do i need to supplement fodder?

[subhanalah]

Have you thought about fermenting the layer feed to reduce their requirements/wasted food?

I'm starting this now, I figure it's at least worth trying.

 

[danahud]

I wouldn't have a clue how to start with the fermented feed.....any good threads or blogs you could recommend?

 

[subhanalah]

It's rather easy/simple. There is a thread in this forum called "anyone using fermented feed?" In all caps I believe.
http://www.communitychickens.com/2013/02/why-and-how-to-ferment-your-feed.html#.Uyj6qY4o5PG
http://naturalchickenkeeping.blogspot.com/2013/03/making-fermented-feed-part-3-of-3.html

Just to name a couple

If it means anything, my less than week old chicks are fighting over it, lol

 

[danahud]

Ok... Ive started my first batch of fermented feed.... i only used a little scoop in a giant pickle jar, but it has swelled so much Im afraid I need a bigger container. Will it settle or should I divide it?

 

[subhanalah]

Let it sit for a couple hours. If it has a layer of water on top, you're all set. If it's dry, you can feed out some, or split it into another culture and add more water. You want about an inch of water on top once everything settles.

 

[danahud]

ok... lid or no lid? I've ready conflicting posts. I'm just using water so I know its going to take a bit to work. I just don't want it to go bad. Is the key to just make sure and stir it a couple times a day?

 

[subhanalah]

Yes, you want to cover it to prevent bugs, vermin or pets from getting into it. You can leave the lid cracked, use a wash cloth and rubber band, or use pantyhose (which is what I did this time around.) I cut the legs off, tied the area where they came off, and slip the waist around the top of my bucket

 

[subhanalah]

Yes, just stir it a few times a day, by three days (maybe sooner) it should start to bubble and smell sour. That's when you know its done lol. If it smells rotten or like alcohol, don't use it.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

don't put a lid on a glass container or it will explode. You can cover it with a towel or something that is breathable.

 

[petrel]

I give my flock a tray of barley fodder around mid-morning just about every day. It does slow down their regular feed consumption, but I haven't measured it. They have their regular feed available all of the time. Aside from the nutritional value, the fodder is also a good source of entertainment for them. They will spend quite some time grazing, scratching, and picking through a big mat of fodder. Sometimes if they have already filled up on their regular feed, they will still entertain themselves destroying the fodder mat. They always come back later and finish it off.

We grow our fodder in the kitchen in a home made fodder tray system. It took us some time to get it right. However, once you get it down, it is a relatively easy thing to maintain.