FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[TexasLisa]

I could make a video of how it works, alas, the chickens have already learned the futility of trying to roost on the roof though. Sorry.

Don't go to the extra trouble. My imagination is having fun with it.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I wish they made a heated trough...rather than the round bowls.

i have to put a piece of scrap board across my heated bowls[middle] to keep my chickens out of them. I have to do it with the heated buckets too to keep my ducks from using them as their personal hot tubs.

 

[bullets]

Bee, you beat me to the punch.  I'm hot blooded.  But, after finishing lunch, I can almost always plan on being a bit chilled.  And have always been told it's b/c blood supply is being diverted to the gut.   IMO, simply feed your birds adequately year round.  Increased calories in the winter due to increased metabolic demand.  

I myself have the oposite problem. After I eat a big meal I get overly hot and sluggish. Even sweat sometimes. I get hot flashes after eating! Please note, I am in my 20s and only weigh 125. So it's not a weight or age issue, that I know of.

 

[dcba flock]

I too would like to know if scratch "warms them up". I am not fermenting their scratch, but on very cold nights the six hens get about a cup just before bed. The idea of course is that it fills their crops and thus increases their metabolism due to digestive action overnight. That may be the  case, but would't regular FF do the same? Perhaps people are feeding scratch (like me) just before bed because we KNOW the chickens will eat it .

That being said, the scratch I have is only 8% protein. Therefore, to mitigate protein loss, I supplement with live mealworms (about half a cup) per day. That was one of the smarter things I did, was start a mealworm farm for them.

Finally, being new to this thread, another question...I am adding a little alfalfa to their FF every day...being as it is winter and foraging for greens is non-existent. I am fermenting the alfalfa (from a big bag of alfalfa cubes) separately from the FF. What do you think?

I do a cpl handfuls of alfalfa separate from their fermented feed so they have an activity as well as the greens they can scratch around in it.... They seem to love it and it keeps them busy I throw meal worms or seed some fresh veggies fruits etc all separate from the FF.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Been fermenting off and on for year, mostly for meat birds. I had problems fermenting alfalfa cubes. I got a LOT of mold growth. Not complete sure why, but I suspect it has to do with the moisture used in tuning the alfalfa from loose hay into cubes.

It might go better if they got pasteurized first, but that's a lot of work.

Bee! Congrats on the front page.

 

[mobius]

@ChocolateMouse , nice to hear you tried that...I have not had that problem so far but will keep an eye on it. At first it was a little hard to keep everything underwater, but that has resolved. And the chickens yum it all up!

 

[Beekissed]

Been fermenting off and on for year, mostly for meat birds. I had problems fermenting alfalfa cubes. I got a LOT of mold growth. Not complete sure why, but I suspect it has to do with the moisture used in tuning the alfalfa from loose hay into cubes.

It might go better if they got pasteurized first, but that's a lot of work.

Bee! Congrats on the front page.

Eh?

Front page of WHAT???

 

[bullets]

Eh?  :/    Front page of WHAT??? 

Kind of what I was thinking..



When I read that I had to double check that I wasn't cruising Reddit [my second home]

 

[Molpet]

Eh?

Front page of WHAT???

on BYC home page.. pic/links that scroll .. this thread is one

 

[Beekissed]

on BYC home page.. pic/links that scroll .. this thread is one

Oh! I don't think I get all of that as I use AdBlock Plus and it cuts out all the fluff and advertising....I checked the home page but couldn't see anything at all.