Arizona Chickens

[ChicksOfHazzard]

I turned a closet in my garage into a fermenting room. I installed a small wall unit a/c and keep the temp in the high 60's. Of course that room is for fermenting my ales. I'm not fermenting feed.

Ahhh, I was hoping to hear from you on this Madd Baggins! Being a brewer and all. So you know what I'm concerned about with the yeasts then. My understanding is the yeasts are all killed at over 100 degrees. And ideal is high 60's to low 70's. So winter time fermenting would seem to be a snap. But with not having the experience myself, I don't want to waste a bunch of feed by sticking it in the crock to have it go rancid. It's disappointing enough to chuck an entire crock of homegrown cucumbers that went slimy... I'm surprised you don't ferment feed though, I would have thought that was right up your alley!

I've been looking around for websites with more detail on feed fermenting, but so far none of them have listed specifics with temperatures. Which I would have thought would be important if you're trying to make yeast! Ahhhh. I'm sure somebody will have the answer!

 

[countrygirl74]

Ahhh, I was hoping to hear from you on this Madd Baggins! Being a brewer and all. So you know what I'm concerned about with the yeasts then. My understanding is the yeasts are all killed at over 100 degrees. And ideal is high 60's to low 70's. So winter time fermenting would seem to be a snap. But with not having the experience myself, I don't want to waste a bunch of feed by sticking it in the crock to have it go rancid. It's disappointing enough to chuck an entire crock of homegrown cucumbers that went slimy... I'm surprised you don't ferment feed though, I would have thought that was right up your alley!

I've been looking around for websites with more detail on feed fermenting, but so far none of them have listed specifics with temperatures. Which I would have thought would be important if you're trying to make yeast! Ahhhh. I'm sure somebody will have the answer!

Try here....

I use a combination of a little ACV and lactic acid bacteria. I usually ferment mash, but sometimes I do crumble too. I do keep mine in the house so I don't have to worry too much about temperature, although we do have a swamp cooler - no AC - so it can still get pretty warm in the kitchen. In the summer, the feed ferments overnight - in the winter, it can take several days.

 

[LadyKotaDoria]

[COLOR=FF0000]MAN![/COLOR] i feel like I have been run over by an Australian Road train [COLOR=FFA500]i have been pushing to get this coop done[/COLOR] [COLOR=800080]think roof, think roof, thing roooof . . . . .[/COLOR] . Less then a week. . . . Roof, doors, paint, fence, don't know if I can do it. The heat ZAPS me. I would have more done if I hadn't pushed it yesterday.


Then clean.... Clean the yard, it is so messy right now. But that I can do one handed for the most part, a little at a time. Fill the trash and send it off each week. :/

I don't know how you can do all that is this heat!  And one-handed???  I finished my coop, hmm, maybe 2 months ago, and at the end of each day working on it, I was wiped out.  I have to take the coop roof off and on again this weekend and I'm so dreading it. It's galvanized tin, so I've got to work on it EARLY so I'm not roasted to death. 

Not one handed yet, on the 16th. Will post pictures tomorrow.
Got done today roof frame, roof panels on (needs more screws), mister, one beam for pen cover, painted coop outside, and temporary tarp and a few other things.
Tomorrow and Saturday, put in temporary fencing, move existing pen to use as wall, put in temporary fence post, put up Temp. Fence, cut door clean out opening, frame, install door, build egg door & install, then paint inside, and go to dr. appointment on Friday. Gee, I'm tired just typing all that. Then I have to shovel out my house and figure out were my sink is, I have so many dirty dishes. Tuesday I have another dr. appointment to interview a local doctor. Weds. plumber, then Thursday my hand opened up. For a lazy person it is a hard few days.

My girls are really suffering in the heat. The new mister in the pen should make it easier. I plan to run water to the pen, don't know when. I might have to pay to get some help in cleaning up my mess in the back yard. The new pen needs to be raked out, and a magnet run over it. I sure hope my girls will be comfortable. :cd they are so used to free ranging and living on my patio. It will be nice to not track in wood shavings.

 

[MaddBaggins]

I have 14, one month old Heritage Delawares for sale. These are HIGH QUALITY birds. I'll be saving at least 6 for Boston so that leaves 8.

