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I suspect that would be far too much. How long does it take to work through the 5gal bucket? I suspect that just rotating through two buckets might be a better solution and a more managable size.

Alcohol production in fermented feed doesn't work that way. You aren't adding packets of yeast to each new batch to start with a lot of yeast. Generally, you are only using a small amount of fermented feed as a starter for the new batch. The colony will grow and produce more alcohol as it...

There is very little alcohol in fermented feed. Alcoholic products take much longer than the couple of days it takes to produce fermented feed. The fermentation done on feed makes the grain more digestible and nutritious.

Just wanted to emphasize this. Those lower in the pecking order lose out when there are limited resources.

I still feed my girls FF, but have switched to feeding them twice/day rather than all in the morning. This allows them to have warmer food while forcing me out to check on their welfare more often with recent sub-zero temps. I'm also more likely to find eggs before they've had a chance to freeze.

Hmmm... I thought gasses did that too.

I have a PVC feeder that provides pellet feed at all times. I've been giving them FF in the morning since it is rising above freezing during the day. How do you handle FF during freezing weather? Will I just have to switch to pure pellet feed when daytime temps drop below freezing?

Good. I hope your chickens will always be healthy. Convenience is certainly a positive point for dry feed. FF offers a number of benefits, but certainly isn't required. If you decide that the benefits don't outweigh the downsides, then don't use FF. Mine also happily ate their pellets and...

The fresh vegetables are fine for the most part, but grains and beans both contain anti-nutrients (chemicals that prevent nutrient absorption and/or actually do damage). Fermenting breaks down a lot of those chemicals into more tolerable and/or beneficial ones. Eating fermented foods is...

Sorry, I don't have details on how much more digestible it will be than non-fermented barley. I'm sure there will be some benefit, just significantly less than ground meal. In other words, it won't hurt. Go ahead and use it if you want. If you have a way to grind up the barley before...

Surface area makes a huge difference in how much the fermentation process alters the chemical composition of the food. Ground meal makes a much better fermentation target than whole grains as the bacteria has a lot more surface area to eat into. Same reasoning as pulping grapes for wine rather...

Fermentation is really to make the grain-based meal more digestible. My ladies took to the FF right away, but you can always add meal worms on top if yours are reluctant.

Now only the NSA is listening in on your conversations. :he

Two basic techniques: 1- Keep the feeder off the ground- a hanging feeder, a PVC-pipe feeding system, etc. 2- Minimize chickens "flicking" their feed around and knocking it onto the ground. The PVC pipe does pretty well at this by keeping "flicked" food inside the pipe. Another solution is to...

I doubt they all got tired of FF simultaneously. Far more likely, there is something about the FF that they don't like- doesn't smell or taste good. Have you changed your feed or purchased a new bag recently? If not, then my bet is that some bacteria has gotten into your mix that is making it...

There is slightly more to it (stirring and air exposure), but it is really easy. You should read the following: https://tikktok.wordpress.com/2014/04/13/fermented-feed-faq/