FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[bradymars]

Lazy Gardener, I'm sure yours are doing fine, are you just feeding fermented layer pellets or what. Like I said I had tried feeding the fermented pellets but I didn't like the mess. I did notice that they didn't eat as much but I don't think I gave it enough time to see the benefits. But when I fermented the soy with grains is when they became lean. How do you ferment and do you just feed FF exclusively, thanks

 

[Molpet]

I have fermented layer and grower pellets, until I found a grain mash. Been feeding FF and in a big poultry yard since 2015.. Had to cut down the feeding because they were getting fat.. Had a hen die early spring one year and she had fat around her heart... cockerels dress out 5-8 lbs and are not lean.... turkey was lean but it was during breeding season and they were not eating much.
link to FAQ for this thread: https://tikktok.wordpress.com/2014/04/13/fermented-feed-faq/

 

[bradymars]

Yeah, I probably didn't give it enough time.

 

[lazy gardener]

Lazy Gardener, I'm sure yours are doing fine, are you just feeding fermented layer pellets or what. Like I said I had tried feeding the fermented pellets but I didn't like the mess. I did notice that they didn't eat as much but I don't think I gave it enough time to see the benefits. But when I fermented the soy with grains is when they became lean. How do you ferment and do you just feed FF exclusively, thanks

My birds get fermented layer pellets 16%. During the spring chick season, they all get fermented starter. When the chicks get their cluck, I switch the flock over to layer. I simply fill a bucket 1/2 full of water, and add approximately an equal amount of feed. Stir, let it sit till it puffs up and bubbles. It's about the consistency of a soft cookie dough, cooked oatmeal, or soft serve ice cream. I'm getting hungry. When served up, it holds it's shape when plopped out of the ladle into the trough. I rotate 2 buckets so that when I empty and refill one bucket, there is an other bucket all ready to go the next day.

Yes, if your birds are exclusively on FF, you will find that they do eat less. That is to be expected b/c their gut villi become longer, and thus better able to absorb the nutrients. The SCOBY breaks down the anti nutrients in the grains, and also manufactures more protein (lysine and methionine) as well as extra B vitamins. My feed conversion rate during the winter is .18 or .19# of feed/day/bird while Blue Seal states that an adult LF hen will eat .20 - .25# of feed/day.

With your fermentation of soy and grains, I can imagine that they would become lean, as it is not a complete feed, even if the protein level was acceptable. Also, soy is very difficult to digest, particularly if it is whole.

 

[lazy gardener]

I did a google search regarding your RedCell. Do you have horses? Is it the horse formulation? How large a container do you buy, and is there issue of it loosing potency before you use it up. I did not find a nutritional analysis on it. Wondering how it compares to other poultry or animal vitamin products. Also, my curiosity was peaked b/c it has iron in it. We are cautioned all the time not to give vitamins with iron in them to chicks.

 

[bradymars]

Thanks, that's the conclusion I came to. With the feed mix I feed now I don't have to feed as much either as it's such a high quality feed. Just like cheap dog food compared to premium. You feed less with the premium.

 

[bradymars]

I did a google search regarding your RedCell. Do you have horses? Is it the horse formulation? How large a container do you buy, and is there issue of it loosing potency before you use it up. I did not find a nutritional analysis on it. Wondering how it compares to other poultry or animal vitamin products. Also, my curiosity was peaked b/c it has iron in it. We are cautioned all the time not to give vitamins with iron in them to chicks.

You can get it at tractor supply and yes it's the one for horses. You only need a small amount to reap the benefits. I feed a couple of capfuls to a five gallon of soaked oats once a week and there fine. Yes you don't want to over do it because of the iron. In small doses it's very beneficial.

 

[Lazy Farmer]

Brief story than a very important question.
We get about 5 to 6 fifty gal cans of wet barley for free from friends who own an local brewery.
A supplemental feed for goats/pigs/turkeys/chickens that we use along with conventional feed as well.
This past weeks barrels, one got left cracked, not sealed tight and the top layer got fermented.
Maggots are on the top layer.

QUESTION: WILL THE MAGGOTS MAKE THE CHICKENS SICK?
OR SHOULD I JUST FEED THE BUZZARDS TEN GALLONS OF FERMENTED BARLEY GRAIN?

 

[bradymars]

No maggots will not make them sick, it's a good protien source that they would eat anyway in the wild

 

[Molpet]

some people raise maggots to feed the chickens.. free protein