FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[Beekissed]

I'll have to start it inside, looks like. Mine will roost and poop all over it if it's inside. Hmmm.

So when do you add to keep your fermentation going? {I mean, get it started, feed for a week but when does next week's get started?}

I really need to do this. The guinea poo gets to me, lol.

Next week! You see, I have a scoby going in mine that is over a year old, so when I leave a little of that and some feed in the cooler to inoculate the next batch, it gets it off to a quick start. By the next morning I have a light ferment and it's feedable, after that it gets real fermented, real quick. My FF smells like a pickle barrel.

 

[kpgoldstar]

I'll have to start it inside, looks like. Mine will roost and poop all over it if it's inside. Hmmm.

So when do you add to keep your fermentation going? {I mean, get it started, feed for a week but when does next week's get started?}

I really need to do this. The guinea poo gets to me, lol.

I have a teeny tiny flock of young birds compared to yours, but I do the same as Bee. I only use chick starter and water, no BOSS, no ACV, no other grains. My ferment has been in the same bucket since I started and my chicks are 10 weeks. I make enough to feed out about 4 days, and on that last day I add more water and feed to my already inoculated water and whatever is still left in the bucket. By the following day it is already bubbling and by the time I use that feed up it is well fermented with enough left to start the new batch. It is a continuous cycle. I could feed longer if I had a bigger bucket but for now while they are still small this system works great for me!

 

[Tikkijane]

I have a teeny tiny flock of young birds compared to yours, but I do the same as Bee. I only use chick starter and water, no BOSS, no ACV, no other grains. My ferment has been in the same bucket since I started and my chicks are 10 weeks. I make enough to feed out about 4 days, and on that last day I add more water and feed to my already inoculated water and whatever is still left in the bucket. By the following day it is already bubbling and by the time I use that feed up it is well fermented with enough left to start the new batch. It is a continuous cycle. I could feed longer if I had a bigger bucket but for now while they are still small this system works great for me!

Great! No layer? I mean, yours aren't old enough yet, but I thought we're using what they'd normally eat? {In my case, layer/mix}

And Bee, because I have bantams, that means I got twice as many of them. :hop

 

[Beekissed]

I use layer on all ages and sexes of birds.

 

[kpgoldstar]

Great! No layer? I mean, yours aren't old enough yet, but I thought we're using what they'd normally eat? {In my case, layer/mix}

And Bee, because I have bantams, that means I got twice as many of them.

:hop

Right, chick starter since they are young and I will switch to layer for my ff when they are older and ready to make the switch. I was making the point that I only use feed and water, no fancy additives and that the same bucket is continually used.
After seeing Bee's post, I use starter because my 4 little girls are all the same age.

 

[Tikkijane]

Next week!  You see, I have a scoby going in mine that is over a year old, so when I leave a little of that and some feed in the cooler to inoculate the next batch, it gets it off to a quick start.  By the next morning I have a light ferment and it's feedable, after that it gets real fermented, real quick.  My FF smells like a pickle barrel. 

Nice! I'll have to figure out how to make sure the guineas eat. They are coop trained, but not tame by any stretch. Night time won't be too tough because I can feed in the coop, but every one is out free ranging except for night time. I think the gutter is a good idea; will have to see what I can find that's long, flat bottomed, and cheap.

 

[niqueie]

I used feather fixer feed and fermented it. It smelled so bad I couldn't believe it. It smelled like you described. I finished out the 40# bag and the birds loved it. But I will never buy it again. I feel your nose pain. It is awful!!

 

[fosterson]

Ugh!

I had to be out of the house today and the other half 'helped'. He noticed that the FF was low, so he added some of my left over Feather Fixer to the fermented feed.

OMG is that nasty smelling. It's like someone mixed rotten eggs and over cooked cabbage in there, then let a party of miniature Rottweilers who had been eating Brussels sprouts camp overnight, and this was only a few hours old.

Bleah.

I know it's not BAD for them, but ye gods. I cannot wait for that stuff to be out of the pail!

I thought you people were kidding about how bad it smelled.

 

[bruceh]

Could be I never encountered all these issues because I kept it simple....that's still my best advice. This fermentation takes simple feed and makes it super food..what could be better than that? Leave all those extras out and try it again and see if it don't go smooth sailin' from there on in.

Don't mess with a good thing, I always say.

 

[bruceh]

i use to use a mix. i no longer use it. i use a starter/ grower mash. does the job just fine. spending 9.50 a 50 lb. is better than 14.70 a 50 lbs. . when the birds want oyster shell it is in a side bowl.