Feeding warm food in the mornings

[shetoe]

Thank you so much for all ur helpful suggestions and advice

 

[flickerloo]

I haven't fed oatmeal for quite awhile because my hens much prefer their fermented feed. But before I was doing the fermenting, I mixed a scoop of their regular feed into the oatmeal (I get mash feed). That was really popular until they got a taste of fermented feed!

 

[shetoe]

Can u fill me in on what is fermented feed. Wow! I have just learned about sprouting

 

[flickerloo]

You should check out any of the fermented feed threads for specific details, but basically, it is a method of soaking feed until it sours or ferments. It's the same basic process as foods like sauerkraut or kimchi or kombucha. The fermentation process partially breaks down the feed and makes it more digestable for the chickens. As a result, healthier birds. It's a probiotic thing.

It's simple and easy.... Mix feed and water in a food-grade pail until the consistency of oatmeal. Cover with a towel. For the first few days, stir it several times. It will start to bubble and then take on a sour smell... Like sourdough or sauerkraut. Feed in a non-metallic dish.

My hens love it.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

This is the thread I follow but there are more.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/645057/fermented-feeds-anyone-using-them
There is a FF thread just for meat birds.

I've also started sprouting all my scratch grains.
I've never bought scratch grains per se. I mix my own based on the season. Mostly oats and striped sunflower in summer, wheat, barley, winter peas and BOSS in winter. Now I'm sprouting the same mixes. I was using flax but it gets so sticky and turns to concrete so now I mix my flax seed into the FF.

I give my FF a kick start with yeast, ACV and Gro-2-Max probiotic powder.

 

[shetoe]

You should check out any of the fermented feed threads for specific details, but basically, it is a method of soaking feed until it sours or ferments. It's the same basic process as foods like sauerkraut or kimchi or kombucha. The fermentation process partially breaks down the feed and makes it more digestable for the chickens. As a result, healthier birds. It's a probiotic thing.

It's simple and easy.... Mix feed and water in a food-grade pail until the consistency of oatmeal. Cover with a towel. For the first few days, stir it several times. It will start to bubble and then take on a sour smell... Like sourdough or sauerkraut. Feed in a non-metallic dish.

My hens love it.

U give the fermented food for mornings feed and that's all. U do this only on cold mornings? I guess I need pictures drew, sorry!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Chickens need to eat periodically throughout the day. If one has pristine pasture at a time of year that there is lots of forage and bugs, that may be ok. I know someone that doesn't feed her chickens till afternoon but they have lots of food in the large acreage of fields and woods. Better to provide more food than for them to have inadequate nutrition.

 

[Sarevan]

When it is really cold, below zero I was given them wet feed and oat meal. Tossed it in the microwave for a minute add more water let it cool in the house while I checked feeders and water. Came in cheched if it was wet and mushy enough, and cooled off then fed it to them. Was funny they went insane over wet feed.

I now have started fermented feed, mix of all flock raiser 20% protein as some are molting and layena feed, with SS, corn, oats in the mix to ferment. They get it as a morning thing and if crops are low before they roost. They love it and seems to help them a lot in these cold temps.

 

[downrangechick]

I have always fermented my feed for my birds. They refuse to eat anything but that. I give them enough so it will be gone in about 15 minutes so it don't freeze. It is house warm. I fill their waterers a few times a day after I break the ice out. I also put a squash of some kind in the coop so when they get bored they can peck at it. My coop is heated and insulated very well so the veggie don't freeze. My birds are horribly spoiled rotten.

 

[shetoe]

So I should be feeding all day long.They should have something in their house or in the pen at all times? Somes say yes some say no being a newbie sure is confusing.Are they suppose to eat all day.Been told if they are to full they want lay.But I dont want them to be empty either.Again sorry sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words.Lol!!