FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[ShanandGem]

I made a huge improvement to my fermentation when I found a local organic mill that bags up the 'fines' from their milling process and sells it as chicken scratch. I don't know whether it's because it hasn't been chemically treated so has more bacteria, or because it tends to be finer little bits, but this stuff ferments beautifully and FAST. It's everything from weed seeds to irregular grain pieces, some hulls, etc. I use it as the base of my homemade feed. It's not formulated in any way so no bag is exactly the same, which I actually like.

 

[Beekissed]

Sounds like my layer mash from our local mill....particle sizes vary from whole grains, cracked grains and then down to fine particles, like dust or cornmeal. Ferments well, isn't sticky or goopy like most more processed feed types.

 

[lazy gardener]

I so wish we had a mill in our area.

 

[bunsnpupsnchick]

I weighed some of my pullets, polish & crevecoeur. They are all coming in at 3.2-3.4 pounds. I read on the Henderson chart that polish standard is 4.5 pounds for a hen over a year. These guys are 9 months & just at the 11-23% below the weight that they give for pullets to weigh. So, it's age & breed I'm thinking for feeling the breastbones. I prefer to weigh more, but they're eating & having enough food out for 24 hours-just under til I feed again. I'm working on reducing the amount a little each day. I do get the starved mob, but then quickly they're over it & moved onto something else. They definitely come back to their feed thru out the day.

I'm not liking the Purina flock raiser alone. Same dry volume as the mix I was doing makes a quarter less in wet volume. Plus, more of the fines are left behind as a thin sludge. Thick enough it coats the spoon, but too thin to dish out. Think when I get my check tomorrow I'm going to find a different brand to try or mix it with another brand to see if it'll all stick together better. I did find out Cargill has a mill here, but they make the store brand. When I tried that for a layer pellet my shells got weaker & the birds started looking off-even with oyster shell available. When I switched to the food I'm doing now things drastically improved. Improved more giving them barley mix with it. The other thing I've found is that since cutting out the barley mix & bun pellets they are back to eating the bun pellets (wasting it too). Plus, jumping onto my fence trying to get leaves. I'm not liking that cause if they fall off outside of my yard that could be trouble. Plus makes them more visible to the wandering dogs, stray cats, hawks, & coyotes if they're out in the day. In the yard the trees give them more shelter & camouflage. I'm fairly certain no one would bring them back-they'd keep them or let them be food for whatever catches them. Personal worry & preference I know.

My lil blue, bantam self blue Cochin, stated laying! She's 6 months. Yay! My penguin, black bantam Cochin roo, watches over her very well & edits her to food & water once she's done. He literally stands in front of the box watching. He's 9 months.

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[FlyWheel]

Quote: The 1/4 cup is of course a guesstimate. I add just under two quarts of dry crumbles. I have 11 chickens.

 

[FlyWheel]

I so wish we had a mill in our area.

+1. That even sounds healthier for the birds. It would certainly give them a little variety, which I doubt they would complain about.

 

[ShanandGem]

I so wish we had a mill in our area.

It took some looking for me, and this is a mill that makes people food. The chicken scratch is just a by product of that process.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I weighed some of my pullets, polish & crevecoeur. They are all coming in at 3.2-3.4 pounds. I read on the Henderson chart that polish standard is 4.5 pounds for a hen over a year. These guys are 9 months & just at the 11-23% below the weight that they give for pullets to weigh. So, it's age & breed I'm thinking for feeling the breastbones. I prefer to weigh more, but they're eating & having enough food out for 24 hours-just under til I feed again. I'm working on reducing the amount a little each day. I do get the starved mob, but then quickly they're over it & moved onto something else. They definitely come back to their feed thru out the day.

