FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[blackdog043]

The whole thing doesn't need to be as complicated as some of you are making it. When you start a batch, let it ferment a few days before you begin feeding it out. Then each morning serve out what you will, and add new feed and water to what's left. That part that's left is called the backslop. Stir it good and forget about it till the next morning. The cultures in the backslop will be adequate to ferment the whole thing by the next day. You never finish it all up, you never start all over new. It just keeps going perpetually.

Good luck, and have fun stirring!

And you've never had problems with mold or the chickens refusing to eat it with this method? I believe you, I'm just wondering where I went wrong. And how your are keeping out mold. Although I suppose the problem could be just that I live in a very wet, mold-prone climate.

This is exactly how I have been doing my FF. I never have mold, only the white film sometimes, which is the mother, it is not mold. If this is what you are seeing, just stir it in. This only happens if I only stir it once a day. My glass jar does sit on our kitchen counter and the temperature is about 73.

 

[Ebarnes-21]

Hm, maybe it's the difference in climate. If things are very mold-prone there, then that could explain mold growing on yours and not on mine.

Ha ha! Well ok, I guess there are always exceptions to things and your kitty must have to be the different one! I didn't realize you were in Australia, either, so the raccoon idea would be out. Besides that, it sounds like you are fermenting inside the house, so my idea of outside animals getting it was way off.

New zealand actually, we have aussie possum here too Lol. But its the same thing with regards no racoons. Very easy actually, no foxes, dingoes/coyotes, nothing like that ... rats is the usual predator, very occasionally (say once every 7 years) we might get a weasel.

My ferment is undergoing indoor/outdoor living shall we say ... it is in the back porch, which is a sort of semi-room missing just one end wall, in between the main house and the bathroom/laundry area. Totally sheltered, half carpeted half wooden floor out at the end, it is a point of interpretation if it is inside or not. The cat sleeps there, and that puts most animals off if the human-ness didn't already.

 

[Leigti]

My dog loved the fermented feed. My cats would eat it also. Are use the one bucket method, keep it at oatmeal consistency, add more feed and water when it starts to get low or too strong. My 5 gallon bucket was too big, I only have 12 chickens. So I went to the grocery store and got a 3 gallon bucket from the bakery for one dollar. I always make sure that I scrape the sides of the bucket well when I am stirring it. This prevents it from getting mold.

 

[Molpet]

Please, tell The Brat that! Its definitely her I'm afraid, I've caught her in the bucket eating. Guilty looks and licking grain off her chops!

Also I put the scoop down in the house on my way to feed the chooks, just to grab the pot of scraps, and when I turn around there she is she's pulled a big mouthful out of the scoop and has it on my kitchen floor chowing it down.

Not really getting why myself, I know, cats are the straightest carnivores on the planet, but she's weird.

She likes bread too, particularly crusts from buttered toast and fair enough its butter, but she'll make off with a whole loaf if I leave it out with the door open.

But she's never, ever shown interest in grains before, that's quite bizarre.

Also there are no racoons in my country ... there are possum, australian possum that is, a bit different from american possum ... bigger and fluffier ... body weight wise they could maybe knock off a brick, but I've never had one do it for any other feed, I don't expect that to be an issue.

My dog was getting into the ff.. I put red/cayenne/HOT pepper in it... mammals do not like red pepper, they sell packets to put in wild bird feed to keep the squirrels/coons/rodents/possums away... bird do not have the taste receptors for hot stuff... plus they claim it helps w/circulatory issues

 

[orchardflock]

My rabbit loves to eat spicy peppers. There are exceptions to every rule! But it sounds like it is worth a try.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I was thinking the same thing, which is why I originally tried just taking and replacing for the first week. Except then I ended up with very obviously fuzzy grey mold growing on the sides and lids of the bucket. So now I'm thinking that it might be better to just start new smaller batches every two days or so and make sure no one batch ever lasts more than 4 or 5 days. I'm also going to be extra careful to keep the sides and lid clean.

As a biology teacher, I approve of your questions Ebarnes-21!

I live in the PNW on the coast, where our car seats will grow mold out of thin air if you don't sit on them often enough to disperse the spores! Our pictures hanging on the wall will grow mold behind them. Basically, anything can and will grow mold without any added moisture. It's true that I have to keep the sides of my buckets stirred down or cleaned or they may grow mold. But NEVER had to throw out the FF.

Water on the top is just plain BS to me. Yes, I'm a NEED to know WHY person as well!!! Thing is whatever lands on top of the water is going to seep down into the ferment as well. And then that water gets stirred into the ferment anyways. And what, the water on top is somehow magically NOT fermented? Plus that's how we get our colonies going from whatever is in the air. IF you DON'T stir your ferment, I can see this working to keep the mold out for a couple of days. BUT once your ferment runs out of sugars or whatever the good bacteria are feeding on, you WILL get mold colonies EVEN on top of the water layer! Yes I have done this, but ONLY when I didn't feed my ferment.

4-5 days seems to be a good feed out schedule for me, my birds, AND the ferment. And YES, the feed the ferment a little on a continual basis makes sense to me! But as LG said, we NEED to do what works for US.

@Ebarnes-21 Sounds like you have a pretty good understanding and awareness of the nutritional needs for your birds! I had to ask, because I cannot believe how many people I've met here on BYC that feed JUST scratch... because that's what so and so told them to do. Agreed, I wouldn't add the meat to the FF. I do well if I know the WHY of something. It's not about being argumentative, but maybe just not blindly following status quo just because someone said so. I simply don't trust people. And I'm ALWAYS seeking the truth. I too welcome CONSTRUCTIVE criticism. And my hope is always to be helpful and not judgmental or finger pointing. I just want the best for people and their pets. I don't agree with everything in the tik tok article, but it's a great source of good basic info for keeping it simple. I always read comments to see what I might learn from people's experiences. But I also have to discern what is true verses hear say. So I take all the info, use what makes sense and forget the rest. Though I do keep the rest in mind, because I'm open to learning something new. And as my understanding grows, I switch it up if I need to. It's really cool when something clicks suddenly!
Oddly enough... New Zealand is the ONE place I'm interested in visiting!

 

[mobius]

My dogs would love to eat the FF, oh yes!!

 

[igorsMistress]

My dog was getting into the ff.. I put red/cayenne/HOT pepper in it... mammals do not like red pepper, they sell packets to put in wild bird feed to keep the squirrels/coons/rodents/possums away... bird do not have the taste receptors for hot stuff... plus they claim it helps w/circulatory issues

I took my dog out to the big yard one night, called her back but had to go look for her. She had her face buried in the ff. It was stuck in her beard, she looked like she was foaming at the mouth. I'm going to try this

 

[tigger19687]

@orchardflock I wonder if the mold you have is on the top-inside of the bucket and you only have FF on the lower 1/2 of the bucket. Maybe that is why it is mold ?
Just a thought.

 

[orchardflock]

Yes, tigger19687, that is why I had mold - I used too large of a bucket and there was some (not much, but enough) on the sides. Also, I probably live close to EggSighted4Life in Western Washington where everything grows mold super easily. Regardless, I'm switching to 2 small buckets and only enough for 4-5 days per batch and taking extra care to keep everything as clean as possible.