FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[Chicken Cake]

I think we've got fermentation as of this morning. I've been giving them a small scoop in the heat of the day but they haven't fallen in love yet. Might remove the dry feeder tonight and see how it goes with scheduled feeding for a couple days.

 

[AuntNomi]

I think we've got fermentation as of this morning. I've been giving them a small scoop in the heat of the day but they haven't fallen in love yet. Might remove the dry feeder tonight and see how it goes with scheduled feeding for a couple days.

I feed mine first thing in the mornings and they devour it. But I also do not have any dry feed out anywhere so they are good and hungry. On occasion I give dry feed, when I run out or get in a hurry, and they go to it and then realize its dry and are not very interested in the dry.

 

[Pendragonz]

I used ff last fall for a batch of meat birds with good results. Did lose several birds but such is the nature of the beast it seems when raising meat chickens. I am now raising 25 chicks that will be mostly laying hens. Both sets of birds were started on ff from day one. I like the results that I have seen from the ff, and will keep feeding this way.

 

[TexasLisa]

I have been using the FF for the past 3 years and it has saved me a bunch of money. Before I switched I was buying 50# lb of EggMaker Pellets every month. By keeping this record I noticed I really need to cut back on the Scratch! I not only mix it up in their feed but they get a bit of it in the morning. My flock also free ranges.

Just in the last year I started keeping a record of how many eggs I received from the hens, eggs sold, etc. etc.

Here is what I showed for the first 5 months of this year:

Eggs: 554
Sold: 36 dozen
Free: 7 dozen

Egg Maker Pellets: $24.50
Scratch w/Sunflower Seeds: $38.25
Shavings: $6.50
Chick Starter/Grower: $13.98

I am in the black, but it wouldn't support my husband and I.

 

[tex-adam]

I am having a serious problem with the flies this year. The only time it is a problem is when I feed the fermented feed. And I am talking hundreds of flies (due to all the recent rains). I have used DE and fly traps to no avail. Anyone else have this problem with the fermented feed attracting tons of flies? I know the feed is doing it because when I removed the fermented feed and went back to dry feed the flies left but the girls love their fermented feed!

 

[TexasLisa]

Howdy Tex! I live in Rosenberg, TX. I have flies around my fermented feed also. Eventually the FF will have larvae which the girls love! Nothing better than fresh meat.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Fruit flies for me, not severe though.

 

[tex-adam]

When I say flies, I mean I walked out to check on them and though the feed bucket was empty because it was black. When I walked into the coop I found it was just solid flies and hundreds of them. It is even driving my dogs, wife and kid nuts because the flies are crazy if I feed them. They come in crazy numbers to the point that we can't even enjoy being out with the chickens. But if I remove the feed all is good.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Ya, That's a problem. I hate flies!

Maybe just do it when your not out there.

Hopefully someone has better tips...

 

[tex-adam]

I just read that vanilla car fesheners are hated by flies and won't hurt the chickens. I shall try this and will continue to research.