Fermented feed

[chkva]

I can't comment on the health benefits because I can not convince my flock to eat it. All my chickens get crumble made into a mash with water every morning to reduce the waste and fines but 3 separate times I have tried FF they refuse to eat it. I gave up got sick of throwing food out and wasting time and counter space.

My hens refuse to eat it!!! I honestly am just going to feed it to my chicks until it's gone then just do dry

 

[Fairview01]

My hens refuse to eat it!!! I honestly am just going to feed it to my chicks until it's gone then just do dry

They will eat when they are hungry enough or your feed soured versus fermenting. Never saw a chicken starve itself to death.

 

[chkva]

They will eat when they are hungry enough or your feed soured versus fermenting. Never saw a chicken starve itself to death.

It's a brand new batch so I don't see how it would sour. It was bubbling and doesn't smell bad. They just eat bugs and plants instead, it's frustrating. My chicks eat it though so I think my hens are just picky

 

[Fairview01]

The only flaw in this otherwise great post (that I deleted most of when quoting) is that you are not accounting for the nutritional value of the yeast itself. Nothing is ever created or destroyed, only changed..... The chickens are digesting the yeast and getting nutrition from that. Not the same nutrition as the feed, but nutrition nonetheless.

I am no rabid FF feeder, but just wanted to poke my head in here. I am in the "soak some feed the night before or the morning of and then feed it to them" camp. A lot less work.

Maybe/maybe not. It has been documented that FF produced in an laboratory environment inoculated with the proper yeasts is more nutritious however that can not be extended to the contents of a 5 gallon homer bucket inoculated with whatever spores, yeast or otherwise that is being carried on the wind.

When I purchase a bag of feed I know it is a balanced feed resulting from the efforts of poultry science experts. There is no such assurance that what is pulled out 9f the bucket has remained balance.

If the goal is gut health through probiotics it is much easier to very lightly mist the feed with water and sift some calf replacer on it.

 

[Fairview01]

It's a brand new batch so I don't see how it would sour. It was bubbling and doesn't smell bad. They just eat bugs and plants instead, it's frustrating. My chicks eat it though so I think my hens are just picky

Not picky. What you mention would be preferred over any commercial feed. Cracked corn would be the only thing more attractive then what they can find during free range.

 

[chkva]

Not picky. What you mention would be preferred over any commercial feed. Cracked corn would be the only thing more attractive then what they can find during free range.

There's no way to prevent them from feeding this way because they have a large area to roam and they seem to be doing good health wise so I see no problem if they don't eat their food. They don't even eat crumbles some days, they just eat the bugs and weeds/vegetation that's on our property.

 

[Henriettamom919]

There's no way to prevent them from feeding this way because they have a large area to roam and they seem to be doing good health wise so I see no problem if they don't eat their food. They don't even eat crumbles some days, they just eat the bugs and weeds/vegetation that's on our property.

This is us, too, only mine are fat mistresses who enjoy all food
But they spend a huge part of the day foraging greens and worms, bugs, etc. It's very warm here today and they weren't as enthusiastic about their feed today so some of it might just be time of year.

 

[chkva]

This is us, too, only mine are fat mistresses who enjoy all food
But they spend a huge part of the day foraging greens and worms, bugs, etc. It's very warm here today and they weren't as enthusiastic about their feed today so some of it might just be time of year.

It's 85+ degrees here usually every day from here until fall... They were eating a lot of feed when it was cooler out.

 

[Criticalicious]

I feed FF in the morning and regular feed is available all day. All of my chickens LOVE the FF, but they've been eating it since they were babies. All four batches of chicks I've had over the past year refused to eat the FF for the first week it was offered (3 batches of day olds, 1 batch were about 6 weeks when I got them). And then something clicks and they can't seem to get enough of it. Sometimes they lick the bowl clean. I don't know why or how - but that's been my experience. They don't like it at first but I keep offering it and then after a week or so, they are super excited to get it every morning, even though they have dry available right beside it. I offer FF to provide additional probiotics than what is in the feed, get them to eat more fines, and I don't use ACV in the water. Does it make any difference to my chickens health? I don't know for certain but it makes them happy and it can't hurt. So far I have been fortunate not to have birds with sour crops or vent gleet - maybe its good genetics, maybe luck, or maybe it's the FF.

 

[chkva]

I feed FF in the morning and regular feed is available all day. All of my chickens LOVE the FF, but they've been eating it since they were babies. All four batches of chicks I've had over the past year refused to eat the FF for the first week it was offered (3 batches of day olds, 1 batch were about 6 weeks when I got them). And then something clicks and they can't seem to get enough of it. Sometimes they lick the bowl clean. I don't know why or how - but that's been my experience. They don't like it at first but I keep offering it and then after a week or so, they are super excited to get it every morning, even though they have dry available right beside it. I offer FF to provide additional probiotics than what is in the feed, get them to eat more fines, and I don't use ACV in the water. Does it make any difference to my chickens health? I don't know for certain but it makes them happy and it can't hurt. So far I have been fortunate not to have birds with sour crops or vent gleet - maybe its good genetics, maybe luck, or maybe it's the FF.

So just feed it every day and pick it up at night, toss it... Then feed more in the morning. That's what I've been doing. Hopefully something will click soon