FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[RichnSteph]

Bear in mind- the stronger the ferment, the less they will eat to a point. When you first start feeding it, they will pack it in. As their gut flora adjusts, they do cut back.

Just for clarification does that mean that as the digestive system of the chicken adjusts to the healthier feed (FF) and becomes more healthy in turn that they will eat less of the healthy feed? Sorry if that question reads strange, it's the best I could do to word it without sounding argumentative.

RichnSteph

 

[Tikkijane]

Hmmm ya'll have got me to thinking I could ferment a small amount that wouldn't produce too much smell and keep it inside. Once I get a good culture going I could feed in the morning then add crumbles to it and let it sit until the next morning and just feed pellets and scratch to them before they go to roost. I'll see what the wife person things. I'd think the chickens would appreciate a warm meal in the morning.

RichnSteph

My cooler lids stay down and closed most of the time. They are not airtight, and I open to feed twice a day. The lids are a huge with aroma control. Fwiw.

 

[Tikkijane]

Just for clarification does that mean that as the digestive system of the chicken adjusts to the healthier feed (FF) and becomes more healthy in turn that they will eat less of the healthy feed? Sorry if that question reads strange, it's the best I could do to word it without sounding argumentative.

RichnSteph

Yes. Think about when you eat yogurt regularly- it takes some time for the good bugs to balance the gut. And, because FF is a superfood, making the vitamins, minerals, the new amino acids it creates {and new vitamins, too} more bioavailable, it take a bit for the system to catch up. Plus, FF is super dense nutritionionally- think about the difference bewteen a non-sugared power bar compared to, say, a piece of bread.

Like on people going on a healthy diet, it takes a bit of time for deficiencies to get corrected and stabilized.

There's also this misnomer that chickens have a palate that's similar to humans. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Humans have, on average, around 10,000 taste buds in our mouths.

Chickens have a whopping 20-30. They can taste actually *very* little. By nature, they are not picky. Mine will eat anything they can catch {and you won't see me eating mice, etc!}, although they do have a preference for FF over everything else.

 

[hennible]

That taste bud thing clears up a lot of my wondering about the chickens and "how can you eat that?!"

 

[maplebendfarmmn]

Just starting my fermented feed experiment today. I am using a layer mash from the local feed store in a 3 gallon bucket with water and ACV added. I am curious to see how they eat it. Will keep updating as I go.

 

[RichnSteph]

We're starting ours over this week as well. We are just about out of layer pellets and have about 100lbs of crumbles (which I hate) left in one bin. We'll be fermenting that along with some BOSS just as soon as I can pick some up.

RichnSteph

 

[Tikkijane]

That taste bud thing clears up a lot of my wondering about the chickens and "how can you eat that?!"

I know, right?! {If they can catch it, they'll eat it.... }

 

[vpatt]

I gave the birds the ff today. I have to say they ate it but did not seem totally wild about it. Well, you know they don't turn their noses up at much. Maybe they will like it better as they adjust to the change.

 

[hennible]

My younger flock took some time to warm up to it, but my older flock did well right away... My oldest hen scarfed it down first day. Now everyone, ducks included choose it over pellets or crumbles

 

[vpatt]

Thnx Hennible...I will expect them to adjust....good to know.