FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[TexasLisa]

I use fermented feed. A trick you could try when feeding them is to sprinkle some of their dry food on top.

Good luck!

 

[rosemarythyme]

I was excited to try out fermenting food for the chickens. Started with a one gallon glass jar with a lid. Right away it became smelly and now on the third day after rinsing a great deal, it was horrible and the chickens wouldn't eat it. I threw the whole batch out after adding lots of beans and grains to it. What a waste. I will try it once more, a much smaller amount, and see if it turns out at all. Very disappointing.

For starters I would start with a much smaller amount until you get used to doint it, and do NOT lid it - you can rest the lid lightly on it but you're risking an actual explosion if you screw it on. I leave my jar uncovered.

I think a lot of people way overcomplicate it. Only add enough water for the feed to absorb, you want a thick oatmeal consistency - amount of water will vary by feed by for my ferment in spring temperatures I only add enough water to go over the feed by about 1/2". Start feeding it after 24 hours, there's no reason to wait 3 days, nor should you be rinsing it (you're rinsing out all the vitamins and minerals).

Many beans are poisonous unless cooked.

 

[linNorma]

I tried to ferment Scratch & Peck seeds. Quart bottle, water, stones to keep grains from floating. Capped with lid for sprouting seeds. NOTHING happened.
Maybe too much air escaped????

 

[LaurenRitz]

I tried to ferment Scratch & Peck seeds. Quart bottle, water, stones to keep grains from floating. Capped with lid for sprouting seeds. NOTHING happened.
Maybe too much air escaped????

Try putting a bit of milk in the first batch. You're looking for lactobaccilus and without a boost it might take some time for the bacteria to develop. I'm guessing you sterilized everything before you started. If that is the case it will take longer.

 

[Perris]

I tried to ferment Scratch & Peck seeds

what are the ingredients listed on the pack?
Have they been treated to stop them sprouting (as some bird feed has)?

stones to keep grains from floating

unnecessary; do you know which seeds are floating? most should sink.

Capped with lid for sprouting seeds

unnecessary; a tea towel would do fine.

Maybe too much air escaped????

beneficial microbiota that are going to create the ferment are on the seeds or on your hands or will float in on the air, just as with making sourdough. Or you can fast track it by adding lactobacilli via a spoon or two of plain natural *live* yogurt added to the water. You do not want to exclude air.

PS welcome to BYC @linNorma

 

[rosemarythyme]

I tried to ferment Scratch & Peck seeds. Quart bottle, water, stones to keep grains from floating. Capped with lid for sprouting seeds. NOTHING happened.
Maybe too much air escaped????

No need for the stones. Do NOT tightly cap or lid the container, it can actually be dangerous if pressure builds up from CO2 as it can explode. Plus the ferment needs to breathe.

When you say "nothing happened" what were you expecting to see? During most of the year my ferment simply looks like wet food.

 

[Batzilla]

I tried to ferment Scratch & Peck seeds. Quart bottle, water, stones to keep grains from floating. Capped with lid for sprouting seeds. NOTHING happened.
Maybe too much air escaped????

I have been fermenting S&P for months (I also add some hemp seeds as well), and I also will ferment Grubbly Farms. I do believe the current batch is Grubbly, but the procedure it exactly the same and looks the same as it progresses. I use a large glass wide month mason jar, add 2 cups of feed, HOT water, and a hefty splash of apple cider vinegar (with mother). The water must be about an inch or two above the feed at first and you must keep the feed moist as you ferment. I mix well and I don’t cover it, and I stick it in the pantry. Every day I mix each bottle using a wooden spoon and I usually feed the bottle by day 4. It should have a sharp vinegary-type smell as it ferments, but not a rotten yucky sharp smell if that makes sense? And you should never see mold. The attached photo shows three jars I have going right now. #1 on the right is my oldest jar, it will be 4 days tomorrow. #2 is second oldest, it will be 3 days tomorrow, and #3 is the jar I just started about an hour ago. By tomorrow AM, jar #3 will have no water at the top as the feed will have absorbed it all. I will then add a small amount of HOT water to it and mix. I pretty much feed fermented daily, but some days I do skip for whatever reason. Each jar feeds 12 pullets/hens for the day.