Feeding a Whole Grain mix/Fermented feed?

[nissalovescats]

Last year I fed my layers a mix of whole grains: corn, oats, wheat, and sunflower seed. I fed each in its own container, free choice. I also cooked up a mix of the grains in my crock pot and fed it warm in spring. I also fed mealworms, and some sprouts when grass was not available.

Now I've been reading about fermented feeds and was wondering about fermenting my grain mix. It sounds like less bother than the crock pot thing. I was wondering if anyone had experience with fermenting whole grains.

 

[Jensownzoo]

It's the same process for all fermented feeds, just with whole grains it might take a little longer to ferment due to lower surface area of the food particle.

 

[nissalovescats]

I'm wondering how many 5 gallon buckets of grain I have to have going to feed my current flock of 21 hens and 3 roosters fermented grain.
I have 2 started at the moment. I'm going to have to buy more food grade buckets.

 

[lazy gardener]

I use prepared feed for my flock of 25. Alternate between 2 x 3 gal buckets.

 

[nissalovescats]

Checking some of the fermented feed web pages, and it doesn't seem that using whole grain takes longer than using ground-up feed. I'm only on the second day right now of fermenting. The one problem is that some of the grain is not below the water level. Only the oats and sunflower seeds are doing that, and only some of them. I'm going to scoop it all out with a slotted spoon and feed it to the hens today.