FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[ChickenCanoe]

I keep my buckets on the back porch. I keep the temp about 50 there.

Wow, this fermented feed thing brings back memories of childhood. This is exactly how we fed our hogs. A caretaker on our farm talked my dad into it. We just called it slopping the hogs and I'm not sure anyone knew that we were fermenting, at least no one discussed it. My dad was never a big fan since that wasn't the way his dad raised hogs.
We had always just pastured them and fed half corn and half hog chow.

 

[fosterson]

Picked up three little 12 week old chicks last night (went for the breeding potential roo, got two pullets to help keep him warm in the grow out pen). Cute as the dickens, even if the Easter Egger is nuts.

They had their first taste of FF this morning and my goodness. Little boogers turned their noses up at it at first, so I sprinkled about a tablespoon of scratch on it -- and they stuffed themselves silly and are now sleeping -- sort of like when a puppy sleeps, completely flat on their bellies...one of them is so asleep she's not even bothered to tuck her head under her wing!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I should be hatching eggs on New Years day. I'm going to split the hatch into two broods and raise one on FF and the other the way I always had to see if there's a difference, i.e. weight gain, lost chicks, etc..
I've always used probiotics for new chicks but never FF.
I always weigh chicks periodically as they grow. Actually I can compare them to records from past hatches.
I'll be posting results in January, February and March.

 

[kpgoldstar]

Picked up three little 12 week old chicks last night (went for the breeding potential roo, got two pullets to help keep him warm in the grow out pen). Cute as the dickens, even if the Easter Egger is nuts.

They had their first taste of FF this morning and my goodness. Little boogers turned their noses up at it at first, so I sprinkled about a tablespoon of scratch on it -- and they stuffed themselves silly and are now sleeping -- sort of like when a puppy sleeps, completely flat on their bellies...one of them is so asleep she's not even bothered to tuck her head under her wing!

My 4 little chicks are also 12 weeks and have been on ff almost since I got them at 2 weeks. On the days I am home, I sneak a peak at the run a couple of hours after they've had breakfast and more times than not, they are up in the roost most likely taking a nap! Too funny!

 

[kpgoldstar]

I should be hatching eggs on New Years day. I'm going to split the hatch into two broods and raise one on FF and the other the way I always had to see if there's a difference, i.e. weight gain, lost chicks, etc..
I've always used probiotics for new chicks but never FF.
I always weigh chicks periodically as they grow. Actually I can compare them to records from past hatches.
I'll be posting results in January, February and March.

I would be interested to see those results, thanks!

 

[Beekissed]

I have started fermenting my dogs' food. This is day 2 of feeding and everyone is eating with no GI upset.

I am using a 5 gallon bucket inside next to the wood stove. We are feeding Natural Balance lamb and rice L.I.D.

I am doing this for feed cost reduction first and to help my Akita's skin and coat.

I will keep everyone posted

That's very interesting and I'd love to hear the results on it!

 

[Beekissed]

May process half the rooster pen tomorrow, depending upon the weather. They have been fed on FF for three weeks or so now and I'm tired of wasting feed on them, so time to put them in the jar. The bigger birds will be processed in the first group and the leghorn crosses thereafter. Can't wait to have that job done. I'm thinking this will be the last cheap meat pen I do this winter.

Found the FF in the cooler smells slightly fermented, it just takes much longer to get there. May bring it in the house or may just leave it there and batch it sooner and keep a bigger batch going to insure it eventually all gets fermented. Haven't decided yet.

 

[RoseMarie1]

Yeah that's what I am doing Bee on the bigger batch at a time to make sure it gets fermented..

 

[ChickenCanoe]

May process half the rooster pen tomorrow, depending upon the weather. They have been fed on FF for three weeks or so now and I'm tired of wasting feed on them, so time to put them in the jar. The bigger birds will be processed in the first group and the leghorn crosses thereafter. Can't wait to have that job done. I'm thinking this will be the last cheap meat pen I do this winter.
...

I have 11 roosters and a couple cockerels. I need to get down to 6 by the end of the month. Hopefully it will be above freezing next week so I can get it done. It's an unpleasant process but I'm always glad when it's done. A couple aren't perfect so they'll be easier but, tough to decide on the others.

 

[Beekissed]

No roosters will die today....they get a two day reprieve.

Nasty ol' things! Can't wait to have them gone and in the jar.