FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[Exotica]

I went to check on it today and this was on top. When I stir it doesn't go to the bottom? I have animal protein in my feed so I dont know how its supposed to smell. I did add dried alfalfa yesterday so I dont know if it makes a difference? I scooped most out and threw it away. Is it because my I poked holes in my plastic cover? Is this supposed to be exposed to air the first few days then covered? I have four 5 week old chickens that are currently being fed this and they can't finish what I gave them so this has sat there for a week now (I take some out and add some back in but its always half full. Should I restart?)

 

[Beekissed]

I went to check on it today and this was on top. When I stir it doesn't go to the bottom? I have animal protein in my feed so I dont know how its supposed to smell. I did add dried alfalfa yesterday so I dont know if it makes a difference? I scooped most out and threw it away. Is it because my I poked holes in my plastic cover? Is this supposed to be exposed to air the first few days then covered? I have four 5 week old chickens that are currently being fed this and they can't finish what I gave them so this has sat there for a week now (I take some out and add some back in but its always half full. Should I restart?)

What you are seeing is perfectly normal and the reason you won't see it disappear when you stir is because you have too much water in your feed. Usually you'll see the same thing lying on top of the feed in a thin layer when you go out to feed each day and when you stir it, it will just mix in with the feed. The next morning, you'll see that layer again. It's just yeast growth and not mold, so no worries.

Here's a vid of the second day after refreshing a batch of feed...it will give you an idea of the amount of water that should be holding in your feed if you have your ratio correct in order to not have that excess of water lying on top.

Just leave a lid on it that is just snapped down on one side and let the other side remain open...that lets it vent and also capture wild yeasts at will. No need to keep plastic on the top unless it's just to keep the chickens out of it or something. Don't keep adding feed into the bucket each day and you won't have a mix sitting there for a week....just feed everything in the bucket~their usual ration each day~ until you get down to a few last scoops in the bottom and then add more feed and water to that to get a fresh bucket full. If you keep adding new feed every day you'll never get to the end of the bucket/'batch.

 

[aart]

What you are seeing is perfectly normal and the reason you won't see it disappear when you stir is because you have too much water in your feed. Usually you'll see the same thing lying on top of the feed in a thin layer when you go out to feed each day and when you stir it, it will just mix in with the feed. The next morning, you'll see that layer again. It's just yeast growth and not mold, so no worries.

Here's a vid of the second day after refreshing a batch of feed...it will give you an idea of the amount of water that should be holding in your feed if you have your ratio correct in order to not have that excess of water lying on top.

Just leave a lid on it that is just snapped down on one side and let the other side remain open...that lets it vent and also capture wild yeasts at will. No need to keep plastic on the top unless it's just to keep the chickens out of it or something. Don't keep adding feed into the bucket each day and you won't have a mix sitting there for a week....just feed everything in the bucket~their usual ration each day~ until you get down to a few last scoops in the bottom and then add more feed and water to that to get a fresh bucket full. If you keep adding new feed every day you'll never get to the end of the bucket/'batch.

Nice...Nothing a video visual!
Did you make that video Bee?

 

[Beekissed]

Yep...guilty!

I need to make one that just shows using a single bucket system, which I now use all the time.

 

[aart]

Yep...guilty!

I need to make one that just shows using a single bucket system, which I now use all the time.

Ohh sounded like you but youtube user was Joel Green so I wasn't sure.

 

[Beekissed]

Ohh sounded like you but youtube user was Joel Green so I wasn't sure.

That's my son's account. Back when I first started doing vids to YT I didn't have my own account, so I used his and then I sort of just commandeered that one, so he started another. I'd love to do my own but these vids would have to be uploaded all over again to it, etc., etc. so that I could manage them and I'm just too busy to get around to that. So...for now, I'm my son.

It works.

 

[Exotica]

What you are seeing is perfectly normal and the reason you won't see it disappear when you stir is because you have too much water in your feed. Usually you'll see the same thing lying on top of the feed in a thin layer when you go out to feed each day and when you stir it, it will just mix in with the feed. The next morning, you'll see that layer again. It's just yeast growth and not mold, so no worries.

Here's a vid of the second day after refreshing a batch of feed...it will give you an idea of the amount of water that should be holding in your feed if you have your ratio correct in order to not have that excess of water lying on top.

Just leave a lid on it that is just snapped down on one side and let the other side remain open...that lets it vent and also capture wild yeasts at will. No need to keep plastic on the top unless it's just to keep the chickens out of it or something. Don't keep adding feed into the bucket each day and you won't have a mix sitting there for a week....just feed everything in the bucket~their usual ration each day~ until you get down to a few last scoops in the bottom and then add more feed and water to that to get a fresh bucket full. If you keep adding new feed every day you'll never get to the end of the bucket/'batch.

Yes!! You have Youtube videos!

You have a beautiful voice, by the way. It's very sweet

Oh okay, so that is normal! Yeah, I'm going to throw some of the water out. I like the way yours is thicker rather than a sloppy, watery mush.
I had an impression we had to keep adding grains so the bacteria had something to eat and did not die out. Glad to know I can leave it there a while
and add stuff at the very end.

Thank you so much for always answering my questions Bee. I cannot begin to explain how grateful I am for your advice/wisdom.
It's so confusing because there's some articles out there and everything contradicts each other - but your advice is the only one that I take seriously.

Thanks again!!

 

[Beekissed]

You made my day!

You are very kind, you know that?

 

[shodack]

I'm sure this has been asked a million times, but here goes again!
Fermented feed and below zero weather for months? Do you heat it (like in a heated dog dish), or do you switch to dry food for the winter?

 

[Beekissed]

I'm sure this has been asked a million times, but here goes again!
Fermented feed and below zero weather for months? Do you heat it (like in a heated dog dish), or do you switch to dry food for the winter?

You could use a heated dog dish just fine to keep it from freezing for the daily ration. Most of us move our feed bucket to a place indoors like a basement, garage, storage area, etc. until it can be put outside again. I'd keep it somewhere it remains cool, at least 50* to continue good action of the SCOBY but no more than that because you'll start to smell the mix more and you'll have to refresh more often due to the warm temps.

For feeding in below zero temps, I put my feed right on my DL this year to keep it from freezing...one of the few times I'll feed on the ground. The good, cultured and composting DL keeps it warm, it gives the chickens something to do....and as feed is lost into the bedding, they have something to do while looking for it later. When I fed in the trough during those times the feed residue left behind would freeze, but feeding on the DL was the solution. I took the feeder out of the coop altogether during that time this past winter...this freed up more space and the chickens kept my DL nice and dry by their moving it about searching for any feed that was lost during the initial feeding. Happiest snow bound flock I've ever seen.