FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[igorsMistress]

Your household temp is fine for fermenting.  Can I ask you why you only do enough for a treat "now and then"?  If you ferment at all, why not simply ferment all of their feed so they get the best advantage from it.  

No, a larger amount of feed will not take that much longer to ferment.  Consider this:  If you were making yeast bread, your dough would have the same rising time (give or take a few minutes... maybe) whether you were making 1 loaf or two.  As you get familiar with the process, you will have a better handle on how quickly that fermentation occurs based on how much feed you have left in the bucket when you renew it, the temperature of the water you use, and the temperature of the room in which you ferment.  

To make my life easier, I ferment in 3 gallon buckets.  I rotate 2 buckets, and have a new bucket ready to go in 12 hours, though a bucket will hold nicely for 3 days or more.  I use the smaller buckets b/c they are not as heavy.  I can simply grab a bucket and head out the door with it at feeding time. I know that many people scoop feed out of a bucket, and then carry that feed to their feeding stations.  With the smaller buckets, I bypass that step.  Time to add an other bucket or two, as I have 46 chicks growing out right now.  They are little pigs.  You can get free food grade buckets from your grocer deli counter.

Thank you for this info @lazy gardener.

My chicks are still on starter, which I did ferment after I found out it could be done. They wouldn't eat it. Since they were still tiny I decided to change things slowly but they won't eat it. They don't like oatmeal either unless it's dry.

I tried fermenting some bird seed and they liked it. A lot. This is what I ferment for a treat here and there just to keep them used to it.

It's getting close to point of lay for the girls and I thought maybe switching to FF more often with layer feed might be my best bet. I will be fermenting organic feed I can purchase through a co-op. Not horrendously more expensive, especially if I can ferment. Hoping this will work since it's not pellets or crumble.

I just don't want to make the chickens sick, or waste food.

I thought fermentation required more time, but based on your reply and that from mobius, I am obviously mistaken.

You have helped me a LOT, thank you so much!

I will be stopping by Kroger on my way home tonight.

 

[lazy gardener]

Be aware that they will pitch a fit at any change, including fermenting their feed. That's why I prefer an all or none approach. To get my chicks going on it, I sprinkled some dry crumble on their ferment. But, what I found worked best was to sprinkle some scrambled egg on top of the ferment. Then, each succeeding day, I'd mix that scrambled egg into the ferment a little more, so they had to dig for the egg, and eventually, the egg was completely mixed in. By this time, they had gotten over the "EEEWWW!" factor of something mushy touching their beaks, and they were diving into the FF and having some major food fights with it.

 

[Molpet]

Thank you for this info @lazy gardener.

My chicks are still on starter, which I did ferment after I found out it could be done. They wouldn't eat it. Since they were still tiny I decided to change things slowly but they won't eat it. They don't like oatmeal either unless it's dry.

I tried fermenting some bird seed and they liked it. A lot. This is what I ferment for a treat here and there just to keep them used to it.

It's getting close to point of lay for the girls and I thought maybe switching to FF more often with layer feed might be my best bet. I will be fermenting organic feed I can purchase through a co-op. Not horrendously more expensive, especially if I can ferment. Hoping this will work since it's not pellets or crumble.

I just don't want to make the chickens sick, or waste food.

I thought fermentation required more time, but based on your reply and that from mobius, I am obviously mistaken.

You have helped me a LOT, thank you so much!

I will be stopping by Kroger on my way home tonight.

if you are making alcoholic drinks it takes more time. a lot more time LOL
I ferment the organic milled grain from the co op and in a cold basement it takes a few days.. but in the warmer times it is ready overnight... but the cold overnight still saves because the grain swells.. less water that the birds drink... and they don't waste the fines..my birds like the milled better than crumbles or pellets
Like mobius said, If all they have is FF they will get use to it quickly...

 

[igorsMistress]

Be aware that they will pitch a fit at any change, including fermenting their feed.  That's why I prefer an all or none approach.  To get my chicks going on it, I sprinkled some dry crumble on their ferment.  But, what I found worked best was to sprinkle some scrambled egg on top of the ferment.  Then, each succeeding day, I'd mix that scrambled egg into the ferment a little more, so they had to dig for the egg, and eventually, the egg was completely mixed in.  By this time, they had gotten over the "EEEWWW!" factor of something mushy touching their beaks, and they were diving into the FF and having some major food fights with it.  

Thanks I am going to try this out too. Might have to mealworms and some dry crumble, they won't eat eggs either, little brats!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Does this look ok? I started it 2 days ago and it is made from chick crumbles and a bit of scratch. It looks like it has "bubbles" in it do I need to add more water or is this normal? It does not smell bad.

If it's for chicks ditch the scratch. It usually has low protein around 8% unless there's some I'm not familiar with.

Chicks need the nutrients in the starter feed and scratch dumbs that down. Couldn't believe I saw them have a bucket of scratch next to the chick bins at Grange... looked for a bag to verify nutrients out of curiosity. But time being a factor had to move on as I can't fix the world...

The bubbles are my favorite part of FF!

