FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[wlhtx]

It's supposed to smell bad. While I don't LIKE the smell, my husband is particularly offended by it. He will have nothing to do with the FF and has kicked it out of the house and shop altogether.

If yours has fish meal in it, others have really complained that having that ingredient really ups the horribleness of the smell.

My advice: Don't worry about the smell. I promise your birds will love it (though be warned that some are like toddlers and you have to get them past the initial aversion they may have to something new).

 

[Weasleymum]

It's supposed to smell bad. While I don't LIKE the smell, my husband is particularly offended by it. He will have nothing to do with the FF and has kicked it out of the house and shop altogether.

If yours has fish meal in it, others have really complained that having that ingredient really ups the horribleness of the smell.

My advice: Don't worry about the smell. I promise your birds will love it (though be warned that some are like toddlers and you have to get them past the initial aversion they may have to something new).

I'm glad that this was your response, because after giving it another sniff, I gave some to the chickens! I'm sick, so my sense of smell is off-kilter, and I have a really sensitive sense of smell anyway; I decided I was being too finicky.

Here I was ABOUT to protest that the feed I use did NOT have fish meal in it (ewww) but decided to check the ingredients online:

http://www.countrysideorganics.com/product.php?productid=135&cat=0&page=1&featured

Sure enough! Fish meal. I am going to assume that fish meal is a very high-quality addition to chicken feed, because this stuff is supposed to be the best.

Anyway, the chickens liked it just fine, so I guess I'll just keep going with it... I don't know what kind of results I'm looking for, because they're already really healthy-looking, so maybe just less waste? It would be nice if the fermented feed doesn't SPROUT in the yard like the regular feed does... I have everything from peas to corn trying to grow in my yard.

Thanks for the quick response!

 

[22qZoo]

WOW, you must have some nice dirt there!
The only volunteer sprouts we get in this hard Kansas clay is ragweed and thistles !

 

[Weasleymum]

WOW, you must have some nice dirt there!
The only volunteer sprouts we get in this hard Kansas clay is ragweed and thistles !

Kinda sorta. The natural soil is red clay (we're in central VA, foothills of the Blue Ridge mountains). Our backyard is in a very low area-- there used to be a natural spring two lots over that made a creek through it, that the city routed underground back in the 70's, if I understand my elderly neighbor correctly. Anyway, the soil doesn't drain very well but is pretty rich; basically a creekbottom without any water. The mosquitos there in the summer are awful!

 

[LOVEIGEE]

I saw this thread earlier in the week and was inspired. Tuesday I followed the instructions the best I could: dumped a bunch of feed into my big stoneware bowl, added water and about a tablespoon of ACV. Stirred it up, covered it loosely with a dishcloth to keep any flies or whatever out. Wednesday, stirred it. Thursday, stirred it. Today it smells BAD. Not funky, fermenty-bad but awful. WHAT did I do wrong?!

The feed is organic, soy-free layer feed from Countryside Organics. I know another member on this thread was fermenting that with no problem.

It's the kind of feed that looks like birdseed, or cereal-- actual grains, not pellets or crumbles-- and I added enough water so that when it soaked the water up, there was still a bit of water sloshing about.

Thoughts?

I use Countryside also......I have had to learn only to do what they will eat in a day......for some reason Countryside has a lot of fish meal in it......does it smell like pickled eggs? If it does, it's okay....promise....feed them, they love it.....

 

[Beekissed]

Quote:
You'll get to feed almost half of what you have been feeding, which is the bonus. You might also start feeding in a trough, so the feed doesn't go to waste on the ground. Fermented feed will sprout just like any other seed, as one of the stages seeds go through before sprouting is mild fermentation.

You'll also have less smell to the feces if you are feeding FF exclusively. You'll have better laying, better immune system health and faster recovery from molt. You'll even have bigger yolks and better tasting eggs.

These are just some of the things you can look for after starting to feed FF. Cool, huh?

 

[LOVEIGEE]

Hey BF

love you!

 

[Beekissed]

Hey BF

love you!

I love you right back!!! Wish you were here! Cool nights and beautiful days...so pretty it makes your heart ache!

 

[Windy Bay Farm]

I love you right back!!! Wish you were here! Cool nights and beautiful days...so pretty it makes your heart ache!

I want in on some of this love... Love all of you !

 

[Beekissed]

I want in on some of this love... Love all of you !

Here's a squudge for you too!!!

For the record, a squudge is between a squeeze and a hug, but better than a squidge.

I love you too, my friend!!!