I'm not liking the Purina flock raiser alone. Same dry volume as the mix I was doing makes a quarter less in wet volume. Plus, more of the fines are left behind as a thin sludge. Thick enough it coats the spoon, but too thin to dish out. Think when I get my check tomorrow I'm going to find a different brand to try or mix it with another brand to see if it'll all stick together better. I did find out Cargill has a mill here, but they make the store brand. When I tried that for a layer pellet my shells got weaker & the birds started looking off-even with oyster shell available. When I switched to the food I'm doing now things drastically improved. Improved more giving them barley mix with it. The other thing I've found is that since cutting out the barley mix & bun pellets they are back to eating the bun pellets (wasting it too). Plus, jumping onto my fence trying to get leaves. I'm not liking that cause if they fall off outside of my yard that could be trouble. Plus makes them more visible to the wandering dogs, stray cats, hawks, & coyotes if they're out in the day. In the yard the trees give them more shelter & camouflage. I'm fairly certain no one would bring them back-they'd keep them or let them be food for whatever catches them. Personal worry & preference I know.

My lil blue, bantam self blue Cochin, stated laying! She's 6 months. Yay! My penguin, black bantam Cochin roo, watches over her very well & edits her to food & water once she's done. He literally stands in front of the box watching. He's 9 months.

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Cute birds.

Purina Flock Raiser is made at many different mills. And one poster gets really bad product (as in dusty) from a certain mill. Mine have always been fine from another mill. Just saying, not rooting for Purina. I do like the higher protein though.

Could it be that volume is effected by how much water the particular mix absorbs? Because feed is sold by weight not volume.

The higher protein in the FR is probably what made the difference in your in how your birds looked and produced. Feathers are made of like 95% protein so a higher protein diet would support that.

 

[bunsnpupsnchick]

Cute birds.

Purina Flock Raiser is made at many different mills. And one poster gets really bad product (as in dusty) from a certain mill. Mine have always been fine from another mill. Just saying, not rooting for Purina. I do like the higher protein though.

Could it be that volume is effected by how much water the particular mix absorbs? Because feed is sold by weight not volume. 

The higher protein in the FR is probably what made the difference in your in how your birds looked and produced. Feathers are made of like 95% protein so a higher protein diet would support that. 

Thanks. I love their little fluffy butts.

I'm sure absorption has a lot to do with it. Also that it's a very small crumble. I'm fairly certain it's Cargill that makes it here since I found on their website info about it. I haven't hit a different feedstore yet. I didn't want to try the store brand given what it did before I switched. I thought about a gamebird, but that was pricey. I think for now til I find something I'll add in some Timothy grass pellets & the barley-corn-protein powder mix. 25% each of those with the rest being flock raiser. Hopefully that'll help with the forage they're wanting & have a nicer ferment. Protein should still be good with it. Otherwise they've been eating the bun pellets with the salt, minerals, etc in them. Since I know they're coming along a tad slower, but still OK I'm bit less concerned.

Here's an odd thing though. I tried sprouting some beans I had. Not sure how old so figured why not, no big loss for a few. I forgot about them. Now, there a rubbery looking thing in the jar, water is cloudy, & little white worms. Plus, looks like dust on the water. If the birds get ahold of the beans on the compost pile would they be OK? Did I accidentally ferment them?

Thanks you guys are great

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Thanks. I love their little fluffy butts.

I'm sure absorption has a lot to do with it. Also that it's a very small crumble. I'm fairly certain it's Cargill that makes it here since I found on their website info about it. I haven't hit a different feedstore yet. I didn't want to try the store brand given what it did before I switched. I thought about a gamebird, but that was pricey. I think for now til I find something I'll add in some Timothy grass pellets & the barley-corn-protein powder mix. 25% each of those with the rest being flock raiser. Hopefully that'll help with the forage they're wanting & have a nicer ferment. Protein should still be good with it. Otherwise they've been eating the bun pellets with the salt, minerals, etc in them. Since I know they're coming along a tad slower, but still OK I'm bit less concerned.

Here's an odd thing though. I tried sprouting some beans I had. Not sure how old so figured why not, no big loss for a few. I forgot about them. Now, there a rubbery looking thing in the jar, water is cloudy, & little white worms. Plus, looks like dust on the water. If the birds get ahold of the beans on the compost pile would they be OK? Did I accidentally ferment them?

Thanks you guys are great

Beans are one of the more difficult things to sprout. I always try to sprout a few to put in my garden and they often rot before sprouting. One reason why I don't just start them in the dirt. Did the water get like that even though you rinsed and added fresh water a couple times a day? Barley is supposed to be the easiest sprouting with least side effects and max nutrients. At least that's what my research indicates.