DOES FERMENTED FEED WORK?

[chickenman909]

It's debatable. I don't believe all the hype on it as far as it being superior to just regular ole commercial feed. If there was a huge significance commercial growers would do it.
That being said, I do IMHO believe it helps. Saves feed, I know it does for me anyway cause I don't always ferment and when I don't I'm running to the store more often for feed.
It also adds probiotics/prebiotics which are good for them.
I was once told that I could be giving them pre/probiotics just by feeding Purina feed, already has it in it.
Purina is like $18 a bag, I'd rather buy 17% mash from a local mill for $10, add some water and let it set/ferment, and walla! good to go

awesome!!

 

[rosemarythyme]

I voted "a little" as the main savings for me is that the chickens will eat the complete mash, instead of picking out only the parts they want and billing out the rest, especially the fines which contain a lot of addition vitamins and protein. So now they eat all their food instead of leaving behind 10% of it.

 

[Afrodigh]

Can you ferment any feed or use FF at any age? I have 14week old pullets (4) and am still feeding them organic chick starter/grower (Nature's Best) still. I'm new to this and am quite clueless!

 

[BreezyBre]

I just switched to fermenting myself like literally did it the first time the other day so I'm waiting to see myself . What I do like since I live in San Diego and it gets real hot is that they are getting more water but I also give them frozen treats too so we'll see. I tend to spoil them with my fresh veggies so I'm probably fooling myself thinking it will cut costs lol I'll spend more other ways lol

 

[aligarysmom]

So, I just started doing this. Literally yesterday and today. I fed them the mash and they wouldn't touch it. I feed them daily from my hand, so they come running for food anytime I have my hand out. So, I transferred some of the wet mash to my hand. They tried it but didn't gobble it down. I feed scratch grains (a handful between the five, once a day--and sometimes to get them in the run when I can't be home to close them in). I mixed some in the food, and then fed that from my hand. They liked that, so I mixed some into the bowl, and then left if for the day outside in the their open range area. They finished it off.

Went back out and did the same things today, and without the scratch they aren't really interested. So, I keep adding scratch. The probiotics are good for their digestive tracts. I will keep you posted to see how long this takes to just put the food out and have them gobble it down (like everyone seems to be reporting).

They are getting a taste for it. I don't give many snacks because they are growing and I want them to get good nutrition at least until they are grown. Then some garbage, maybe. Either way they do waste a lot of the smaller pieces of their food currently, and nutrition and the waste is the reason I am attempting to switch them over. They are 11 weeks now.

 

[aligarysmom]

Update. I have already noticed a difference in their excrement. I haven’t seen a runny one yet. Which is good for the dog because she liked the stinky runny ones they do like it now. I leave a bowl out for them and they finish it by he end of the day. They have access to an extreme number of bugs under my arborvitae. They are so full of them by mid day they aren’t even interested in ones running in the rocks sometimes.

 

[Harmony Fowl]

Update. I have already noticed a difference in their excrement. I haven’t seen a runny one yet. Which is good for the dog because she liked the stinky runny ones they do like it now. I leave a bowl out for them and they finish it by he end of the day. They have access to an extreme number of bugs under my arborvitae. They are so full of them by mid day they aren’t even interested in ones running in the rocks sometimes.

This is my biggest reason for feeding FF. They eat literally all of it. Some gets scratched out on the ground and they eat that, too. I think waste is basically insignificant for us. There’s never anything left in the bowl if I wait long enough. I feed at certain points in the day to encourage them to feed themselves foraging, but they still gobble it up by the end of the day. Any that’s left they polish off the next morning. I also think we get way better cost/usefulness because all the powder they would never touch dry gets mixed in and eaten, too. So little waste.

For the person with questions about feeding it to chicks, I start at day 1 now. Chicks here eat a starter until about 3-4 weeks and then an all flock as they integrate. Two separate buckets, the all flock I mix every day and a half or so, the chick feed lasts longer, but just for the lack of waste alone, I think the time and effort (maybe 10 minutes a day if I have to mix both?) is worth it.

 

[ChickNanny13]

Can you ferment any feed or use FF at any age? I have 14week old pullets (4) and am still feeding them organic chick starter/grower (Nature's Best) still. I'm new to this and am quite clueless!

Yes you can ... I start off (fermenting) with the smallest bag of Med Chick Starter, once that is done switch them to Flock Raiser & Oyster Shells in a side dish when they start to lay.

I have Pets with Benefits, 4 pullets/hens at a time and I go through a bag (50#) in 10 - 12wks. The probiotic & nutritional benefits is great, the fine dust is not wasted plus there's less poop and it's not stinky & firmer.

 

[Seaecho]

I give fermented feed the moment I bring a chick or chicks home. Sometimes they don't eat it at first, but that is because they haven't had it before and don't recognize it as food! I just keep feeding it (along with dry food too so they can eat whichever they want) and before long, they are eating the fermented before the dry! It takes a few days, sometimes, to be accepted, and some chickens prefer it soupier, while others (like mine) like it firmer and chunkier. A little firmer than cooked oatmeal. I mix the mash along with All Flock and starter mash with equal parts water. All my chickens, no matter the age, eat it, and I have no waste because, as always mentioned, they clean it all up.

 

[chikenscratch]

I love FF for all ages of my chickens. Do not make it with medicated food though!

I definitely think it makes a difference in their health, meat and eggs.

As far as the cost savings, I find that my chickens (with free-ranging) eat significantly less dry food when they have the FF.