FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[marktoo]

I've been feeding FF & free choice pellets for about 19 weeks now. I recently switched to just FF, hadn't quite worked out the proper amount to feed yet. Last week I noticed their intake started to drop off, at first I thought, OK, back off on the amount a bit but then they quit altogether. I gave them some pellets, clearly they were very hungry. In the past they would always finish the FF offered & nipple the pellets, now they won't touch the FF.

This stuff doesn't look or smell any different to me, been feeding the same batch form day 1, adding feed & water as required but clearly something has changed.
Just pellets, BOSS & water, as I dish it out I usually add some fresh garlic & cayenne. I recently switched to a larger container & moved it outside in the shade. The temps are warmer outside but I've always kept the mixture submerged & there's no fuzzy stuff growing.

I plan to try feeding the components separately just to see what happens & perhaps start a new batch but any thoughts on the matter would be appreciated.

 

[Beekissed]

I've been feeding FF & free choice pellets for about 19 weeks now. I recently switched to just FF, hadn't quite worked out the proper amount to feed yet. Last week I noticed their intake started to drop off, at first I thought, OK, back off on the amount a bit but then they quit altogether. I gave them some pellets, clearly they were very hungry. In the past they would always finish the FF offered & nipple the pellets, now they won't touch the FF.

This stuff doesn't look or smell any different to me, been feeding the same batch form day 1, adding feed & water as required but clearly something has changed.
Just pellets, BOSS & water, as I dish it out I usually add some fresh garlic & cayenne. I recently switched to a larger container & moved it outside in the shade. The temps are warmer outside but I've always kept the mixture submerged & there's no fuzzy stuff growing.

I plan to try feeding the components separately just to see what happens & perhaps start a new batch but any thoughts on the matter would be appreciated.

Here's your change..and it's a good one, so don't fear. The warmer the temps and the bigger the batch, the deeper the feed ferments. I've seen this in my own flock and I can tell you to let them back off of the feed...but do not offer the pellets. Just take your feed amounts down until they clean it up. The more it ferments, the more nutrition it is making as more amino acids are produced...thus they seem to need less feed.

Trust me...they will not starve. I was feeding the regular amounts and they were cleaning it up, but I noticed they weren't free ranging all day...just sitting at the back door waiting for supper to arrive, fat as hogs. As summer deepened, the fatter they got, though I had not increased their feed amounts. They also became less active and preferred to sit and wait...this tells me the nutrition they were getting the night before was sustaining them all day long! Oh, they might forage a bit but they weren't doing as usual.

Understand, I know this flock...I know them like I know my own children. Half of them I have had for 6 years so I know their habits...but this is their first summer on FF. This I am still learning....

So..I've cut their feed by half..even less than that. They were getting 4 c. of FF for 14 birds...they are now getting 1.5 cups. They are out foraging now all day long, slimming down and looking good!

Imagine a dish of food that has 500 calories that you eat every day, same amounts of food. Then, as the temps grow warm, the nutrition is being even more converted to a perfect protein and the same amount of food is now holding 1000 calories. That's what is happening to our birds right now....Rosemarie1 had the same problem and the only way we found out was because our flocks normally free range for most of their nutrition and they weren't wanting to free range any longer...just wait for food. That's not a sign of a hungry bird, that's the sign of a bird not hungry enough.

My advice is to take away the pellets and cut the FF rations by half and watch to see what happens...could be magic! I am using almost NO feed right now. At this rate, I'll be able to really save on feed for the rest of the summer.

Oh...and my egg count went up by one egg..and my whole flock is in molt, egg shells got stronger too...just by cutting back on that rich FF a little.

 

[marktoo]

Thanks Bee, I'll give it a shot but I dunno, they turned off of this so quickly, it really surprised me & they really woofed down those pellets when offered. I was just thinking something went wrong with the ferment somehow, wasn't giving up just planning to regroup but I'll be much happier if this works out .

Unfortunately these gals don't get to free range. They have a tractor & a run, the run varies in size depending on the location of the tractor. My wife & I just moved them to a new location. I put some pics here https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/751672/byc-gardening-thread/530#post_11948029 ( it's actually post 535, couldn't get the address to change ) showing what they reduced their new digs to in 24 hrs. I know it won't surprise you veterans but it sure amazed me. Anyone contemplating allowing their birds to run amok in their veggie garden should take heed.

Thanks again for the advice, it is greatly appreciated.

 

[Beekissed]

Chickens like variety, so I'm not surprised when they woofed down the pellets and left the FF. Just don't present them with a choice and cut their rations and you should see some clean plates soon.

