Ahh, but does big ol bird cut your feed bill??
The fermenting part was so easy its not funny. We did the bucket system. Add feed, ( started with just a little I read the biggest issue with fermented feed is not fermenting more then they will eat) add braggs, add water, cover and stir a few times, profit. We did it Sunday, it was ready to go today.
Of course I had to leave at 6 today so it didn't go out as breakfast de jour.
Petrock, we started out with organic flock raiser to try it out, but I got a lot of organic pellets from a guy who overbought in Sacramento yesterday and will switch to that. I know flock raiser has soy, not sure about the other one, was a bit of a language barrier when we got it, but clearly he thought he knew what he was talking about, lol. We were doing fodder as well, and are using wheat for that. We accidentally fermented the bottom of the wheatgrass ( Mario did 6-8 inches of seed, not 6-8 seeds high ) and we were getting "rid" of it by throwing it over the fence to decompose until the birds went NUTS for it. We use whole wheat as a scratch grain sometimes and they like that, but they were bonkers for this. Stuffing managed to get into the pail where it was stored and ate 1/2 of it before she managed to knock it over and everyone got involved. She was running around yelling "NONO MINE!!" in Turkey but it was no use.
SO right now the fodder and fermented grain is more of a treat, is it safe to offer up to 25% of the diet? If it has 10% more protein it should be in the safe range, I'd guess...
The idea was to be able to get the benefits of feeding everyone higher protein but still get all the same food. Not need 17%, 20%, 28% etc... The baby quail especially need to have a high protein food so we were getting pheasant feed for them and turkeys, and it is a fair bit more then other foods. Usually about 3-5 a bag more. And If I put it out where the turkeys can get it, the hens eat it too, and it goes EVERYWHERE.... and you bag is gone and the ground smells because there is food everywhere.
So fermented feed that is higher then 14% should have enough protein for everyone, and 20% should not be too high for anyone. The only thing I am worried about is no medicated started and we get cocci here on a regular basis, so I will have to watch closer and be ready with the sulfed. But I'm hoping this eliminates poopy butt so it could be an even trade anyway. That is the hardest thing for me to combat.
My other exciting find last week was tidy cat feeders! We have been saving these buckets for years, and it is a fantastic way to keep chicks from scattering the feed. And I am getting less poo . If you perch on it you cant poop in it, like you can on any other feeder. My girls are poo perches extraordinaire. The little chicks go right inside and eat, and the big girls and turkeys just put their head in ( the top folds down so there is a ramp the big girls don't like to stand on) Then you just pick it up to move it or get it out of the rain, etc. Put it on its side, lid open with the part that is attached on the bottom. You have inches to put food in, so they can scratch in it and not throw it out of the feeder.
It isn't perfect for older girls, but it has really helped with the 1/2 grown chicks.
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