FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[EggSighted4Life]

I feed pumpkin seeds, flax, millet, sunflower and sesame seeds daily.

Fermented or on the side?

 

[ShanandGem]

Fermented or on the side?

All fermented. Part of my hand mixed custom feed.
I don't technically 'ferment' though. I soak my feed for 24 hours before feeding and start fresh after feeding it out. I add probiotics to the water and use untreated well water so I get bubbling and action within a few hours.

 

[lazy gardener]

Not criticism, but I'm wondering why you spend the money on the probiotics when you can get it for free by fermenting the grains. You could even inoculate with your probiotics, and then use a bit of that culture to inoculate all successive batches. As you soak for 24 hours anyways, you'll have a great culture in your feed, and can dispense with the probiotics in the water.

 

[Beekissed]

I agree...seems kind of silly to go through the trouble of wetting down the feed and waiting 24 hours before feeding, THEN adding probiotics. If you just waited a little while longer you wouldn't even need them.

The probiotics are free if you just wait a bit, but you don't even have to wait 24 hrs if you backslop from your last feed batch.

 

[lazy gardener]

I have FF ready to feed out after 12 hours if I use warm water, which I am doing at this time of the year. Still keeping the FF in the garage, so with warm water, it all balances out. When the weather gets a bit colder, I'll move the FF to my front landing or into the basement. Unfortunately, the dog LOVES FF so I have to keep it out of her reach. I've started tossing a spoonful on the ground for her pleasure when she and I go out to feed the birds in the morning.

 

[Mom2Sav]

All fermented. Part of my hand mixed custom feed.
I don't technically 'ferment' though. I soak my feed for 24 hours before feeding and start fresh after feeding it out. I add probiotics to the water and use untreated well water so I get bubbling and action within a few hours.

Do you think it would be bad to add a bit of my Kombucha that I store my scoby's in? I was thinking for 24 hours covered on the counter.. Right now I have chia seeds soaking with a bit of the kombucha. Any opinions?

 

[Mom2Sav]

Not criticism, but I'm wondering why you spend the money on the probiotics when you can get it for free by fermenting the grains. You could even inoculate with your probiotics, and then use a bit of that culture to inoculate all successive batches. As you soak for 24 hours anyways, you'll have a great culture in your feed, and can dispense with the probiotics in the water.

I make Kombucha and don't buy probiotics. Right now I don't have any fermented grains as I am just visiting the chickens at my neighbors until she moves. Once I get the grains going I won't add anything. Does that sound OK? I just wanted to give them something sooner. I think my neighbor feeds them very low quality pellets.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I make Kombucha and don't buy probiotics. Right now I don't have any fermented grains as I am just visiting the chickens at my neighbors until she moves. Once I get the grains going I won't add anything. Does that sound OK? I just wanted to give them something sooner. I think my neighbor feeds them very low quality pellets.

I'm not familiar with Kombucha so I will guess that it's a product of your fermenting other stuff and therefore has probiotics in it?

Are the chia seeds for you or the chickens? I would sprout them first if they were for the chickens.... but I am still learning lots, so.....

 

[Beekissed]

I have FF ready to feed out after 12 hours if I use warm water, which I am doing at this time of the year. Still keeping the FF in the garage, so with warm water, it all balances out. When the weather gets a bit colder, I'll move the FF to my front landing or into the basement. Unfortunately, the dog LOVES FF so I have to keep it out of her reach. I've started tossing a spoonful on the ground for her pleasure when she and I go out to feed the birds in the morning.

GASP!!!

You mean you feed her the dreaded first ingredient in most leading brands of dog food????? The evil CORN??????? What kind of dog owner ARE you??????

My dogs love the FF too, especially Ben, and now Flash, the cat, is following me to the coop at feeding time and eating out of the trough beside the chickens.

They all love corn out of the garden and they will compete with the chickens for any of their feed that hits the ground, so corn is definitely on the menu for the pets and livestock hereabouts.

 

[ShanandGem]

GASP!!!

You mean you feed her the dreaded first ingredient in most leading brands of dog food????? The evil CORN??????? What kind of dog owner ARE you??????

My dogs love the FF too, especially Ben, and now Flash, the cat, is following me to the coop at feeding time and eating out of the trough beside the chickens.

They all love corn out of the garden and they will compete with the chickens for any of their feed that hits the ground, so corn is definitely on the menu for the pets and livestock hereabouts.

I had a horse stick his head in the bucket this morning and take a few big mouthfuls, complete with the cooked trout I had thrown in there. Oh well, he needs to gain some weight anyway....