 

[tcmstalcup]

[/IMG][/IMG]a few shots of my feed set up under the carport

 

[tcmstalcup]

 

[tcmstalcup]

I did a lot of research -due diligence-before starting the FF program. I am mobility challenged so needed it to work easily for me. Managing FF has so much to do with environment. I am in West Texas. Hot and semi arid. I got buckets from the bakery at a large grocery store for free. I dump a few coffee cans of feed in there. Feed here is scratch, turkey grower and laying pellets. I add a few glugs of UP/ACV and fill with water from the hose. It cooks here very quickly cuz it HOT in Texas. Sometimes I just scoop feed out of the bucket and sometimes I drain it in a bucket. Depending on time and what is going on around here. Usually do gardening chores while it drains. I feed about a bucket full. Smaller bucket in pic. I have about 40 birds. I don't count my son's 6 OEGBs and 3 Dutch bantams because they are just too tiny and useless to count! I never measure anything. I adjust how much I feed to what they ate the day before. It is so dry here nothing molds poured out in their feeders. It just dries out. They mob for it usually in the morning. If they didn't it would be too bad since my policy is "eat what your served or do without" for animals and son. I knew if if didn't work for me I could just throw it out and go back to dry. Not much to lose. My birds are sooo healthy. Dense soft feathering, nice weights etc. I could really tell how healthy they were when I butchered extra roos. My son has a real problem with my commenting how healthy a bird is that is dead on my butcher table. LOL

 

[marktoo]

Chickens like variety, so I'm not surprised when they woofed down the pellets and left the FF. Just don't present them with a choice and cut their rations and you should see some clean plates soon.

They ate their FF, they were none too happy about it but they ate it. I was concerned that there was something they sensed about it that I didn't but that made no sense to me cause it looked & smelled ok. I was almost afraid to make them eat it if they didn't want it but I know it's better for them. Nuthin like having a war of attrition with a bunch of chickens.

Well, back on track! Thanks!

 

[Beekissed]

Chickens are a little like kids...if they are hungry enough they'll eat just about anything, but if given the choice they only eat their favorites. Just think on it as making kids eat their healthy veggies instead of dessert.

 

[RoseMarie1]

Here's your change..and it's a good one, so don't fear. The warmer the temps and the bigger the batch, the deeper the feed ferments. I've seen this in my own flock and I can tell you to let them back off of the feed...but do not offer the pellets. Just take your feed amounts down until they clean it up. The more it ferments, the more nutrition it is making as more amino acids are produced...thus they seem to need less feed.

Trust me...they will not starve. I was feeding the regular amounts and they were cleaning it up, but I noticed they weren't free ranging all day...just sitting at the back door waiting for supper to arrive, fat as hogs. As summer deepened, the fatter they got, though I had not increased their feed amounts. They also became less active and preferred to sit and wait...this tells me the nutrition they were getting the night before was sustaining them all day long! Oh, they might forage a bit but they weren't doing as usual.

Understand, I know this flock...I know them like I know my own children. Half of them I have had for 6 years so I know their habits...but this is their first summer on FF. This I am still learning....

So..I've cut their feed by half..even less than that. They were getting 4 c. of FF for 14 birds...they are now getting 1.5 cups. They are out foraging now all day long, slimming down and looking good!

Imagine a dish of food that has 500 calories that you eat every day, same amounts of food. Then, as the temps grow warm, the nutrition is being even more converted to a perfect protein and the same amount of food is now holding 1000 calories. That's what is happening to our birds right now....Rosemarie1 had the same problem and the only way we found out was because our flocks normally free range for most of their nutrition and they weren't wanting to free range any longer...just wait for food. That's not a sign of a hungry bird, that's the sign of a bird not hungry enough.

My advice is to take away the pellets and cut the FF rations by half and watch to see what happens...could be magic! I am using almost NO feed right now. At this rate, I'll be able to really save on feed for the rest of the summer.

Oh...and my egg count went up by one egg..and my whole flock is in molt, egg shells got stronger too...just by cutting back on that rich FF a little.

yep she's right. Mine actually started free ranging better to. Although right now they are a little gun shy due to their is less of them since all those cockerels are gone. But today I noticed them inching their way on out farther away from the pen so they're getting a little more confident about getting on out now.

And speaking of cockerels, I had no idea HOW MUCH those boogers were eating!

I have cut their food in less than half since they're gone and I am STILL having left overs at night time. Trying to get the amount right now and have had left overs 3 nights in a row now and I have drastically cut it down and am still having left overs. I will get it right soon though because it's less and less each night.