Fermented Alfalfa Cubes How To

[Diannastarr]

this Fermented Alfalfa Cubes sounds like a great idea

im calling my feed store today,,! THANKS sooo much : )

 

[Diannastarr]

thats a good question, i forgot to ask that , so yeah how many Alfalfa Cubes for like 10 chickens..?

 

[mobius]

I have a small scale FF set-up, and if your city chlorinates the water, I find I have much quicker results letting water sit a day at least before adding it to dry feed. It cuts a day off of the fermenting time.

Absolutely a good idea! it off-gasses chlorine and CO2, allows the Ph to moderate. I forget about this since I am on a well.

 

[mobius]

thats a good question, i forgot to ask that , so yeah how many Alfalfa Cubes for like 10 chickens..?

So for ease of remembering, I suggest everyone start with about as many cubes as they have chickens. For you, then I suggest starting with say ten cubes to initiate your ferment...This gives (me, at least) about a 2-3 day supply...I feed it out along with fermented feed. Also in the late afternoon they are getting barley fodder (mine are, these days, it seems good for them too). I feed about two thirds fermented feed and one third fermented alfalfa in the morning...just my rule of thumb...you can vary that as much as you would like in a way that you think best benefits your flock.

After the ferment gets going, let's say I started with six cubes or so, then every three days I am adding about 3 cubes with water to max it out again. There is usually about 1/4 or so of the ferment left in the bottom of the jar, and it will then ferment overnight...

Mine is in a quart and a half jar, to give you an idea...on the kitchen counter, lol.

Another note: it really DOES EXPAND, more than the FF does, so give yourself plenty of room in the bucket or jar until you are familiar. It will be a big semi-liquid gloppy green mess....about the same consistency as FF in fact, to give you all an idea...

 

[shortgrass]

Mine won't eat the alfalfa unless it's fermented first; they kick the pellets right out of the pan when dry, dumb birds



I use about 50% of my feed ratio as alfalfa. It's a great source of protein for those who don't quite like soy.... And it's way less expensive than soy, too.


I also love the smell of the ferment lol, smells like fresh cut hay

 

[mobius]

Mine won't eat the alfalfa unless it's fermented first; they kick the pellets right out of the pan when dry, dumb birds

I use about 50% of my feed ratio as alfalfa. It's a great source of protein for those who don't quite like soy.... And it's way less expensive than soy, too.


I also love the smell of the ferment lol, smells like fresh cut hay

Nice to hear you advocate using this! Or at least your (spoiled?) chickens do!

Do you ferment the pellets then? Any suggestions or corrections are most welcome! Please "check my math" here!

And yes, my ferment smells very rich and "alive".

 

[shortgrass]

Nice to hear you advocate using this! Or at least your (spoiled?) chickens do! Do you ferment the pellets then? Any suggestions or corrections are most welcome! Please "check my math" here!

And yes, my ferment smells very rich and "alive".

Yes, they're spoiled lol; they eat better than I do sometimes


Your math looks fine, but of course, its all going to depend on other factors like how much free range time they get, how much protein is needed, how much protein is in the specified cubes or pellets... Etc etc etc


I use pellets because they break down faster and they're easier for the chickens to eat when dry, if I forget to start another bucket or something... I use 5 gallon buckets, for 25 birds. That way I can make 2 buckets and the first one will last 4 days while the other one is refilled and fermenting.

Another great benefit of alfalfa is the fiber content. Sure, it might make a bit more as far as waste, but the fiber is beneficial to the probiotics. It's a prebiotic, which us what the probiotics feed on, so not only do the hens get more fiber, the microbes have an even better chance of establishing a good colony during ferment. IMO, it speeds it up...


I think the pellets might have slightly more protein than the cubes, but it would be meager if at all. But it also depends on which cutting they came from.(I see different cuttings of alfalfa has been explained well) We eek out a fourth cutting, but its specifically for dairy hay. Our pellets are usually from first or second cuttings, sub par for livestock, perfect for smooshing into cubes and pellets. The protein content will vary, so its a good idea to know the nutrient value of whatever it is we choose to use.


My hens are currently penned, no free range until my garden is well established and can handle them sneaking in there, so they get a little bit more alfalfa during winter and spring to make up for lost access to greens. And I've noticed when I ran out of pellets, egg count went down quite a bit, the yolks were pale, and the eggs lacked a certain flavor that I'm used to


Oh but yeah, it soaks up water like mad lol, many times I overfilled the bucket with feed and added water only to come back to it spurting out from under the lid.. Caution there, you can always add more pellets to thicken it up, but if you add too many, its going to go over

 

[mobius]

Yes, they're spoiled lol; they eat better than I do sometimes

Your math looks fine, but of course, its all going to depend on other factors like how much free range time they get, how much protein is needed, how much protein is in the specified cubes or pellets... Etc etc etc

I use pellets because they break down faster and they're easier for the chickens to eat when dry, if I forget to start another bucket or something... I use 5 gallon buckets, for 25 birds. That way I can make 2 buckets and the first one will last 4 days while the other one is refilled and fermenting.

Another great benefit of alfalfa is the fiber content. Sure, it might make a bit more as far as waste, but the fiber is beneficial to the probiotics. It's a prebiotic, which us what the probiotics feed on, so not only do the hens get more fiber, the microbes have an even better chance of establishing a good colony during ferment. IMO, it speeds it up...


I think the pellets might have slightly more protein than the cubes, but it would be meager if at all. But it also depends on which cutting they came from.(I see different cuttings of alfalfa has been explained well) We eek out a fourth cutting, but its specifically for dairy hay. Our pellets are usually from first or second cuttings, sub par for livestock, perfect for smooshing into cubes and pellets. The protein content will vary, so its a good idea to know the nutrient value of whatever it is we choose to use.


My hens are currently penned, no free range until my garden is well established and can handle them sneaking in there, so they get a little bit more alfalfa during winter and spring to make up for lost access to greens. And I've noticed when I ran out of pellets, egg count went down quite a bit, the yolks were pale, and the eggs lacked a certain flavor that I'm used to

Oh but yeah, it soaks up water like mad lol, many times I overfilled the bucket with feed and added water only to come back to it spurting out from under the lid.. Caution there, you can always add more pellets to thicken it up, but if you add too many, its going to go over

Oh my goodness, thank you SO much for your input! Super helpful here! And the validation is very nice to have...

 

[Noreaster Egger]

I've been trying the fermented alfalfa cubes this week. So far, my birds have turned their noses up to it. There's one barred rock that will eat a little here and there, but overall they aren't interested. Anyone have any tips on how to get them liking it? They've nibbled and smelled it, but just give it a disgusted look. They love their fermented feed.

Maybe mix some BOSS into it?

 

[mobius]

Oh dear, turning up their little beaks, are they? Chickens resist change sometimes!

I might try mixing it with the FF a bit or putting FF on top of the alfalfa. Or reducing the amount of FF for a couple of days...naughty little things! Or feeding it when they expect a treat, without the FF around...at a different time of day....just some thoughts...good luck! Mixing BOSS in is a good idea, in fact you could add some BOSS to the ferment if you wanted to go gourmet!