Excess Whole Corn - Ferment it???

[U_Stormcrow]

I have about 40# of dried whole corn - had purchased it to throw out to the deer on my property, and to encourage other wildlife (turkeys visit too) on my 30+ acres, but BAM!!! I think my neighbors have taken some game out of season. So... I'm left w/ 40# of corn, and no burr mill for cracking it.

My "littles" are only about 5 weeks, and not huge. My elder flock isn't much older, coming up on 10 weeks in a few days, mostly NHR and ducks. When a full kernel of corn is mixed in with the scratch, all the birds largely avoid it.

I do have some beer making experience. So, if I throw most of the bag in a 5 gallon plastic bucket, cover with well water +4", put a lid on it, and stir periodically for a few days, I'm thinking it may be more palatable. That's the THEORY.

Anyone with actual experience want to tell me what I've not thought of, because its ALWAYS something. Noit concerned about the smell. Largely it shouldn't, I can't smell anything anyways, and the bucket will be out in the barn, secure against predators.

 

[sylviethecochin]

Your birds are wimps, and I laugh at them. (No, seriously, my four-weekers will attempt corn, if they can get it away from the geese.)

Some flocks like fermented feed, some don't, and mine could care less, but it would take active effort on their part.

But at this early stage of growth, corn's not the best thing for them anyway, since it's only about 8% protein, and pretty starchy (lots of vitamins, but corn's already the one of the main bases of most feeds, so they're getting the good stuff out of it anyway.)

Hold off for a few months. Whole corn keeps really well, and they might start enjoying it as a treat in a bit.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Oh, my birds will eat it - they just eat everything else first, and free range around it. I'm using either All Flock or Grower/Finisher (whichever I can get) as their primary feed source - though they free range about 10 hours daily, for unknown nutritional value (the grasshoppers have largely disappeared, likely their doing).

Was looking to add it as an option/supplement, not as their primary feed source.

Still, thank you - and yeah, some of 'em are wimps.