FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[Beekissed]

What is the best way to feed FF to chickens? I know your supposed to give them as much as they will eat in 30 minutes. But how many times a day? Can it be fed free choice like dry feed? Do chicks need to eat FF free choice? I don't understand if feeding free choice or restricting feed is better for chickens. I don't want then getting fatty liver syndrome but I still want them to be full. If crops are full in the morning and at night are they full? When I ferment should I figure 1/2 a cup of feed per large chicken and a 1/4 cup a bantam? Sorry for all the questions.

Opinions vary but I think the best way is in a trough...easy to fill with wet feed and allows the flock to spread out along the length to eat, so less chance of lesser flock members to get shoved out or driven off the feed. When feeding in meals, that's a great feature. It's not a hard and fast rule that they have to clean up that feed in 30 min. or less...sometimes my birds will eat a bit, go out and range some and then eat a bit more. By the next time I feed them it's all gone....if it's not, I feed them less that next meal. A person has to play with that a bit to see how much each flock needs at any given time of the year.

You can fill that feed trough so that they can feed off it all day long if you like but the FF turns a tad grey when you do that and sometimes they won't clean up that older FF right away. An easier method is to just feed 1/2 cup per bird, per day.

Chicks can be fed in meals as well...I usually feed them two meals the first week or so and they require a bit longer at first to clean up their feed, but chicks don't have to have continuous feed....they don't have that much feed in front of them out on range and they have to run their little legs off to get the feed they do have, so this concept that chicks have to have a full feeder all the time is a mystery to me.

It's all relative, so a person just needs to play with it a bit to see how much their flock can consume without leaving too much behind. It's sort of like feeding little kids....you know when you've given them too big of portions by how much they leave behind and you also know if you didn't give enough by how quickly they clean their plates and are wanting more. When you hit that sweet spot, you'll know it.

Here's a great site for the answers to many of the FF questions: https://tikktok.wordpress.com/2014/04/13/fermented-feed-faq/

 

[chickluvinfreak]

Thanks. I don't free range my chickens so I was planning on feeding them 3 meals so they don't get bored. I have 1 bantam EE, a campine the size of a bantam and a orpingtons yet they seem to eat a LOT.I have fed them a total of 2 cups of food today and their just starting to act full. Is that a lot for 3 chickens? Could they be over eating? Thanks for your help

 

[slordaz]

What is the best way to feed FF to chickens? I know your supposed to give them as much as they will eat in 30 minutes. But how many times a day? Can it be fed free choice like dry feed? Do chicks need to eat FF free choice? I don't understand if feeding free choice or restricting feed is better for chickens. I don't want then getting fatty liver syndrome but I still want them to be full. If crops are full in the morning and at night are they full? When I ferment should I figure 1/2 a cup of feed per large chicken and a 1/4 cup a bantam? Sorry for all the questions.

I think it depends on each individual flock and persons personal preference. They have free access to a plate outside in case they aren't finding much plus reg feed in the laying house for us as that is helping to train them to stay in the back by the pasture inst4ead of going to visit the neighbors yards lol

 

[triplepurpose]

The probiotics won't hurt. I'd personally rethink the DE. But, that's me.

x3 why would you feed DE? i dont understand the reason for this...

 

[chickluvinfreak]

x3 why would you feed DE? i dont understand the reason for this...

It was in the feed before I dcided to fermented it. DE keeps insects out of the feed when in storage and may prevent parasites. But their isn't proof of the last part, it's better then nothing. If I thought they had a worm burden I would deworm them though.

 

[Beekissed]

I've heard of folks putting that in the feed to keep bugs out but I think that might be folks who are storing large amounts of feed for large livestock. I've had garbage cans full of chicken feed for nigh on 40 yrs and never saw a bug in it yet. I'd say, if bugs are getting into the feed it's time to rethink storage methods. I'd try a different storage container before I'd place sharp dust~almost like glass dust~ in their feed where they have to breathe it when they eat.

 

[chickluvinfreak]

Is 2 cups of food too much for a bantam EE, a small campine and a orpington? I filled their food all day until they finally stopped eating. It just seems like a lot of food for 3 chickens (2 of which are bantam sized) can they over eat?

 

[Beekissed]

Is 2 cups of food too much for a bantam EE, a small campine and a orpington? I filled their food all day until they finally stopped eating. It just seems like a lot of food for 3 chickens (2 of which are bantam sized) can they over eat?

They sure can and especially the Orpington....they will store so much fat that they can't pass their large eggs easily, then they can develop egg bound issues. Not a good idea to overfeed a BO, as she'll eat as much as you can give her.

They tend to eat quite a bit of FF at first as it's easier to eat than dry feed and it has a good flavor to them, but that tendency to eat more feed at first will taper off. I'd resist the temptation to feed them until they stop eating and just give them a single serving that's adequate for all day....a little over a cup a day would be a good place to start. My 55 lb dog only eats two cups of feed per day.

 

[chickluvinfreak]

They sure can and especially the Orpington....they will store so much fat that they can't pass their large eggs easily, then they can develop egg bound issues.  Not a good idea to overfeed a BO, as she'll eat as much as you can give her.  

They tend to eat quite a bit of FF at first as it's easier to eat than dry feed and it has a good flavor to them, but that tendency to eat more feed at first will taper off.  I'd resist the temptation to feed them until they stop eating and just give them a single serving that's adequate for all day....a little over a cup a day would be a good place to start.   My 55 lb dog only eats two cups of feed per day.       

Do you mean a cup for all 3? That sounds about right since the small ones should probably be getting a 1/4 cup. I worry to much about them getting enough food, but as far as I could tell their crops were full all day. Thanks

 

[Tikkijane]

I don't think you want to feed layer feed too baby chicks.

A spoonful or two of layer backslop to get the first chick batch going won't be a problem. It's the prolonged useage of the high calcium that can cause kidney damage. Those that regularly process birds likely wouldn't see an issue at all. I use a mixed flock ratio and have free-choice oyster shell. But the babies get starter.