I want at least $8 each. PM me. I also have 3 week old Aloha's, Some 6 week old FBCMs, a Blue naked neck, a couple of wheaten Ameraucanas and a couple of Olive eggers. Aloha's $4 each, $8 for the FBCMs, $5 for the Naked Neck, $8 for the Ameraucans and $9 for the Olive eggers.. Also a Heritage SLW $7.

I have to have the grow out pens ready to be taken apart by the 20th. If no one buys them, Boston will get all of them.

I also have a trio of 3 month old Silver Spangled Hamburgs. (roo and two pullets) $50 for the three.

Again, if you are interested PM me.

I can't believe I will no longer have chickens by the 4th of July.

You can't have them at your new place?

 

[MaddBaggins]

Ahhh, I was hoping to hear from you on this Madd Baggins! Being a brewer and all. So you know what I'm concerned about with the yeasts then. My understanding is the yeasts are all killed at over 100 degrees. And ideal is high 60's to low 70's. So winter time fermenting would seem to be a snap. But with not having the experience myself, I don't want to waste a bunch of feed by sticking it in the crock to have it go rancid. It's disappointing enough to chuck an entire crock of homegrown cucumbers that went slimy... I'm surprised you don't ferment feed though, I would have thought that was right up your alley!

I've been looking around for websites with more detail on feed fermenting, but so far none of them have listed specifics with temperatures. Which I would have thought would be important if you're trying to make yeast! Ahhhh. I'm sure somebody will have the answer!

Yeasts are not necessarily killed over 100˚ but they do impart flavors not desired as the temp increases (which is very important to a brewer). Most ale yeast perform best in the mid-hi 60's while some are better in the 70's. There are some Belgian strains that are best in the mid 80's. I've talked to guys who've had a batch spike up into the 90's before (electrical outage). The beer was still beer and drinkable, but his flavor profile was shot. Before I made my little fermentation room, all my ales fermented in the house, mid 70's. It wasn't ideal, but the beer was good and I was learning.

I haven't fermented feed mostly because I'm new at this and haven't bothered to read on up the whole process and why it's better. I'll look into it one of these days.

 

[MaddBaggins]

Try here....

I use a combination of a little ACV and lactic acid bacteria. I usually ferment mash, but sometimes I do crumble too. I do keep mine in the house so I don't have to worry too much about temperature, although we do have a swamp cooler - no AC - so it can still get pretty warm in the kitchen. In the summer, the feed ferments overnight - in the winter, it can take several days.

Thanks for the link. I'll read up on that later.

 

[notinoz2007]

Quote:
thanks, and believe me i was disconcerted, lol. i was close to breakdown. snickers showed no prior symptoms at all, and i wish i was in the proper mindset at the time to do an autopsy. i do think it was most likely heat related. all the chicks i lost i determined it was also heat. they were only 1 week old so i had a heat lamp on them, of course. i would lose one every day and would try something different every day. finally when i took the heat lamp away they stopped dying. i had no idea and that was so frustrating to learn the hard way. the wild birds were fledgelings i kept finding in the pond, they had no way out after they fell in. poor birds. this summer has been tragic.

 

[ChicksOfHazzard]

Thanks Countrygirl! I had come across that site and it does look like a good one. Just nothing about temperatures. I'm so A-type when it comes to those sorts of details (I'm a chemist), so I get stunted by the lack of parameters. I'm sure the vast majority of people could throw some feed into a bucket and have it come out fine. But being burned by fermentation problems in the past (two crocks full of slimy pickles), I'm just uncomfortable with not having all the info with regards to temperature. It's just me, I know. I was just hoping someone else was equally OCD about it.

Madd Baggins, thanks for the info. That does help. I might just wait until the fall I think to attempt it. I leave the house at 83-85 during the day, so I'm not confident that will bring me something very yummy fermentation-wise. Let me know if you give it a shot before me though. I'd be curious to see what your experience brings about (surely it'd be the best fermented feed in southern AZ!).

It's gonna be toasty today! I changed the timer on the misters to go a bit longer in the evenings, another hour or so since it's still blinking HOT at 5:30. I had to work a couple hours late yesterday so had some bad-mother guilt coming home in the evening. I promised the chickens I'd stop and get live meal worms on the way home today. Let's hope it's a great day for everyone's chickens working to keep cool!

