Fermented feed smells like death

[ehoneybee]

Try it without the extra water and let us know if it works better for you. I've seen people that claim either is proper, so it would be another data point for us to work with.

Ok. It smells like cheese. I'm thinking of just trying to see if they'll eat it. Is that a bad idea?

 

[Dayrel]

We can't smell it. It's up to you.

 

[ehoneybee]

We can't smell it. It's up to you.

Ok they're lapping it up. My mom is here and she says it smells like feed

 

[rosemarythyme]

I judge by the look more than the smell (it smells bad to me too, sour, mostly) - as long as it's not moldy I figure it's okay.

When I'm making a batch I do overfill the water by about an inch (as that amount gets absorbed by the feed) - but after that I don't add more. I'll use it up before it dries out anyhow. My birds like their FF on the thicker, dry side.

 

[Labradors]

I tried fermenting my feed which is organic grain. It didn't have much of a smell and I don't think my chickens were crazy about it. They splashed it up the wall! I found it a bit of a pain to do, using a jar a day, so was quite happy to stop.

Linda

 

[PetesChicks]

I actually like the smell of my fermented feed, but my DG can't stand it. She does let me keep it in a corner of the kitchen, though.

One time I had Feather Fixer, I can't remember what brand but it was from TSC, and it was the most vile, disgusting thing I have ever smelled . I ended up tossing what I had fermented and mixing the rest of the dry pellets with their scratch.

 

[FrankHomestead]

The one and only time I've ever fermented my feed NOT completely submerged, it smelled foul and I threw the whole thing out. I'll always keep my feed fully submerged after that!

 

[Chefdustin]

Let me repeat:

YOU DO NOT NEED TO HAVE THE FEED COVERED WITH WATER.

YOU DO NOT NEED TO HAVE THE FEED COVERED WITH WATER.

YOU DO NOT NEED TO HAVE THE FEED COVERED WITH WATER.

YOU DO NOT NEED TO HAVE THE FEED COVERED WITH WATER.

There is no reason to keep the feed covered with water. IMO, it is far better to NOT cover it with water. By not covering it with water, you allow the organisms to have healthy oxygenization.

I'm only guessing here, but wondering if by covering it with water, you are setting up anaerobic conditions. IMO, that would smell putrid. Kind of like a septic system.

Dont guess anymore. The lactobacillus converts starch and sugar in the food into lactic acid bacteria (LAB). This encourages the formation of natural probiotics, lowers pH, and prevents growth of harmful bacteria in the feed. Healthy yeasts are also present in “wet mash” grain mixtures such as a fermented chicken feed.

 

[FoxySonia]

This morning I wanted to try to ferment some of my chicks' food, so I took about 2 cups of Grubbly Little Pecks Chick Starter Crumbles and added dechlorinated tap water and covered it up to maybe an inch. But when I checked it that afternoon it had absorbed all the water so I added a little more, up to about 1/2 inch over the mash. Tonight when I went to stir it I found it had expanded and was bubbling a lot, which surprised me since that hadn't happened so fast before when I fermented my adult chicken's Scrarch and Peck Organic Layer Feed mixed with Grubbly's Layer Feed, which usually takes 2 to 3 days to start bubbling and ferment. Today was 90 degrees farenheit, in Queens, New York, so maybe that's why the crumble mash fermented so quickly. But I'm not sure if it's good or if it's a bad ferment, as it doesn't smell sweet, tangy or yeasty like sourdough or yogurt, instead it has an unpleasant smell, like cheese. I don't see any gray mold or white yeast growing on top, but I skimmed the top 1/2 inch and threw that away. I'm still hesitant to give it to my 3 week old chicks, but don't want to waste the expensive food of it's good. After smelling it several time, I gave a little of the fermented feed mixed with a little of the dry crumbles to make it less wet and mushy (there was no liquid to drain since it was absorbed by the crumbles) to the chicks and they ate it. Hoping they don't get sick from it. Could the cheese smell be because the feed contain ground grubs (black soldier fly larvae)? Could the insect protein cause the off putting smell?

 

[duluthralphie]

This morning I wanted to try to ferment some of my chicks' food, so I took about 2 cups of Grubbly Little Pecks Chick Starter Crumbles and added dechlorinated tap water and covered it up to maybe an inch. But when I checked it that afternoon it had absorbed all the water so I added a little more, up to about 1/2 inch over the mash. Tonight when I went to stir it I found it had expanded and was bubbling a lot, which surprised me since that hadn't happened so fast before when I fermented my adult chicken's Scrarch and Peck Organic Layer Feed mixed with Grubbly's Layer Feed, which usually takes 2 to 3 days to start bubbling and ferment. Today was 90 degrees farenheit, in Queens, New York, so maybe that's why the crumble mash fermented so quickly. But I'm not sure if it's good or if it's a bad ferment, as it doesn't smell sweet, tangy or yeasty like sourdough or yogurt, instead it has an unpleasant smell, like cheese. I don't see any gray mold or white yeast growing on top, but I skimmed the top 1/2 inch and threw that away. I'm still hesitant to give it to my 3 week old chicks, but don't want to waste the expensive food of it's good. After smelling it several time, I gave a little of the fermented feed mixed with a little of the dry crumbles to make it less wet and mushy (there was no liquid to drain since it was absorbed by the crumbles) to the chicks and they ate it. Hoping they don't get sick from it. Could the cheese smell be because the feed contain ground grubs (black soldier fly larvae)? Could the insect protein cause the off putting smell?

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2019/10/04/health/insect-rodent-filth-in-food-wellness/index.html

My guess is all animal feed has insect parts..