I've been working with a local feed mill to develop a custom all-purpose feed system for our varied flock (chickens & ducks of both genders and all ages, plus the occasional seasonal BBB turkey). She is an animal nutritionist, and a milling pro (I'd say "expert," but I know BK doesn't like that word). When I told her I was willing to ferment feed for the birds, and that I've actually been doing it, she was really excited. She is all for fermenting feeds for livestock in general. But specifically it means she can give us some better options for doing some of the "mixing" of the ingredients here (depending on needs) without wasting the powdery/fine additives 'cuz those just get lost in dry feeds.
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This same source has also told me she "likes" Camelina products for livestock feeds, but when she says that she does not mean the chemically derived bio-fuel waste product version of Camelina meal. There is a little local company here that processes Camelina. They separate the oil from the meal with nothing more than pressure ... that's her source. She uses both the oil (we know that's more stable than other "Omega 3" oils), and the meal in some of her feeds. So ... I may end up with Camelina meal in my feed mixture after all! But it will be totally locally farmed and processed as food.
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I tried sprouting grains for a while. I could not control the "co crops" with them (read that as mold/mildew/fungus/whatever). No amount of soaking things in bleach water first produced "just" sprouts. Reading through the Feeding Poultry book, there is some explanation of the nutritional value of "spent grains" from the brewing industry, but also lots of concern about how to keep that resource from spoiling. There are commercial sprouting systems out there, large scale, for making fodder for grazing animals in drought areas, etc., but even those are tricky to keep healthy. I couldn't manage it here. Other people seem to be able to do it.
This makes SO much sense, though!
ETA: Now I'm trying super hard to not think too much about whatever in the world gave him that idea in the first place. Really, don't think about it.
Bee, just wanted to ask you if you feed your new ducks the ff chicken feed? My son just bought 4 baby ducks and I gave him some of the ff chicken feed for them. I guess they eat the same as chickens? He has a pond so they will be able to eat moss, frogs and so forth. We've never had ducks, so know nothing about them.
Oh! Just wanted to mention I fed the dogs ff today for the first time. My DD's dog, which we are dog sitting, would sniff at it and then walk away. This went on 2-3 hours. Finally, she tasted it and ate every last bite!! Whoo Whoo! Now if our dog will taste it. She is hiding her food from DD's dog, so isn't eating it yet!
