FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[LindaB220]

I have a question for all you Fermented Feed experts out there.

I started following this thread on and off when BeeKissed first started it, but I didn't read it religiously and I probably should have!

I want to start fermenting feed for my adult laying flock. I can't free range my birds unless I supervise on account of all the heavy infestation of predators. This fermented feed will the the sole rations aside from the once a day table scraps of veggies, meats, greens, fruit, etc...

I also have some 5 week old chicks already in their own enclosure within the flocks coop and run, and in a few months when they are large enough will get mixed into the flock. They are on commercial starter feed.

So my question is, when these chicks are 3 1/2 or 4 months old and mixed in the flock and not yet even laying, can they eat this fermented feed as a sole diet as well or should I keep them on starter food til they are of laying age and then start them on fermented feed? Will the fermented feed have enough nutrients for these still growing babies?

Sorry if this is a dumb question. I am still learning about the fermenting process and still know little about it other than from all the praise I hear all of you talk about it.

Thanks for any info you can provide!

Make a separate bucket of starter fermented feed just for them. I started my the day I received them from the hatchery. So healthy. Here's a good site:

http://tikktok.wordpress.com/2014/04/13/fermented-feed-faq/

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I have a question for all you Fermented Feed experts out there.

I started following this thread on and off when BeeKissed first started it, but I didn't read it religiously and I probably should have!

I want to start fermenting feed for my adult laying flock. I can't free range my birds unless I supervise on account of all the heavy infestation of predators. This fermented feed will the the sole rations aside from the once a day table scraps of veggies, meats, greens, fruit, etc...

I also have some 5 week old chicks already in their own enclosure within the flocks coop and run, and in a few months when they are large enough will get mixed into the flock. They are on commercial starter feed.

So my question is, when these chicks are 3 1/2 or 4 months old and mixed in the flock and not yet even laying, can they eat this fermented feed as a sole diet as well or should I keep them on starter food til they are of laying age and then start them on fermented feed? Will the fermented feed have enough nutrients for these still growing babies?

Sorry if this is a dumb question. I am still learning about the fermenting process and still know little about it other than from all the praise I hear all of you talk about it.

Thanks for any info you can provide!

I would wait till the young ones are laying eggs before they get layer feed regardless of whether it is dry or fermented. It will be September and declining day length so that could delay onset of lay.
The primary difference between most feeds, i.e. starter/grower/finisher/layer/all flock is protein and calcium %.

 

[TwoCrows]

Quote: Oh excellent!! I didn't know you could ferment regular commercial bagged feed!! Wow....oh, I am so on this!! I still want to try fermenting raw grains for the flock, but since I have a lot of starter feed, I will try this immediately!!! Thanks for that link!!!

Quote: Thanks for the reply! I had no intention on getting them on layer feed until they are ready to lay. I was going to use starter on the entire flock until the chicks were ready to lay and then move onto layer feed. But was going to ferment raw grains and keep oyster shell on the side for the layers while the entire flock ate just fermented feed. However if I can ferment commercial feed, this may be an option for me, fermenting starter for the flock until the chicks are laying then moving on to layer. Thanks for the reply!!

 

[TwoCrows]

I thought this was BeeKissed other thread on fermenting grains and not commercial feed.

LOL I should have read the beginning of this thread!! So sorry, my mistake. Typical of me. I will get it together eventually.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

I have a question for all you Fermented Feed experts out there.

I started following this thread on and off when BeeKissed first started it, but I didn't read it religiously and I probably should have!

I want to start fermenting feed for my adult laying flock. I can't free range my birds unless I supervise on account of all the heavy infestation of predators. This fermented feed will the the sole rations aside from the once a day table scraps of veggies, meats, greens, fruit, etc...

I also have some 5 week old chicks already in their own enclosure within the flocks coop and run, and in a few months when they are large enough will get mixed into the flock. They are on commercial starter feed.

So my question is, when these chicks are 3 1/2 or 4 months old and mixed in the flock and not yet even laying, can they eat this fermented feed as a sole diet as well or should I keep them on starter food til they are of laying age and then start them on fermented feed? Will the fermented feed have enough nutrients for these still growing babies?

Sorry if this is a dumb question. I am still learning about the fermenting process and still know little about it other than from all the praise I hear all of you talk about it.

Thanks for any info you can provide!

The question of What To Feed Mixed Flocks is very interesting to me. Different people solve it differently.

