Fermentation

[PandaGirl]

Ok, so I know that this is odd but does anybody know how much FF is made out of 1 pound of regular. Also if I start feeding 1/2 cup per Bird in the morning when I put them up at night and they have no food should I give them more over night or will 1/2 last thought the night?

 

[parvani]

I give my birds both FF and regular dry feed. They plow through the FF as soon as I put it down, and it's usually gone within a couple of hours. They only eat the dry feed when that's all that's left.

(But I don't feed my birds the usual rotten FF... I culture their FF with delicious probiotics, using the recipe in my previous post.)

I don't advocate letting feed rot and then calling it fermented. If you are leaving feed wet and just letting any old wild yeast, mold, and bacteria grow in it, that's not "fermented" -- that's ROTTEN.

EEWWWW...

If you want to ferment feed that your chickens will find DELICIOUS, and will prefer over all other feed, you need to control exactly which organisms grow in it.

Start with a clean bucket that has a lid, a clean cloth that's big enough to cover the top of the bucket, and some ROOSTER BOOSTER or other chicken probiotics blend. I use Rooster Booster because it has the widest variety of probiotic organisms in it.

I ferment crumble-type feed. I have no idea how well this works with whole grains. I suspect they would need an additional day to absorb the water.

You will only make enough to feed your chickens for one day. Make a new batch every day, because feed gets sour and nasty if it sits too long.

This recipe makes about two gallons of feed. Adjust it for your flock size.

Fill the bucket with one gallon of clean water. Add the amount of probiotics for one gallon. (For Rooster Booster, add 1/3 teaspoon.) Mix well.

Now slowly pour your dry feed into the water, stirring as you go to prevent clumps. Keep adding feed until the mixture seems to thicken and there is only an inch or so of water on the top.

Dampen the clean cloth, stretch it over the top, and put the lid on top of it to hold it in place. (This is so the living organisms that are now growing in the feed can breathe. They need air, but you cover it to keep out nasty wild yeasts and mold and mildew.)

Check it a couple hours later. If it still looks really loose and watery, add a little bit more feed.

By the next morning, your feed will have grown BIGGER, and will be fluffy with all the trapped air from the organisms that are breathing in it. Stir it up to release the air.

Smell it. Doesn't it smell GOOD?? It's ready for your chickens to eat.

*******************************

Before all you old-timers yell at me, "That's not how you do it! I've fed my chooks rotten feed for years!"... Please. Just try it first. See if your birds don't dive head first into this fermented feed.

It's the difference between rotten juice and fine wine. Trust me on this... Your chickens will LOVE it.

 

[Kirkwooder]

I ferment my home mixed feed. It is usually made up of mostly whole grain, split peas, and some seeds.(depending on availability and mixed to contain at least 18% protein.) During cold weather months there is some cracked corn added for increased carb intake)
I ferment in cat litter buckets. I fill the bucket about 2/3rds with my feed mix and cover with water and then add some of my left over brewers yeast. (straight out of the bottom of one of my beer fermentation vessels) I let it set until it quits bubbling, usually 3-5 days. You will get to know how ready it is by the smell. Then feed about 1 gallon of it every day to my 35+/- hens and 3 roosters. They love it. I also free feed a commercial pellet feed as well as some of my feed that is not fermented in case the fermented stuff freezes.

 

[JaeG]

I give my birds both FF and regular dry feed. They plow through the FF as soon as I put it down, and it's usually gone within a couple of hours. They only eat the dry feed when that's all that's left.

(But I don't feed my birds the usual rotten FF... I culture their FF with delicious probiotics, using the recipe in my previous post.)

Using wild yeasts and bacteria does not make for rotten feed and in fact adding other things to the mix to 'seed' it can actually throw off the balance of what you are trying to achieve which is lacto fermentation, as well as potentially throwing off the nutrient profile of the feed if the supplement contains additional vitamins and minerals. I personally cannot spend extra money on a product to 'seed' it when it isn't necessary. And you really are only creating the ferment at the very start - after that you should be 'back-slopping' to maintain your mix so you can then feed it out every 24 hours.

