fermented feed

[Slongest]

Im going on a little over two weeks now I love it. It takes a little more work but i feel its well worth it I used to have two inches of feed on the ground around all the feeders and when you buy for as many birds as we do all the waste is costly. I buy 1000 lbs of bird feed every two weeks and from what people say the fermented feed gives them all the nutrients they need and results in not eating as much... In the past two days im finally starting to see a decrease in how much i have to put out each day... I swear by it i have no plans on going back to dry feed

 

[Slongest]

I dont know which method your going to use but i suggest using the two bucket method and always have an extra near by it comes in handy and dont fill your buckets too high with feed it gets hard to stir the bottom.

 

[stone_family3]

I just started making my FF yesterday. I think it looks okay so I'm excited to see how my baby birds take to it. Though right now there isn't much waste. I followed the thread in the meat bird section of BYC.

 

[rrhounddog]

I just went out and got some grains to try this. I'm going to use the 5 gallon bucket method. I've got 15 layers. About how much feed will they eat in a week?

 

[BunkyB]

The old portion equation. On average for a flock a regular sized chicken requires about 4 oz. of feed daily but of course the appetites of chickens is high, that's for sure. On top of that they free range, get treats,bugs, worms,etc. They never have a shortage of food. I did up a proposal years ago to build a free range chicken egg farm and with all the research I did it was manditory I find the feeding schedule and costs. I found that 4 oz. was a common number. Doesn't seem like alot but...

 

[bheppner]

I have been feeding fermented feed for about 3 weeks to 15 chickens. They seem to like it a lot. I like the FF concept with regard to overall health for the birds and the cost savings that were mentioned by other folks on this thread. They clean it up daily but I am concerned I am not feeding them enough. They free range in the afternoon each day. I can't tell if their excitement for feeding time is they are hunger or just because it is feeding time. I feed a full one pound coffee can to them each day. The feed i have been feeding is organic non gmo mix from Beaver Creek Feeds in Missouri. The protien content is 18%.

Am I feeding enough?

What about feeding sweet feed as a supplement?

Their yolks seem bigger since we started FF but not as dark yellow.

I am getting ready to by meat birds and wanted to ferment feed for them as well but the whole how much question is still puzzling me.

Thanks for the advice

 

[Slongest]

I have been feeding fermented feed for about 3 weeks to 15 chickens. They seem to like it a lot. I like the FF concept with regard to overall health for the birds and the cost savings that were mentioned by other folks on this thread. They clean it up daily but I am concerned I am not feeding them enough. They free range in the afternoon each day. I can't tell if their excitement for feeding time is they are hunger or just because it is feeding time. I feed a full one pound coffee can to them each day. The feed i have been feeding is organic non gmo mix from Beaver Creek Feeds in Missouri. The protien content is 18%.

Am I feeding enough?

What about feeding sweet feed as a supplement?

Their yolks seem bigger since we started FF but not as dark yellow.

I am getting ready to by meat birds and wanted to ferment feed for them as well but the whole how much question is still puzzling me.

Thanks for the advice

My birds free range but I always have ff available to them. like yours when they see me coming with the bucket they all come running and follow me to the barn so im sure theyre just excited its feeding time. as to your meat birds feed as much as you can get them big fast as possible if its ff theyll stop when theyre full

 

[Angelight]

I've been considering this for a while and I think I'm ready to give it a whirl but I'm quite confused. The 5K+ comment post is just too long for me to read through. If my chicks don't get to free range, can I simply leave the ff out like I would the dry feed? Can I use a feeder like this (https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/simple-pvc-hopper-type-feeder)? Thanks! : )

 

[Angelight]

Nevermind. A search for "fermented feeder" answered that question. Troughs, you say? Hmmm...

 

[rrhounddog]

At what point is the feed bad? How can you tell? Is some mold ok? How much water should cover the feed?