FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[centralcaligirl]

I will be interested to know the results of your longer ferment time, and whether the grains absorb more water over time as well. Please post an update if you try it.

Yes I will try it this week and report back. It will be an interesting experiment!

 

[centralcaligirl]

No new feed, it's the same they've been gobbling up for months now (Purina Flock Raiser crumbles). In fact, they were halfway through the current bag when they suddenly stopped eating it.

Did anything possibly change with the water? If you are on municipal water they often change the chlorine/chloramine levels during the summer months. I don't know what effect that might have on the taste but in my case it does affect the quality of the ferment. Just an idea since it doesn't seem to be the feed...

 

[ChickNanny13]

It's the HEAT! Mine did the same when it started getting warmer. I was ready to toss the bag out but it was only a couple weeks "old". Check the feed for mites & mold, if all looks & smells ok, I'd just cut back on the treats & amount you feed. Make sure they always have fresh clean water.

 

[Noreaster Egger]

I only have three chickens right now and they free range most of the day so I don't have to make very much at a time. The current recipe is a tablespoon of leftover fermented feed from the day before, to which I add enough water to equal 10 fluid ounces, and between 6 and 8 ounces of dry feed. My kids broke my kitchen scale last week or I would weigh it tomorrow to see exactly.

I've been trying to find the maximum amount of water I can use that also ensures that the chickens will consume the fines. I may try a 48-hour ferment to just to see what happens and if the grains will absorb more water in two days vs. one. I'm not sure at what point the grains will become fully saturated, but I want to find that point because I noticed that on the fermented feed, they drink a lot less water and I'm hoping that being better hydrated will help them get through the heat better.

I'll be very interested in what you end up doing, as I can see that you're in Phoenix and your summer temps are much higher than ours!!!

I've fermented mine in jars up to 5 days before. I haven't noticed additional water absorption beyond the first 12-24hrs. I just get a lot more fermentation and the occasional pressure trying to push the feed up through the airlock (if I don't stir). Sometimes I get a "briney" liquid mess all over the counter in the morning.

 

[igorsMistress]

I've fermented mine in jars up to 5 days before. I haven't noticed additional water absorption beyond the first 12-24hrs. I just get a lot more fermentation and the occasional pressure trying to push the feed up through the airlock (if I don't stir). Sometimes I get a "briney" liquid mess all over the counter in the morning.

You actually use an airlock? Amazing lol. Most folks here just use a bucket and some not even a lid.
I've had the same experience with bird seed...it stops absorption after about 12 hours.

 

[centralcaligirl]

I've fermented mine in jars up to 5 days before. I haven't noticed additional water absorption beyond the first 12-24hrs. I just get a lot more fermentation and the occasional pressure trying to push the feed up through the airlock (if I don't stir). Sometimes I get a "briney" liquid mess all over the counter in the morning.

Interesting. Are you using pellets or whole grain feed? What is the feed to water ratio?

 

[barred2rock]

No new feed, it's the same they've been gobbling up for months now (Purina Flock Raiser crumbles). In fact, they were halfway through the current bag when they suddenly stopped eating it.

I've noticed with the rising temps that my girls won't touch feed that's been fermenting for more than a day. I've started making a single batch in the evening, feeding it out in the morning. In the cooler months they would scarf it down after 3/4+ days of fermenting.

 

[Molpet]

No new feed, it's the same they've been gobbling up for months now (Purina Flock Raiser crumbles). In fact, they were halfway through the current bag when they suddenly stopped eating it.

any change in water used? If it's city water they may have changed chemicals

 

[FlyWheel]

Did anything possibly change with the water? If you are on municipal water they often change the chlorine/chloramine levels during the summer months. I don't know what effect that might have on the taste but in my case it does affect the quality of the ferment. Just an idea since it doesn't seem to be the feed...

Not a problem for me, I'm on a well. The only things in my water are what Mother Nature puts there.

It's the HEAT! Mine did the same when it started getting warmer. I was ready to toss the bag out but it was only a couple weeks "old". Check the feed for mites & mold, if all looks & smells ok, I'd just cut back on the treats & amount you feed. Make sure they always have fresh clean water.

Could be, I had actually considered the heat, the temps have been in the nineties, but they have been for weeks. Also I feed them in the morning (about 9:00) and it has been getting down into the low 70's high 60's overnight.

Each batch is only a single day's amount, and because I back-slop the casks are kept covered to keep the flies away (they brew in my laundry room). The dry feed is also stored in a covered and latched bin, I heven't seen anything crawling around there either (but I will take a real close look today). Unfortunately, I have no sense of smell, so I use taste, figuring it should have a taste not unlike vinegar, as that is supposedly made by the same process. That's what it has been tasting like when they were gobbling it up like starved desert travelers, so I figured it was a valid test. The only exception was that first rejected batch, which tasted like, well, wet feed.

I'm going to try making a small batch in a sterilized container, that way if they don't like it at least I won't be throwing away much.

 

[Noreaster Egger]

You actually use an airlock? Amazing lol. Most folks here just use a bucket and some not even a lid.
I've had the same experience with bird seed...it stops absorption after about 12 hours.

Live action...

https://www.instagram.com/p/BPlTzuogfUw/

Interesting. Are you using pellets or whole grain feed? What is the feed to water ratio?

I've been using organic chick starter (for the higher protein) from Green Mountain Feeds. I tried the soy-free layer pellets and my birds weren't crazy about it fermented...but they will eat it dry. Go figure. Sometimes I will add a probiotic with bacillus subtilis to get a little extra vitamin K2 out of the fermentation (think natto). As you can see in the above vid, I use 1/2 gallon canning jars and fill the feed up to about the 2.5-3 cup line. Then I fill with water up to about the point where the glass starts to curve toward the lid. Once the absorption is complete I usually have about 1" of liquid sitting above the feed.

If I can get my hands on a bag of New Country corn&soy free I'd like to try fermenting that.