]

This is what we built husband tested out dry food first

 

[jlwquilter]

So i made way to much!! it's ok though i think lol i just put all the extra into a deep freezer... Is it ok to put into the freezer?

I don’t know but I reuse the extra if I overshoot their desires (like I did today by a lot. I got out late so they had hit the dry food and it’s so stinking hot too they’re eating less anyway) for a pre-bedtime second feed. I scoop it into a new container and cover with water so it continues to ferment then feed later that day as I said. I’m hoping they’ll eat it all tonight.

Someone on BYC said they scooped the extra back into the FF container of it hadn’t gotten dirty. My little slobs always get it dirty by stepping in it. I’m going to try trough feeding next. To try to get the lower status girls a better shot at the yummiest parts - the scratch and BOSS.

 

[Henriettamom919]

So i made way to much!! it's ok though i think lol i just put all the extra into a deep freezer... Is it ok to put into the freezer?

I'm not sure but I think that might kill all those probiotics it worked so hard to make! Just put the extra into a second container and cover with a towel. It'll still be fine in a few days!

 

[Molpet]

So i made way to much!! it's ok though i think lol i just put all the extra into a deep freezer... Is it ok to put into the freezer?

I know people put it in the frig when they go on vac and the sitter doesn't want to deal with it.

 

[Criticalicious]

The fridge is OK because it slows down the probiotic growth (like refrigerating yogurt) but freezing it would destroy the beneficial bacteria because the cell walls explode.