Refrigerating fresh wet mash?

[o2bgreenntx]

I made wet mash for my girls for the first time. Got it to the consistency I wanted and stuck it in fridge for an hour or so - VERY hot here! They really liked it and I watched them until they had their fill then picked up bowl and put back in fridge. Is it OK to keep the leftovers in fridge to save for another feeding? I only used layer crumbles and filtered cold tap water.

 

[Kiki]

Sure. It should be fine.

How many chickens do you have total and are they full grown?

I'm asking because you could measure a smaller amount and you don't necessarily have to refrigerate it Just using cool water would be an awesome treat for them.

 

[o2bgreenntx]

Sure. It should be fine.

How many chickens do you have total and are they full grown?

I'm asking because you could measure a smaller amount and you don't necessarily have to refrigerate it Just using cool water would be an awesome treat for them.

I have 4 grown hens. I just didn't know how much they might eat, so as usual, I made too much. Will feed more tomorrow and then throw out. The heat has been brutal on all of us, as you know, being a fellow Texan! Thank you for your input, may try to ferment and see how that goes.

 

[Kiki]

I have 4 grown hens. I just didn't know how much they might eat, so as usual, I made too much. Will feed more tomorrow and then throw out. The heat has been brutal on all of us, as you know, being a fellow Texan! Thank you for your input, may try to ferment and see how that goes.

On average...a full grown bird will eat approximately 3/4 cup worth of feed per day.
Probably less when it's this hot out.

 

[3KillerBs]

It would be fine from the chicken side, but I personally would not put anything that has been in my chicken run into my refrigerator where I keep my family's food.

Anything in the chicken run is automatically contaminated with chicken poop.

 

[Battlepants]

Agreed, fridge to chicken is fine. Chicken to fridge is gross. Unless you have a spare fridge that you only use for this purpose, I wouldn't do this for cross contamination reasons.

However, maybe a fun middleground - make some wet mash in the evening, freeze it overnight, give it to the chickens in the morning?

 

[o2bgreenntx]

Agreed, fridge to chicken is fine. Chicken to fridge is gross. Unless you have a spare fridge that you only use for this purpose, I wouldn't do this for cross contamination reasons.

However, maybe a fun middleground - make some wet mash in the evening, freeze it overnight, give it to the chickens in the morning?

They ate out of a bowl on a clean piece of newspaper on the patio. We don't feed in the run as a rule. After I let them out in the a.m., they free range the rest of the day. Thank you for your cross-contamination concerns! I am immunosuppressed and try to be very careful!