Anyone doing fermented feed for their ducks?

[Tivona]

I just started doing this and I noticed in just a few days the smell of the duck pen went from stinky to barely any smell. I had to normally clean it out everyday else the poop smell was to much. I am fermenting their normal feed and so it should remain balanced for them. I got the idea here for the fermented feed. I am curious as to any others experiences who have tried this for ducks. Seems like it should be good for them, and its not to much work although I am having to try and figure how much to give them instead of just filling a pan with pellets then taking it away at night. I notice they like it best if its not been out of the ACV/water for more then a few hours. Anyone else doing this?

 

[Amiga]

No, not at this time, but it sounds intriguing. I am interested in offering a very good diet and would love to be able to do so without buying bagged feed if necessary.

I have used ACV in their water from time to time but that's about it.

The little bit I read mentioned for meat birds. Would it be okay for long term relationships, too?

We don't have much of an odor problem here. But then, the ducks have a full time charwoman.

 

[Tivona]

I give it free choice. Ditch the dry and feed the ferment. I have been giving the fermented feed to all my birds for hmm, a couple of years I think. Some times I give them a bit of dry pellets sprinkled on the top but basically I just feed the fermented. The ferment is made from the dry pellets so its similar in many regards in nutrients. The advantages of fermenting include that its easier for them to digest so they need less feed, way less smell to the poop and over all better health.

Some ducks like to waste some of the fermented feed swishing it in water so watch for that. Either moving the fermented feed farther from the water or just mixing some of the ferment into dry feed can work if you have ducks that seem to be wasting it in the water. Some ducks just eat it, then drink so it depends on the birds. Just keep an eye on how they seem to do with it. Personally I won't go back to the dry pellets.

 

[CayugaJana]

Well great then. I think I will try it out. Using less feed and less stinky poop are two great reasons to start!!

 

[CayugaJana]

Yep and they are doing great! They shipped on Tuesday arrived Friday morning which made me really nervous. But I made them some mash with sugar water and they perked right up. Now they are with the week older ducklings playing in my back yard while I plant bulbs. I looked at the list of everything that is poisonous to chickens and ducks. Which is almost everything in my yard.

 

[Tivona]

Some in the thread are doing it for egg layers and there are many different types of feed that are being fermented for the birds. As far as I can tell as long as your choosing feed that would be good for long term birds the fermented feed should be better for them. I don't raise meat ducks but any extra males that I can't sell I do eat but I am in ducks for the eggs and enjoyment of them, so my birds hang around for years. I only have a few babies each year. Stupid duck math thing. (5 will be great I thought and now I am up to 15) My guess is long term feeding of the fermented feed should be fine as long as the starting dry feed is fine. It just makes the feed more digestible in theory.

I am seeing some of my ducks looking a bit better but its hard to tell if its the fermented feed and please keep in mind that I have only been feeding this for a week. The only ones that had been looking a bit down are going through a molt and now they are looking more perky/happy. Its hard to know if the feed has anything to do with it or if its just the molt. The other thing I am seeing is that the babies had been having a hard time with enough niacin. I had been adding it to the water but a few of them still had wobbly legs. A few days into the fermented feed they stopped having problems. Hard to say if the niacin in the water just finally kicked in or if the feed helped them to adsorb it easier.

The part about the poo not smelling is really great in my mind. I only ever have a problem with the pen that they stay in at night being stinky from the poop but for a few days now there has been only a faint smell of the ferment. Even with the poop being thick and wet near the kiddie pool in the pen there is no real smell. Their poop is getting a bit firmer too. Less runny which is good.

 

[Amiga]

Sounds like it's worth trying. I need to learn more about this. Are there any studies from groups like SARE or ACRES that you know of?

I know I have tried some fermented foods for myself, and have had no ill effect. There is such a long list of nutritional practices to try on the ducks, the cats and me . . . never lack for something to try.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Sounds very interesting especially since it's cooling off now. I'll want to read up more.

 

[Tivona]

I did see several studies indicating that it was beneficial to birds. Most of the studies I have looked at were about chickens for meat or eggs so its more of a guess when it comes to the ducks. I am still looking into it but I have seen very little indicating problems. The only things I have seen to watch out for is to make sure you keep the feed submerged while it is fermenting and to keep the feed aerated by draining the feed out each day (which you would be doing everyday anyway to feed) so anaerobic bacteria can't get going (making it stinky or having botulism).

Here are a few of the studies that I did see:

Campylobacter and Salmonella control in chickens and the role of fermented food


Liquid feed fermented with Lactobacillus salivarius reduces susceptibility of broiler chickens

Fermented feed for laying hens

 

[Miss Lydia]

I did see several studies indicating that it was beneficial to birds. Most of the studies I have looked at were about chickens for meat or eggs so its more of a guess when it comes to the ducks. I am still looking into it but I have seen very little indicating problems. The only things I have seen to watch out for is to make sure you keep the feed submerged while it is fermenting and to keep the feed aerated by draining the feed out each day (which you would be doing everyday anyway to feed) so anaerobic bacteria can't get going (making it stinky or having botulism).

Here are a few of the studies that I did see:

Campylobacter and Salmonella control in chickens and the role of fermented food


Liquid feed fermented with Lactobacillus salivarius reduces susceptibility of broiler chickens

Fermented feed for laying hens

I think it maybe worth a try, just use a small amt as an experiment to see if they will eat it. then nothing is wasted. I bet my chickens would eat it in a heartbeat.