FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[chickengirl1193]

I just feed my chicks in a small dog bowl and I keep it away from the light. They dont get more food until they finish what they have and they finish about 2 bowls a day, about 4 cups for 8 chicks and they are doing great!

 

[luvblues7]

Wow. Great ideas. Thanks to all of you. I'm so glad I found this thread. Y'all have been very helpful and friendly.

 

[kpgoldstar]

I fed in small Tupperware containers, the ones that only hold about 1/2 cup, really shallow. I only had 4 though and I only fed enough that they could finish in about an hour so they didn't really have the opportunity to walk in it and pack it down.

Update! First egg last Thursday, second egg Monday, third egg Wednesday and TAAADAAA!!! We got TWO, count 'em, TWO eggs today! Yippee, that means I have 2 girls laying. One was obviously from the first hen, and the new one was much smaller and a different color, so pretty! I am on my way to daily eggs!! So excited!

 

[niqueie]

I'm so excited for you and the 2 layers. We just started getting eggs from our chickens too. It's so fun to go and see what you'll find each day. I got our first brown egg today. I have a few Easter eggers laying already. Congratulations!!!

 

[luvblues7]

I fed in small Tupperware containers, the ones that only hold about 1/2 cup, really shallow. I only had 4 though and I only fed enough that they could finish in about an hour so they didn't really have the opportunity to walk in it and pack it down.

Update! First egg last Thursday, second egg Monday, third egg Wednesday and TAAADAAA!!! We got TWO, count 'em, TWO eggs today! Yippee, that means I have 2 girls laying. One was obviously from the first hen, and the new one was much smaller and a different color, so pretty! I am on my way to daily eggs!! So excited!

Wahooo

Congrats on the eggs!

 

[beverly evans]

I have a question for those of you that feed FF to chicks. What type of feeder do you feed in. My chicks love the FF but get in it and walk on it and pack it down then don't seem to want it until I get home and stir it and then they go wild again and eat until it gets packed down again. How do you keep them from packing down their FF food? I have made trough feeders out of PVC pipe for my grown chickens and they work great, but not sure what to use for my babies.

Hi, I use round concrete pavers to lift the feed up off the ground and put it in a dog food bowl with slanting sides. They don't fling it out or climb in it (much). Being babies everything higher is better. It will pass. : )

 

[beverly evans]

Quote:
I'm back. You are talking about real babies? I recently had cks. hatched til they sold last week They were housed inside in big Tupperware tubs. I gave them their ff in cottage or butter tubs. I packed the ff in the bottom about 1 inch high and let them stick their heads down in it. They got some on their heads but none spilled or wasted, all gone and refilled several times a day. An easy thing to do when they are inside. Maybe lots of butter tubs in play? : )

 

[kile529]

I'm guessing these are the bubbles I'm supposed to see?!? I will need to make it thicker so all I do is add more feed, right? Chicks are supposed to hatch on Sunday and we just heard our first one pipping!! Just want to make sure I have their food all set.

 

[kpgoldstar]

I'm guessing these are the bubbles I'm supposed to see?!? I will need to make it thicker so all I do is add more feed, right? Chicks are supposed to hatch on Sunday and we just heard our first one pipping!!

Just want to make sure I have their food all set.

Yep! Looking good! Keep adding feed a little at a time since it will absorb the water that is there. Don't mix to mortar just yet, let it get to that consistency by soaking up the water a little at a time. You don't want to overload your brand new ferment with dry unfermented feed. Does it have a nice pickle smell?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

IME, it doesn't get that pickle smell for several days.