You should mix it to a consistency you are comfy with. When it's thick you can't notice the bubbles as much, but it doesn't actually change the actions. Too thin and the birds don't seem to like it. That water layer on top is not needed and makes for a sloppy mess. Mine is never covered in water and I never have mold issues. Just stir daily when fed out. So if you wanna thicken and not have to drain that, feel free.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Your household temp is fine for fermenting. Can I ask you why you only do enough for a treat "now and then"? If you ferment at all, why not simply ferment all of their feed so they get the best advantage from it.

No, a larger amount of feed will not take that much longer to ferment. Consider this: If you were making yeast bread, your dough would have the same rising time (give or take a few minutes... maybe) whether you were making 1 loaf or two. As you get familiar with the process, you will have a better handle on how quickly that fermentation occurs based on how much feed you have left in the bucket when you renew it, the temperature of the water you use, and the temperature of the room in which you ferment.

To make my life easier, I ferment in 3 gallon buckets. I rotate 2 buckets, and have a new bucket ready to go in 12 hours, though a bucket will hold nicely for 3 days or more. I use the smaller buckets b/c they are not as heavy. I can simply grab a bucket and head out the door with it at feeding time. I know that many people scoop feed out of a bucket, and then carry that feed to their feeding stations. With the smaller buckets, I bypass that step. Time to add an other bucket or two, as I have 46 chicks growing out right now. They are little pigs. You can get free food grade buckets from your grocer deli counter.

That's true about rising... but... what about inoculation? For example, in my 18 gal bin with 1 day worth of back slop and I add a 50# bag... should I expect to have the same amount of ferment on the next day as a person with a 1 gallon cask who back slops half every day? I don't really think so.

So I think it's kind of variable as you say, knowing your conditions will help you to determine the length of time needed. I mean, I'm still under a week... but I would somehow feel cheated if I fed it out the very next day with that much dilution... I think. But hey, I might over think it some more still!

Lighter buckets and less steps is making sense!

 

[igorsMistress]

if you are making alcoholic drinks it takes more time. a lot more time  LOL 
I ferment the organic milled grain from the co op and in a cold basement it takes a few days.. but in the warmer times it is ready overnight... but the cold overnight still saves because the grain swells.. less water that the birds drink... and they don't waste the fines..my birds like the milled better than crumbles or pellets
Like  mobius said, If all they have is FF they will get use to it quickly...

Thanks Molpet! This also helps. I was following a recipe because I wasn't trusting my nose to tell me it was really done.

I'm sure to get the hang of it and really appreciate your input!

I will have to figure out how much they eat and move to feeding twice day.

 

[The Golden Egg5]

If it's for chicks ditch the scratch. It usually has low protein around 8% unless there's some I'm not familiar with.  Chicks need the nutrients in the starter feed and scratch dumbs that down. Couldn't believe I saw them have a bucket of scratch next to the chick bins at Grange... looked for a bag to verify nutrients out of curiosity. But time being a factor had to move on as I can't fix the world...

The bubbles are my favorite part of FF! :yiipchick

You should mix it to a consistency you are comfy with. When it's thick you can't notice the bubbles as much, but it doesn't actually change the actions. Too thin and the birds don't seem to like it. That water layer on top is not needed and makes for a sloppy mess. Mine is never covered in water and I never have mold issues. Just stir daily when fed out. So if you wanna thicken and not have to drain that, feel free. 

Haha they are 10 weeks old. I just give the ff as a treat because I only have a metal feeder, so I don't want to put the ff into there. I am running low on money right now and I can't get a plastic one. I just added a handful of bird seed- mostly BOSS- to make it a bit more enjoyable for them. I wish I would have made it a bit thicker so I'm probably going to add some more feed later.

 

[mobius]

Haha they are 10 weeks old. I just give the ff as a treat because I only have a metal feeder, so I don't want to put the ff into there. I am running low on money right now and I can't get a plastic one. I just added a handful of bird seed- mostly BOSS- to make it a bit more enjoyable for them. I wish I would have made it a bit thicker so I'm probably going to add some more feed later.

I just fling my FF on the ground (in a dispersed area to avoid food hogging).

It never stays around long. They love the scratch and peck method.

 

[Wandercreek]

I'm new to the whole FF thing. I just heard about it 2 days ago when I stumbled upon this thread. The concept is fascinating and the results I've read about seem too good to be true.

I'm dutifully reading through each and every post, starting from page one and I've only made it to page 140 so far. Whew! It's a lot of reading!!

Today is my second day of reading through this thread, and my first day of delving into the FF world. (I hope no one minds if I join the club!) I went down to the barn midday today and slopped some feed and water into a bin and loosely covered it. We'll see how it goes.

I wanted to go ahead and post right now, partially to subscribe, but also to comment on post #1375 (pg138). Those photos just blew my socks off! It's just incredible to see results like that. That is the post that tipped me over the 'should-I-try-this' edge.

I'd also like to send out a big thank you to the wonderful ladies (and gents) that started this thread and have oh-so-patiently talked people through this method, explaining things and answering the same questions over and over. Bless your hearts.

I have a notepad next to me where I'm jotting down the questions I have, and then marking them off the list as I read further and find the answers. I'm notorious for asking the dumbest questions on earth, and I'll be back with those as soon as I can get current on this thread. Consider yourselves warned!!

...and now I'll slink back down into the nether regions of this thread and continue my reading...