FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[U_Stormcrow]

That's a good argument for starting chics ih the fall! They'll mature when days are getting longer and hopefully have a nice long egg-laying summer...

^^^ That requires REAL patience. Its one thing to pretend at patience when you already have the birds, but are waiting on them to perform... Its a completely different kind of self control to not buy the birds when they are cheeping in the farm store, or you get the latest hatchery catalogue in the (e-)mail.

 

[Kimi BK]

^^^ That requires REAL patience. Its one thing to pretend at patience when you already have the birds, but are waiting on them to perform... Its a completely different kind of self control to not buy the birds when they are cheeping in the farm store, or you get the latest hatchery catalogue in the (e-)mail.

...or in our case, IMpatience! We planned to wait until spring to get our chickens (since we don't even have a house yet), but when a coop fell into our laps we up 'n' got chicks in mid-October...

 

[Bocktastic Quackles]

First, you have declining sunlight - that tends to cut into laying, and will sometimes cause a new layer to delay until light levels start climbing again.

Second, Sussex are moderately slow to develop. While I've seen plenty of sources claiming 20 weeks for them before they start laying (which really means 20-24 on average), my sense of the thing, particularly in view of the season, is that you are likely at 24+ as a more reasonable guesstimate.

and Easter Eggers are mutts - depending on the original stock, that answer can be all over the place.

But since they apparently haven't started yet, I suspect they will "hold it" till late winter/early spring.

thank you! I didn’t realize sussexs were so slow to mature.

 

[Bocktastic Quackles]

...or in our case, IMpatience! We planned to wait until spring to get our chickens (since we don't even have a house yet), but when a coop fell into our laps we up 'n' got chicks in mid-October...

Spice, my Easter egger laid her first egg!!! Yay! So excited! Wanted to share an update

 

[U_Stormcrow]

That a very lovely shade of green, I suspect many EE owners would be jealous seeing that.

 

[Bocktastic Quackles]

That a very lovely shade of green, I suspect many EE owners would be jealous seeing that.

I’ll have to pass the message on to her

 

[Kimi BK]

Spice, my Easter egger laid her first egg!!! Yay! So excited! Wanted to share an update ☺

Beautiful. Congratulations!

 

[Kimi BK]

Re: fermented feeds... I had been trying to provide my estimate of the full ration as fermented feed (but with free choice dry food also always available)... now that the kids are living outdoors and the weather has been frigid, I'm just giving them 1/2 ration fermented since it will freeze overnight. They've been able to finish off what I've given them by dusk.

I'm almost considering skipping it altogether until warmer weather since it's not the most pleasant time of year to deal with all that wet process while we are living in tents... but I just think it's so much better for them, I'm trying to push on through...

 

[Bocktastic Quackles]

I’ll have to pass the message on to her

She was so flattered she laid an egg each day so far

 

[CamJa]

I'm all about fermentation, for humans and animals!! Thank you! This is a great article!!
We will get our first chicks in 3 weeks. At what age can we start feeding fermented feed?