I have saved two recipes for FF, Bruce's and Pigeonguy's. Both are generous in sharing their trials, experiences and advice. Hopefully they won't mind if I paste them here:
Bruce's FF Formula:
i came up with this formula.
i made a typo this should in my postings 18.47% not 18.17%
game feed 20% - 14 parts @ 20 % = 280 %
alfalfa milled 12% - 1 part @ 12 % = 12%
scratch grain 7% - 1 part @ 7 % = 7%
boss 15% - 1 part @ 15% = 15%
total ------------------------------------------------ 314% protein
parts--------------------------------------------------- 17
percentage ratio------------------------------------ 18..47 %
i am not sure how much fermenting raises the protein amount. the fermenting allows the nutrient uptake to be more available. . to go even farther the chicken uses the feed for what it is intended for and not wasted out the other end.
Pigeonguy's FF Formula:
I started feeding the fermented feed Friday. I made my starter like this.
100 pounds oats 12% , 100 pounds corn 9%, 100 pounds poultry base 36% = 19% protein ground into chicken mash
In a 5 gallon bucket
1: Filled bucket with mash to the 1 and 1/2 gallon mark
2: Put warm water in to the 2 and 1/2 gallon mark.
3: Put in 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar raw, unpasteurized, with mother.
4: stirred till thoroughly mixed.
5: Put a towel over bucket to keep out flying critters.
6: Let sit for one week. Stirred mixture 2 times a day morning and night.
Through that time it smelled like vinegar then I don't know but not completely unpleasant then back to smelling sort of like vinegar but a little sweeter.
The way I am feeding goes like this. The day before the first feeding I scooped from bucket 1 into bucket 2 four quarts of the ff without straining juice off then I put 1 quart of dry mash in bucket 2 and stirred all of the juice in it was still a little sloppy. Then I added 4 quarts of dry mash back into bucket 1 added water to bring it back up to the 2 and 1/2 gallon mark and stirred.
The next day all the juice had soaked into the mash in bucket 2 (this was 24 hours later) it also had a good layer of what looked like mother on it so I stirred that in and fed it to the chickens. Then I made my bucket for the next day.
One problem I had in bucket 1 I found that 4 quarts of wet out does not equal 4 quarts of dry in because the next morning when I went to stir bucket 1 it had soaked up all the juices so I had to add more water it was fine when I made feed that afternoon. I only put 3 quarts dry mash back in then.
The way I am doing it each feeding is guaranteed 48 hours of ferment time. I also do not have to go threw the draining process.
I would like to tell you they loved it but it doesn't matter what I take to them as soon as the gate opens they are running at me saying Mine, Mine, Mine, Mine, Mine. I set it down and they start eating even if they look full crazy birds.
Danny, my mini Dachshund who dreams of one day being an LGD
