FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[RoseMarie1]

None of us know what we are doing here....just wingin' it and hopin' for a safe landing! So far, so good. I'm loving this method and hope you will too....I just got my first taste of old DP hens that have been eating this FF for the past year and the taste of the meat is phenomenal. I must admit that I hadn't expected that side effect and am delighted! The strong odor and flavor of the meat from the older free ranged hen is now just aromatic and mild, very flavorful and juicy...best tasting chicken I've ever eaten, bar none..and that's saying a lot. I imagine this is much what the famous Bresse chickens must taste like after being finished out on buttermilk.

lol Bee I'm sure thinking about getting me some meat birds for the spring to feed out. What would you suggest and how long would I need to feed them for before I slaughtered them? You've said the CX before so I'm assuming those but does folks raise these to sale as chicks or they have to be bought from poultry places?
ALSO remind me of what CX stands for again? Sorry!

 

[kpgoldstar]

I just realized, when I made my trough feeder out of my left over PVC gutter, I attached a 2X4 on the bottom to raise it up off the floor more and added stabilizing feet. I attached these with screws which are metal. Altho they are deck screws and seem to have paint covering them. Is this enough metal to create a problem with the ff?

I also have a feeder that has some sort of screw in the bottom. Just those 4 small screws and the length of time the ff is in there, I don't worry about it. It is from the hardware store but in the office dept. It measures about 2" x 7" and is about 2" deep made of plastic like to hold pencils in a desk drawer. We have it hung from the run with zip ties and are planning to raise it up a few inches tomorrow as my girls are growing. We did just reposition our waterer from the bed of the run to 2 stacked 2 x 2's and there is significantly less dirt, sand and poo than before.

 

[kpgoldstar]

I think I might be over feeding too. I don't have access to free ranging here. My birds only get what I feed them. They are young too. Ranging in age from 2-3.5 months old. I feed them 3 times a day mostly. Sometimes just twice a day. Each time I feed them they of course act starving. They get about 12-15 cups of ff a day. But they don't have access to any grass or bugs or anything else really. Is that about a right amt of food. I have 20 chicks. I have
4 bantams, 3 Cochins , 1 silkie
1 welsummer,
1 basque,
1 BLR Wyandotte
3 brahmas
1 Americana
9 Easter Egger.

Do you think I'm over feeding?

Thanks!

Although my chicks are barely younger than yours, 8 weeks this Tuesday, I feed only twice a day. Morning they get a little over a cup, and evening on the lawn they get about 1/2c. Three times feeding is too much in my opinion. I only have 4 birds, but if we multiply that by 5, 20 chicks like you have I would give 5-6 cups in the morning. Mine get to free-range but only about 45 min now that the days are so much shorter. And I live in the middle of the driest desert in the US so there aren't many bugs or worms to be had, mostly grass. They do run and fly all over the place so they are expending energy. After I force them to forage for a time, their snack is another 1/2 c or more of ff. It is more than enough. They attack me when I put it down like they are starving. But soon they are off again playing in the lawn.
If it was me and my flock I would do twice a day since they can't get out. 5-6 cups in AM then 3 cups around 4-5 or about an hour before what your chicks consider bedtime.

 

[Beekissed]

lol Bee I'm sure thinking about getting me some meat birds for the spring to feed out. What would you suggest and how long would I need to feed them for before I slaughtered them? You've said the CX before so I'm assuming those but does folks raise these to sale as chicks or they have to be bought from poultry places?
ALSO remind me of what CX stands for again? Sorry!

CX stands for Cornish Cross..they are called all kinds of names but mostly are referred to as CX. They are the most frequently sold and raised as broilers in this nation. You can get them as chicks from just about any of the well known hatcheries and you can get them in the spring at Tractor Supply Stores. You'll not be able to find them from a breeder...these are patented genetics from several crosses and you just can't achieve that in a backyard situation.

You can feed them as long as you want if you do it right....I'd shoot for 12 wks if you can stand having them around that long. Some people don't like them due to the poop production and they are always underfoot when you go to feed. Feeding FF and using DL will mean you won't be complaining too much about poop smells and such, but they are a different breed of cat at the feeder...like sharks, they are, so you'll need to feed them separately than your layer flock or your layer birds won't get a mouthful. Best to feed the CX first and then the layers.

Since you live in a warmer climate, you'll want to get them as early in the spring as you possibly can...they stay warmer than regular chicks in cooler temps and it's the heat they don't like, so the earlier you get them, the better.

All the birds I've seen from TSC sources have been bigger broilers, so I'd stick with those if you can, though their chick prices are a tad higher than other places. It's worth it for the better birds.

