Fermented Feed, not a big hit !

[416bigbore]

With all the research I have done on fermented feed, IMO the prose out weight the cons and why would anyone not want to do this for their Poultry? Save money on the reduced amount of feed being used with all the great health benefits from them eating it.

The problem I am having is that it's not going over very well. I am in the process of switching them from 24-7 dry feeding to twice a day feeding, early morning feeding and then evening.

I do see a few ducks and the chickens more so feeding from it, but nothing like the feeding frenzy I was expecting to see from how people talked about their poultry devour it when they put it out.

Maybe I have them so spoiled to the point that they are far from under feed and have so many other great tasty things to eat, that they just don't care for the taste of the fermented feed?

Maybe it will take a little time for them to come around to it? I am not sure if I need to be doing anything a little different for them to like it?

 

[azygous]

There is a bit of fine-tuning required with FF to get your poultry to clamor for it as advertised. In my flock of chickens, they generally like it on the dry side, not sloppy wet.

It does take a little bit of time for them to warm up to the change. Also, you do need to provide numerous feeding stations, unlike the dry feeders. It also takes individuals time to learn they need to gobble their share up front or there won't be enough later to satisfy their hunger.

Give them time. They'll come around.

 

[PioneerChicks]

Don't provide 24/7 food for the first few days and feed only once (or twice) per day. It may take them a while to get used to this new food, but they will eventually. I agree with everything @azygous just said.

 

[416bigbore]

There is a bit of fine-tuning required with FF to get your poultry to clamor for it as advertised. In my flock of chickens, they generally like it on the dry side, not sloppy wet.

It does take a little bit of time for them to warm up to the change. Also, you do need to provide numerous feeding stations, unlike the dry feeders. It also takes individuals time to learn they need to gobble their share up front or there won't be enough later to satisfy their hunger.

Give them time. They'll come around.

Thanks for the advice. We have a young flock, 4 ISA Brown hens and 10 Rouen/pekin mix and two small Mallard hens. All starting to mature and notice the opposite sex and soon to be separated into their own coops.

I mill our own feed so I basically crack the grains just enough so they are not whole. I use well water to ferment with and strain the water off good after so I don't end up with a wet mash.

I thought I was doing everything correctly and was very surprised to see that it wasn't a big hit with everyone.

 

[416bigbore]

Don't provide 24/7 food for the first few days and feed only once (or twice) per day. It may take them a while to get used to this new food, but they will eventually. I agree with everything @azygous just said.

A few days ago I did start letting them completely empty out their dry feed dishes before I would add anymore. I wanted to get some type of idea on how much feed they all would actually eat at one time so I wouldn't ferment to much feed and waste it.

 

[KaleIAm]

I've never used fermented feed, but my ducks have always been highly suspicious of any new food I put in their bowls. Even if eventually they like it more I'm pretty sure that they think it is poison at first. I just mix the two different kinds of foods together for a while until they get used to it. They pick out the prefered not poison food for a while but eventually just eat both.

The exception to the omg new food is poison! thing seems to be if I'm eating it. If it is on my plate new food is acceptable. Silly ducks.

 

[PioneerChicks]

I mill our own feed so I basically crack the grains just enough so they are not whole.

I think cracked grains work, but whole grains are better. However, I am very impressed with you milling your own feed!

 

[416bigbore]

I think cracked grains work, but whole grains are better. However, I am very impressed with you milling your own feed!

While researching FF, I have seen pictures of people using everything from crumbles to cracked grains and whole. Unless I missed something, I didn't see where whole grains worked better to ferment ?

I have read in different places that a person shouldn't give whole grains to ducks under 20 weeks of age and adult ducks should also have their corn cracked over whole kernel.

Milling our own feed for our poultry is a labor of love, It's the damn hand crank that is starting to get to me!

 

[PioneerChicks]

While researching FF, I have seen pictures of people using everything from crumbles to cracked grains and whole. Unless I missed something, I didn't see where whole grains worked better to ferment ?

I have read in different places that a person shouldn't give whole grains to ducks under 20 weeks of age and adult ducks should also have their corn cracked over whole kernel.

Milling our own feed for our poultry is a nature of love, It's the damn hand crank that is starting to get to me!

I've heard that while grains work better, but maybe that is just personal preference? I've heard it from different places, but maybe it's just been where I've looked.

I've fermented pellets mixed with grains and it worked fine.

I don't know much about ducks. Just a chicken girl

 

[PioneerChicks]

@416bigbore I have been doing research. Turns out, it doesn't matter if the grains are cracked or whole!