My ferment is made in a shallow container that I do not cover, never clean out and it has never once gone mouldy. It's been going for over 18 months now and I live in a humid climate. The lacto fermentation means that the lactic acid stops nasties from growing in the mix. It also prevents the feed harbouring bacteria such as e. coli, salmonella and campylobacter.

"When using back-slopping and fermenting at room temperature over 24 h, the pH decreased from 6.2 to 4.5, lactic acid reached average concentrations of 190 mmol/kg feed, and the numbers of enterobacteria decreased below the detection limit which indicates that the applied fermentation method is suitable in achieving an effective sanitising of the feed."
https://www.researchgate.net/public...ion_and_activity_of_the_intestinal_microflora

 

[parvani]

I don't advocate letting feed rot and then calling it fermented. If you are leaving feed wet and just letting any old wild yeast, mold, and bacteria grow in it, that's not "fermented" -- that's ROTTEN.

EEWWWW...

If you want to ferment feed that your chickens will find DELICIOUS, and will prefer over all other feed, you need to control exactly which organisms grow in it.

Start with a clean bucket that has a lid, a clean cloth that's big enough to cover the top of the bucket, and some ROOSTER BOOSTER or other chicken probiotics blend. I use Rooster Booster because it has the widest variety of probiotic organisms in it.

I ferment crumble-type feed. I have no idea how well this works with whole grains. I suspect they would need an additional day to absorb the water.

You will only make enough to feed your chickens for one day. Make a new batch every day, because feed gets sour and nasty if it sits too long.

This recipe makes about two gallons of feed. Adjust it for your flock size.

Fill the bucket with one gallon of clean water. Add the amount of probiotics for one gallon. (For Rooster Booster, add 1/3 teaspoon.) Mix well.

Now slowly pour your dry feed into the water, stirring as you go to prevent clumps. Keep adding feed until the mixture seems to thicken and there is only an inch or so of water on the top.

Dampen the clean cloth, stretch it over the top, and put the lid on top of it to hold it in place. (This is so the living organisms that are now growing in the feed can breathe. They need air, but you cover it to keep out nasty wild yeasts and mold and mildew.)

Check it a couple hours later. If it still looks really loose and watery, add a little bit more feed.

By the next morning, your feed will have grown BIGGER, and will be fluffy with all the trapped air from the organisms that are breathing in it. Stir it up to release the air.

Smell it. Doesn't it smell GOOD?? It's ready for your chickens to eat.

*******************************

Before all you old-timers yell at me, "That's not how you do it! I've fed my chooks rotten feed for years!"... Please. Just try it first. See if your birds don't dive head first into this fermented feed.

It's the difference between rotten juice and fine wine. Trust me on this... Your chickens will LOVE it.

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Using wild yeasts and bacteria does not make for rotten feed and in fact adding other things to the mix to 'seed' it can actually throw off the balance of what you are trying to achieve which is lacto fermentation, as well as potentially throwing off the nutrient profile of the feed if the supplement contains additional vitamins and minerals. I personally cannot spend extra money on a product to 'seed' it when it isn't necessary. And you really are only creating the ferment at the very start - after that you should be 'back-slopping' to maintain your mix so you can then feed it out every 24 hours.

My ferment is made in a shallow container that I do not cover, never clean out and it has never once gone mouldy. It's been going for over 18 months now and I live in a humid climate. The lacto fermentation means that the lactic acid stops nasties from growing in the mix. It also prevents the feed harbouring bacteria such as e. coli, salmonella and campylobacter.

"When using back-slopping and fermenting at room temperature over 24 h, the pH decreased from 6.2 to 4.5, lactic acid reached average concentrations of 190 mmol/kg feed, and the numbers of enterobacteria decreased below the detection limit which indicates that the applied fermentation method is suitable in achieving an effective sanitising of the feed."
https://www.researchgate.net/public...ion_and_activity_of_the_intestinal_microflora

You don't have a clue what's growing in your feed. You're simply regurgitating what you have read elsewhere.

At least I KNOW what I'm feeding my babies.

 

[PandaGirl]

Ok, thank you guys!!!