Restricted feeds, fresh water, free range if you can and you'll be golden. Get them out sooner than later on range if you want them to learn to forage well. Your layer flock will show them how it's done and they will catch on fast if they are hungry enough.

 

[RoseMarie1]

CX stands for Cornish Cross..they are called all kinds of names but mostly are referred to as CX. They are the most frequently sold and raised as broilers in this nation. You can get them as chicks from just about any of the well known hatcheries and you can get them in the spring at Tractor Supply Stores. You'll not be able to find them from a breeder...these are patented genetics from several crosses and you just can't achieve that in a backyard situation.

You can feed them as long as you want if you do it right....I'd shoot for 12 wks if you can stand having them around that long. Some people don't like them due to the poop production and they are always underfoot when you go to feed. Feeding FF and using DL will mean you won't be complaining too much about poop smells and such, but they are a different breed of cat at the feeder...like sharks, they are, so you'll need to feed them separately than your layer flock or your layer birds won't get a mouthful. Best to feed the CX first and then the layers.

Since you live in a warmer climate, you'll want to get them as early in the spring as you possibly can...they stay warmer than regular chicks in cooler temps and it's the heat they don't like, so the earlier you get them, the better.

All the birds I've seen from TSC sources have been bigger broilers, so I'd stick with those if you can, though their chick prices are a tad higher than other places. It's worth it for the better birds.

Restricted feeds, fresh water, free range if you can and you'll be golden. Get them out sooner than later on range if you want them to learn to forage well. Your layer flock will show them how it's done and they will catch on fast if they are hungry enough.

IF I get them before the spring then that would be even better. 12 weeks, hmmmmmm they sound like sharks! But they do well once slaughtered in size/weight and all? If I got them the latter part of Dec. then I could slaughter them in say the latter part of march and it's not to hot here then. I could do a few first and then a few more until I got them all done. We love chicken and I just hate buying it in town.

OK I have found a place that sells Cornish Rocks is this the same thing? They had them labeled under broilers.
It says this on there: Cornish Rocks are fast growing broiler crosses that are efficient producers of broiler meat. When broiler rations are fed, producers can expect a six pound broiler in six weeks or less. When growth rate exceeds genetic potential, Ascite, fluid in the body cavity, and/or leg weakness may result and it may be necessary to restrict the feed to slow down the growth rate. "Cornish Rock Hens" are Cornish Rock females fed a high energy - high fat ration and processed when they are 4 to 5 weeks of age.

 

[Beekissed]

Yep...that's CX. But...don't believe everything you read about them on those sites and even on here. Go slow and low, use common sense on feeding and getting them exercise early on and they are healthy as horses.

 

[niqueie]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I'm excited to save money by lowering feed portions. Those birds just acted so starved all the time. I wasn't sure about limiting them. I'm glad to know now. They are so funny.

I have started the deep litter method in the coop and have a layer of wood shavings and a layer of straw too in the coop. The shed style coop is 8.5 x10.5'. The run is 20'x30' and the coop is inside the run. Right now the run only has a native sandy gritty soil with thousands of rocks. But I'm trying to get some mulch and leaves and clippings in it. We have been so busy trying to build the coop and run, I just feel so happy to have them in the coop instead of a jimmy-rigged fenced area in my side yard. We are in a sizable (for San Diego) suburban lot of 1/3 acre. Hopefully the birds will be feeling more free to find bugs and such soon.

 

[Beekissed]

That sounds like the same kind of soil that Rosemarie was dealing with and you should see what using deep litter in her run has done to her soils!

They are now dark and loamy looking instead of yellow, hard packed sandy soil. And that's for just the short time she has been implementing the DL. Looser, more nutrient rich soils draws in bugs, worms and good bacteria....you'll love it when you get it going because it also absorbs water better. With feeding the FF, the manure is more digested and is more easily composted, so your run will soon smell like nothing much but dirt. No chicken smells. Yay!!!

 

[pegm]

KP, I highly recommend checking out chicken nipples. I got mine from Brite Tap and the water stays clean and clear, and lasts for a week or more depending on how many chickens you have and how big a container you use. No poop, dirt or anything else. Just clear, clean water. No more cleaning out those disgusting waterers for me

 

[Beekissed]

I love them too and wish I had known about them many years ago...makes life better. I'm currently using a cup nipple on a bucket for my big flock with the bucket sitting in a heated dog bowl...going to see if this setup will keep the nipple lever from freezing this winter. If not, I'll aim a light bulb at that nipple to see if I can keep it thawed for the winter. Love the ease of clean water all the time!