What we have chosen to do is use All-Purpose rations and offer the "extra minerals" the layers need on this side. This means we get to buy just one kind of feed ... the rations have all of the protein & supplements for growth that chicks need, and I have a container of oyster shell for the laying aged females to self-serve. At 19% t's a little higher protein level than some people like, lower protein than others like, but it seems to suit our flock well.

 

[chickensfinally]

Hey All, I am just starting FF for my 4 & 5 week chicks ( been found it about a week). After the initial "OMG! What is THAT new thing!" They have taken to it like gangbusters. I was just doing it in a quart mason jar, I have 10 chicks, but since they seemed to like it so well I moved to an old gallon jar that held olives before. My question stems from the fact that now it is sitting longer than it did before before I will feed it all out. Yesterday it was very alcohol-y smelling. I was worried I would have drunk youngsters! And now today it seems to have bubbles on the top that look to have a dusty appearance. Has it molded?!? I don't want to throw it out til I know. Plus if it has molded I will not be able to use the liquid to start another batch right? I would want to start with just fresh acv feed and water. Thanks in advance for any help u can give. They need to eat and I do t have time to wade thru the posts. They do have dry in a free choice feeder however. --Carrie in Des Moines

 

[LindaB220]

Oh excellent!! I didn't know you could ferment regular commercial bagged feed!! Wow....oh, I am so on this!! I still want to try fermenting raw grains for the flock, but since I have a lot of starter feed, I will try this immediately!!! Thanks for that link!!!

Thanks for the reply! I had no intention on getting them on layer feed until they are ready to lay. I was going to use starter on the entire flock until the chicks were ready to lay and then move onto layer feed. But was going to ferment raw grains and keep oyster shell on the side for the layers while the entire flock ate just fermented feed. However if I can ferment commercial feed, this may be an option for me, fermenting starter for the flock until the chicks are laying then moving on to layer. Thanks for the reply!!

The good part about it is you can add both grains and bagged feed. I add a little scratch, some BOSS and a lot of feed. It works out great. And I post on all the fermented feed threads. I found BeeKissed the first day I came on here and still attribute Fermented Feeds for Meat Birds as my greatest find. It's long so if you want to read maybe 100 pages at the start and 100 pages at the end it's so worth it. I find all the fermented feed threads a must read. They are all excellent.

 

[LindaB220]

Hey All, I am just starting FF for my 4 & 5 week chicks ( been found it about a week). After the initial "OMG! What is THAT new thing!" They have taken to it like gangbusters. I was just doing it in a quart mason jar, I have 10 chicks, but since they seemed to like it so well I moved to an old gallon jar that held olives before. My question stems from the fact that now it is sitting longer than it did before before I will feed it all out. Yesterday it was very alcohol-y smelling. I was worried I would have drunk youngsters! And now today it seems to have bubbles on the top that look to have a dusty appearance. Has it molded?!? I don't want to throw it out til I know. Plus if it has molded I will not be able to use the liquid to start another batch right? I would want to start with just fresh acv feed and water. Thanks in advance for any help u can give. They need to eat and I do t have time to wade thru the posts. They do have dry in a free choice feeder however. --Carrie in Des Moines

No that is the good stuff. Stir it in and feed. You might want to go to a plastic bucket and make more of it. It won't spoil and I make mine in a 5 gallon bucket and keep in the coop. Good luck.

 

[redcowgirl2009]

We do a lot of fermenting. I was fermenting some of our organic layer feed but it was too much with all my other ferments: sourdough, Sauerkraut, milk and water Kefer, Kombucha and wells as seasonal veggie ferments. It was just an over load.

Now I sprout grains for them instead. I set up three, three gallon buckets and put about a cup and a half of grains in each and cover with a cheese cloth lid. Watered daily the grains sprout in about 3 days. grass in 6. Soaked, sprouted, fermented grains are always better as it breaks down the acids and lectins making the vitamins more soluble. The girls also go nuts for it!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

The question of What To Feed Mixed Flocks is very interesting to me. Different people solve it differently.

What we have chosen to do is use All-Purpose rations and offer the "extra minerals" the layers need on this side. This means we get to buy just one kind of feed ... the rations have all of the protein & supplements for growth that chicks need, and I have a container of oyster shell for the laying aged females to self-serve. At 19% t's a little higher protein level than some people like, lower protein than others like, but it seems to suit our flock well.

It's so nice not to carry 6 different kinds of feed.
I'm now only keeping 3 things. Primarily organic 16% grower that most of the flock gets, layer feed for flocks with all actively laying and 60% fishmeal to up the protein for chicks.
You can mix in some grain to lower the protein for your adult birds.