 

[notinoz2007]

Quote: x2, i'm both sad and excited about this new adventure of yours. perhaps you will start a new flock in the future. please stick around and post when you are able. for me, you and byc go hand in hand.

I lost my first chicken to the heat today

I went out in the late afternoon, and she was gone, but it just happened, because she was still limp and warm. Not to waste, she got plucked and cleaned and is in the frig resting.... it was one of my special EE crosses from last year, Ameraucana X Orloff. Beautiful friendly birds. One of her sisters was about to keel over too, that one got a dunk in a bucket and a drink. I hope she revives. I checked on her after dark, and she didn't have the strength to get on the roost, so I put her on the lower rung and she was able to hang on. It wasn't even that hot today compared to the last couple of days. But with all this talk of the misters making yucky mud and disease in the coop, I turned it off today because they all had big muddy puddles of water yesterday. I guess that was a mistake...
I didn't lose a single bird to the heat last year. Wonder what is different, age of the bird? Cumulative heat stress? We had lots of 105 degree days last year. I think it only got up to 99 or 100 here today. Guess I'll take that one inside tomorrow if she doesn't look perky by morning.

i am so sorry for your loss and for the first time i can say i truly know how it feels, (except i didnt get to eat mine, lol) my girl also did fine last year - this year was just ... different ... glad you were able to fix the misters and i hope that helps.

I had my baby today! 7 pounds 13 ounces, 20 and 3/4 inches long, and the cutest baby girl I've ever seen!

oh my gosh, that is so awesome! CONGRATS to all the family. i just love babies!

Thanks Countrygirl! I had come across that site and it does look like a good one. Just nothing about temperatures. I'm so A-type when it comes to those sorts of details (I'm a chemist), so I get stunted by the lack of parameters. I'm sure the vast majority of people could throw some feed into a bucket and have it come out fine. But being burned by fermentation problems in the past (two crocks full of slimy pickles), I'm just uncomfortable with not having all the info with regards to temperature. It's just me, I know. I was just hoping someone else was equally OCD about it.

Madd Baggins, thanks for the info. That does help. I might just wait until the fall I think to attempt it. I leave the house at 83-85 during the day, so I'm not confident that will bring me something very yummy fermentation-wise. Let me know if you give it a shot before me though. I'd be curious to see what your experience brings about (surely it'd be the best fermented feed in southern AZ!).

It's gonna be toasty today! I changed the timer on the misters to go a bit longer in the evenings, another hour or so since it's still blinking HOT at 5:30. I had to work a couple hours late yesterday so had some bad-mother guilt coming home in the evening. I promised the chickens I'd stop and get live meal worms on the way home today. Let's hope it's a great day for everyone's chickens working to keep cool!

i also worry about the temp of fermented feed. i did it during the winter for a while when i had the time, on the back porch. i think it would be too hot out there now. i really want to get back at it. i have decided when i come back from vacation i will start fermenting under the kitchen sink. i keep the house at 80-82. will let you know how it goes. lately i mix their crumble with whatever i have in liquid form, water, broth, juice, veggie soup (thats a huge hit). right now its some bolthouse farms smoothie that i cant drink! recently found out i'm allergic to my favorite fruit ever. MANGOES. they do prefer wet food i have noticed. even when they toss dry crumble all over the run, if i spray it with the hose they think they are eating treats.

 

[notinoz2007]

in heat related news: i helped save one of my moms hens yesterday. THANK YOU so much to whoever posted about wetting under the wings, you are a life saver! she was out during free range time, listless on the back patio, panting hard, eyes closed, wings way drooped, couldnt move. mom carried her to the pen and called me over the fence (i live next door). when i got there first thing i did was wet her under wings and vent, within 5 minutes she was panting noticeably less and was able to move away from me, since i had taken to wetting her every now and then. after 30 minutes she was eating a little mash and frozen green beans. checked on her this morning and she looks good as new.

i posted some aloha rejects on craigslist this morning. 3 week old chicks with leg colors other than yellow. $1 if anyone is interested.