Demo - thanks - this is also the approach I take. AND I totally appreciate the info regarding FF feeding containers. Off to peruse the second hand stores for containers!!! BTW - before we sent our turkeys to Camp Freezer (man they were good) I used the paint tray method for feeding them - you had posted earlier this method and it worked perfect for me. Thanks again.There is still a huge debate raging about whether scratch will raise the body temperature of poultry. I've seen articles by authors with PhDs that push both sides of the answer. For me, it is more about maintaining the properly balanced diet than it is about the temperature, since I intentionally kept my yard as naturally agreeable to a cool environment as possible. It's absolutely amazing what a good layer of grass and some shade will do for the ambient temperature of your yard. That being said, scratch is very high in carbohydrates and is considered a "hot" feed because of the potential energy it has available through these carbs. Likewise, it is also higher in fat. Both of these can cause health issues in poultry, including the storing of large amounts of fat that can result in hens being egg-bound or unhealthy.
For feeding the fermented feed, I've used several methods and all worked well. For my chickens, I usually used a 9"x13" ceramic baking dish. It was heavy enough that it wouldn't move or get knocked over, but was non-reactive and therefore safe for putting the acidic feed in. For my turkeys, I used a painting tray from Home Depot and drilled two holes in it. At first, I mounted it to the edge of my brooder, but then moved it off the porch and attached it to my pool fence. This allowed me to raise or lower it depending on the height of the birds and their development. Both ways worked very, very well and I will continue to use them when I start my flocks again. Just make sure it is a non-reactive material, or you will start noticing problems in the container. Aluminum and galvanized steel feeding bowls, for instance, are not safe to use.
Last edited:
e
so far 2 chicks have successfully hatched to my blk ameraucana. I am very excited. now about 35 more eggs and about 3 weeks differences in ages on the rest of the eggs. next year any broody will be separated with the eggs I want to put under her instead of letting her get eggs from all the coop. ah well live and learn. 
