FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[Farmergreen]

It's bears that go after the feed and compost here between electric fencing and close coopI at night i do the best I can to protect. I feed in coop am and pm and compost in middle of run. I'm still trying to figure out amounts of feed.

Hey glad to have you. I have been raising Birds for 50+ and I learn somehting new on here all the time. Emplimented some of the new idea's. I learned Old School from my Granddad. Hard to do now days. Lot's of new ways to get Old school Results! Ask Away There is somebody on here that knows the answer

 

[Linlou]

Also...it sort of sounds like your birds are spoiled with too much food.     I've never met a chicken that wouldn't eat whatever I put in the feeder.  Take away continuous portions and only dish out once a day what they can consume in 15-30 min.  Soon they will be haunting your steps for anything you throw down for feed.

 

[Linlou]

This is probably a really dumb question, but could you use dry oatmeal in the fermented mix? And if you just use water to start the mix how long does it take to ferment?

 

[Beekissed]

This is probably a really dumb question, but could you use dry oatmeal in the fermented mix? And if you just use water to start the mix how long does it take to ferment?

Sure can and it will depend on ambient temps and how many wild yeast cultures are present in the air where your feed mix will be. The studies say that it takes 8-15 hrs for these cultures to grow but others are reporting widely varying times when they could see and smell the evidence of fermentation going on in their feeds. I know if I take a couple of scoops of flour and place it in water and wait...within a couple of days I see bubbles and smell a sweet/sour smell coming from the mix as the wild yeasts are starting to feed on the sugars in the flour if the ambient temps are at room temp.

 

[Linlou]

Thanks for the information! I will see if I can get some started tomorrow. I am really new to all of this but I sure have enjoyed all my chickens and guineas.

 

[amyandkids]

I know this is chicken thread but I wanted to ask, my chickens are doing absolutely wonderfull on f.f., so I am getting 2 piglets in 3 days do y'all know if I can make f.f. the same way with the feed pellets, water& a.c.v.?
also just wanted to tell how I hatched 2 of my own eggs from f.f. fed parents and the chicks have been on f.f. since hatch, I see a HUGE difference in the chicks then dry fed parents. The chicks are much more active and don't clean the feed dish as many times, havnt had pasty bum at all, and the brooder smells a lot less!! THANK ALL OF YOU!!!! this thread has been sooo helpful

I give y'all high fives!!

 

[Beekissed]

I know this is chicken thread but I wanted to ask, my chickens are doing absolutely wonderfull on f.f., so I am getting 2 piglets in 3 days do y'all know if I can make f.f. the same way with the feed pellets, water& a.c.v.?
also just wanted to tell how I hatched 2 of my own eggs from f.f. fed parents and the chicks have been on f.f. since hatch, I see a HUGE difference in the chicks then dry fed parents. The chicks are much more active and don't clean the feed dish as many times, havnt had pasty bum at all, and the brooder smells a lot less!! THANK ALL OF YOU!!!! this thread has been sooo helpful

I give y'all high fives!!

YAY! We've been wondering about the health and vigor of the chicks hatched from FF fed parentage, due to the enormous yolks we are seeing on this method of feeding. Good to know it does make a difference in the offspring's vigor and health as well.

Feeding fermented feeds to pigs goes back to the beginning of time, as pigs, like chickens, are monogastric animals and have difficulty digesting grain feeds to the fullest extent. You will get the same results with the pigs as you have with the chickens...less feed consumption, better health, better nutrient absorption, less bad smells in the feces, less water consumption. With pigs it doesn't matter about a thicker consistency as much, as they do well with a slop consistency and derive their moisture from it fed that way.

You'll need a much bigger system to do FF for hogs, so you might contemplate using a 30 gal. trash can for your fermentation, no straining...just dip in your bucket, serve nice and sloppy.

Keeping in line with an all natural husbandry, you can place soapy water in their trough on occasion to help them shed worms(doesn't have to be real soapy...a little dab will do ya...my granny used lye soap to do dishes and just fed the dish water), as well as throw some chunks of charred wood in the pen so they can gnaw on them...both good ways to combat intestinal worms in pigs. If you can gather pumpkins from folks who have used them for decoration this fall, it's another way of giving them extra nutrition and a natural dewormer at the same time. It will save you money on feed and be a healthy supplement. You can even ask at your local grocery store for any of their left over pumpkins or those that spoil....spoiled and fermented are even better!

 

[amyandkids]

Thank you bee! I will post pics of my ff babies later today

 

[amyandkids]

these yellow chicks hatched aug.29th. they r bantam over white leghorn the top pic is the baby from her very first egg!!!! there down is so shiny, and they sleep less than my other babies do,i will never go back to non f.f.!!!! and all my f.f. babies hatched on day 20!

this black chick hatched aug. 25, half black copper maran with something else, a friend gave me, the parents did not eat f.f. he lacks the shiny down and hes not as energetic, also he has had pasty bum already!! but he does eat f.f.!!

 

[Beekissed]

Those two are some mighty big chicks to be out of a bantam and a WL!!! I just knew it would yield a bigger, stronger chick! I can't wait to see how others chicks come out on this method of feeding because it could be a whole generation of stronger, healthier birds coming up merely because of better nutrition in the egg.

Thank you for the pics!