FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[kpgoldstar]

If you have a "mud" pan used for dry walling, they work well. My husband just put "S" hooks on them and we hang them on the hard cloth of the run.

I looked into those as well, but they have a sharp metal edge on it for scraping. Did you remove the metal?

 

[niqueie]

I.have that same sprouter but found that the trays wouldnt drain properly because the bottom tray wouldnt get enough air, so I had to drill a hole through every tray and put a straw through so the bottom tray can get air.

That's a smart fix. I haven't had a problem so far. I have been rotating which sprouter bin is on top. It's in my kitchen so I see it often. I stay at home during the day with my small children so I'm home more than most people. I've seen the tray stand on the internet but that is too involved for us right now.

 

[azygous]

Please tell me how those sprouting tray stacks work. I've always sprouted in a big gallon glass jar, and it's a pain to rinse several times a day, and the sprouts always ended up getting skanky anyway.

How do you rinse the sprouts or do you need to? give me an idea what you do with them and maybe I'll send for some.

 

[fenwickchic]

I looked into those as well, but they have a sharp metal edge on it for scraping. Did you remove the metal?

No ours are plastic. Chickens just broke one though trying to stand on the edge. I was digging into my baking pans to get a smaller, heavy bread pan and DH nearly blew a gasket. He said, "You are NOT going to use a good bread pan on those birds!" LOL So he went into the garage and came back with a very old metal pan. It did not have sharp edges.

 

[niqueie]

Please tell me how those sprouting tray stacks work. I've always sprouted in a big gallon glass jar, and it's a pain to rinse several times a day, and the sprouts always ended up getting skanky

How do you rinse the sprouts or do you need to? give me an idea what you do with them and maybe I'll send for some.

I just do the first days soak in the bottom tray then put those in a clear draining tray the next day and repeat the process. I water the seeds/sprouts 2-3 times a day. I have it next to my kitchen sink. The water goes to all the trays when you water the top clear draining tray. I move the trays around when I water it so they each have time at the top with open air. Then at night I put them out so they are not stacked. So each of them drys out overnight. Then stack in the morning and water then switch them around when I do my second water in the afternoon. Hope that helps.

It sounds complicated but it takes me less than a minute 2-3 times a day and less than 2 minutes at night when I add new sprouting seeds and lay the trays out to dry overnight. It's been fun actually.

 

[MandalaMaMa]

When you feed the fermented feed, do you feed it off the ground in a feeder or in a dish on the ground? And how long do you leave it out for them to eat it? I feed my chickens in their coop and usually they eat a lot before I let them out or after I lock them up and during the day they only go in now and then. So im concerned that if I put the food out that by the time they go back in to eat it, it will be frozen or spoiled depending on weather.

I feed mine in a red plastic bowl I got at the dollar store. I read somewhere that chickens know color and when I saw these I thought they would be fun to try. I have been feeding them treats out of this bowl since they were little so they know that it's has yummy stuff in it. They get very excited and start talking to me when I come out of the house and see me with the red bowl.

 

[Audio51]

I feed mine in a red plastic bowl I got at the dollar store. I read somewhere that chickens know color and when I saw these I thought they would be fun to try. I have been feeding them treats out of this bowl since they were little so they know that it's has yummy stuff in it. They get very excited and start talking to me when I come out of the house and see me with the red bowl.

I was using a round red feed pan about 16" across, but the dominant hen would get into the middle of it and keep everyone else out untile she was done. I bought a long trough about 30" or so long and put some in each end first. Then I go back and fill in between. It has illiminated anyone hogging it all so now everyon gets a fair shot at it.

 

[azygous]

Niquele, thanks for the description of how the sprouting trays work. It sounds a lot easier than the old fashioned jar method.

Audio, where did you find your 30 inch trough? What did the manufacturer call it? Did you have to buy it on line or did you find it at a feed store?

Bee, what do you think about mixing beet pulp into the FF? Would it be nutritionally beneficial? I'm having a time keeping up with these voracious hoards of mine. They're consuming around 12 cups of FF per day for 20 chickens, 8 cups in the morning and 4 cups more in the afternoon. I don't think I'm saving on the feed bill at all. Maybe beet pulp would stretch the FF. What is your expert opinion?

 

[Audio51]

Audio, where did you find your 30 inch trough? What did the manufacturer call it? Did you have to buy it on line or did you find it at a feed store?

I got mine at a local feedstore. I think I paid about $17 for it. It is similar to this one on Amazon.com, but this is only 24 inches

http://www.amazon.com/Little-Giant2...qid=1390924670&sr=1-8&keywords=poultry+feeder

Mine has legs that fold under. I removed the bar that runs across to top too. Bee attached hers to a couple of 4" x4" s so maybe one like the Amazon one would work for you if you did the same. I only have 10 girls so the one I got was perfect.

 

[azygous]

Thanks! My feed store does sell those, but they're too small for my twenty chickens. I wonder what that reel bar across the top is supposed to be for.