FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[LeslieDJoyce]

I understand....they are possibly using more calories to grind the grain themselves, therefore losing the total benefit, than if the grains were already partially ground, thus not expending energy to grind them during digestion.  Makes sense! 

Also a question of how much the gizzard can process, which is about 6 ounces. But the pre-processed (ground) food doesn't get bottle-necked there.

One thing with poultry feed is enough density of nutrients so birds are nourished, and enough bulk so birds are satisfied and don't just keep putting more in. It's a balance.

I read that birds like to have some food in crop, gizzard, and digestive tract or they "feel" hungry.

 

[debp]

Thanks for basic info about BOSS. And I really feel better about my feed after this conversation about grain size and what chicks can handle, etc. My little brown leghorns are voracious. They gulp down whole dandilion leaves in 2 seconds, and some have said they can get clogged up, but so far so good. The others (New Hampshires and Barred Rocks) seem to be more tentative with food generally.

 

[Beekissed]

Also a question of how much the gizzard can process, which is about 6 ounces. But the pre-processed (ground) food doesn't get bottle-necked there.

One thing with poultry feed is enough density of nutrients so birds are nourished, and enough bulk so birds are satisfied and don't just keep putting more in. It's a balance.

I read that birds like to have some food in crop, gizzard, and digestive tract or they "feel" hungry.

Wonder how that info was gleaned?

I've never killed a chicken with a completely empty crop or gizzard in all my days, even up to 17 hrs past the last meal. I'm thinking folks don't realize how long it takes for food to be processed through a chicken.

The thing with a gizzard is that it's constantly moving food in and moving it out so food doesn't exactly bottleneck and remain in stasis until each gizzard full is emptied..it's constantly filling and emptying as particles are ground fine enough to proceed.

I can see your point about the more processed grains moving through more quickly....but if they do, does that mean they are ever "full"? Wouldn't the ease of this processed feed sliding through the system cause them to always be triggering a signal to refill the reservoir?

I'm thinking all the feed will bottleneck at the point right past that gizzard because the bowels can only absorb the nutrients and liquid so fast.

Just pondering....

 

[LindaB220]

That one looks cool! And it's a great price.




I don't know how much I'd worry about it. I haven't had to think about it yet ... just had our first batch of chicks for the season hatch today. We got a late start!

I've had my eye on that one for months. They started with about 80 and they are down to 9. Ukraine based. Even with shipping it's not bad.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

Wonder how that info was gleaned?    I've never killed a chicken with a completely empty crop or gizzard in all my days, even up to 17 hrs past the last meal.  I'm thinking folks don't realize how long it takes for food to be processed through a chicken. 

The thing with a gizzard is that it's constantly moving food in and moving it out so food doesn't exactly bottleneck and remain in stasis until each gizzard full is emptied..it's constantly filling and emptying as particles are ground fine enough to proceed. 

I can see your point about the more processed grains moving through more quickly....but if they do, does that mean they are ever "full"?  Wouldn't the ease of this processed feed sliding through the system cause them to always be triggering a signal to refill the reservoir? 

I'm thinking all the feed will bottleneck at the point right past that gizzard because the bowels can only absorb the nutrients and liquid so fast. 

Just pondering.... 

I'd have to actually read the studies to know how they figure this stuff out, not just the summary reports of those studies.

 

[jerrey]

Linda, Right now I have 5 grown roosters and at least 3 in the grow out area. And 7 too young to tell. I butchered one of the roos who came back and will do one other. Not the most pleasant experience, but I will get better with practice. Fortunately for me my friend and mechanic was on hand working on my car and being a good country boy, came to my rescue. Anyway, having vowed to not deal with roosters anymore by buying only sexed chicks I continue to defeat myself by hatching more chicks! My good friend's daughter's first grade is experiencing hatching in her incubator with my eggs as we speak! The school was so thrilled with the process that the 2nd and 3rd grades want to do it next. So I have collected another group of eggs for it. Chicks, chicks and more chicks. I will have to go to a seminar or such to learn how to sex chicks. How hard can it be? But killing the males? Too hard! It took me a long time to sell the last bunch, too long in the house! I also fall in love with my roos and they me, apparently! Hopeless? Haha!

Beverly I haven't hard from you lately hope you are doing ok I have been working on are new chicken house
jerrey mae

 

[azygous]

I fear my hens are growing too fat on FF. One, in particular, my EE Flo is becoming so heavy she has trouble hopping into my lap, and I catch her lying down far more often than walking about. They do get a few hours of free ranging per day, but the wild life here is far to dangerous to permit more.

I'm feeding 10 cups FF for 20 chickens per day.

Is there some way to get a fat hen to lose some weight?

I am fermenting one half Purina Flock raiser with one half chick starter. I feed in increments of three times over the course of the day to total 10 cups.

 

[Beekissed]

I fear my hens are growing too fat on FF. One, in particular, my EE Flo is becoming so heavy she has trouble hopping into my lap, and I catch her lying down far more often than walking about. They do get a few hours of free ranging per day, but the wild life here is far to dangerous to permit more.

I'm feeding 10 cups FF for 20 chickens per day.

Is there some way to get a fat hen to lose some weight?

I am fermenting one half Purina Flock raiser with one half chick starter. I feed in increments of three times over the course of the day to total 10 cups.

Not really, other than cut total rations. If they are penned all the time I can't imagine they need that level of nutrition when not needing it for cold weather issues. Although cutting back may not solve your problem...some breeds and some birds within a breed are prone to overeat, more so than the other birds.

I usually place those birds on the cull list, for three reasons...

1. Are the eggs she is laying paying for her food? If the other hens can produce the same egg on less feed, why am I feeding this bird/breed instead?

2. Ultimately, her excess weight puts her at risk for laying issues or just less laying altogether.

3. Feed thrift is desirable in my flock paradigm because I want to profit from chickens, not go in the hole. It's not a hobby that gives me a little food, it's a food source that brings me some enjoyment as a byproduct.

 

[aatx]

Got my chick starter going in a 2 gallon container in the kitchen. I don't really have room for a bucket out in the open, so I wanted to make sure to start out with a container I would see and remember to stir and also be able to monitor. Then I can switch to a bucket and repurpose my glass container once I get comfortable with the process. My chicks are supposed to ship today.

This photo was taken this morning and I had stirred about half an hour prior and added a bit more water. I only put in chick starter and water. The chick starter was probably about half the level it is now (not including the water on top). I know some use ACV as a starter, but after reading multiple threads and articles on multiple sites, I am going with the opinion that it is not an appropriate starter for lacto-fermentation.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

Got my chick starter going in a 2 gallon container in the kitchen. I don't really have room for a bucket out in the open, so I wanted to make sure to start out with a container I would see and remember to stir and also be able to monitor. Then I can switch to a bucket and repurpose my glass container once I get comfortable with the process. My chicks are supposed to ship today.

This photo was taken this morning and I had stirred about half an hour prior and added a bit more water. I only put in chick starter and water. The chick starter was probably about half the level it is now (not including the water on top). I know some use ACV as a starter, but after reading multiple threads and articles on multiple sites, I am going with the opinion that it is not an appropriate starter for lacto-fermentation.

Good for you for getting it started before the chicks arrive! You'll get the ratio of food to water figured out so it is exactly the consistency you want after everything ferments.

It looks pretty sitting there in that glass jar. I know that lid doesn't create an airtight seal, but you sill might want to stick a spoon under one side of the lid so it can burp/breathe.