FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[Audio51]

Pdirt....how do I keep the screen in the bottom of the bucket? If I just set it in there it comes out each time I dump the feed into the feeder.

 

[Beekissed]

Here's a simple thing...just make your FF in a picnic cooler and leave it right in the coop where you feed and just scoop directly out of it. Simplifies life greatly to do so...no screens, no straining, no holes, nothing but a container, FF and a scoop.

 

[kpgoldstar]

Does it matter whethere the Chick Starter is medicated or not?

I really don't know the answer to that but I use non-medicated.

 

[Audio51]

Here's a simple thing...just make your FF in a picnic cooler and leave it right in the coop where you feed and just scoop directly out of it. Simplifies life greatly to do so...no screens, no straining, no holes, nothing but a container, FF and a scoop.

Bee....how do you drain the excess liquid out that way?

 

[Audio51]

It matters whether you want a thiamine blocker in your feed or not.

Not sure what that means.....

 

[Beekissed]

Not sure what that means.....

The medication in medicated feeds is amprollium, a thiamine blocker, that inhibits the uptake of thiamine which is supposed to control the overgrowth of coccidia in the bowels. You won't need it when feeding FF as the bacteria/yeasts in the LABs and acetobacter that are in the feed and also colonizing the bird's bowels emit a chemical when they metabolize that also inhibits the overgrowth of bacteria like coccidiosis, salmonella, e.coli, etc. Or so all the studies say.

Thiamine is important for immune system health, nervous system health and reproductive health, so amprollium is not something one would want to feed to chicks that are trying to develop a hardy immune system.

 

[Audio51]

The medication in medicated feeds is amprollium, a thiamine blocker, that inhibits the uptake of thiamine which is supposed to control the overgrowth of coccidia in the bowels. You won't need it when feeding FF as the bacteria/yeasts in the LABs and acetobacter that are in the feed and also colonizing the bird's bowels emit a chemical when they metabolize that also inhibits the overgrowth of bacteria like coccidiosis, salmonella, e.coli, etc. Or so all the studies say.

Thiamine is important for immune system health, nervous system health and reproductive health, so amprollium is not something one would want to feed to chicks that are trying to develop a hardy immune system.

Thanks Beekissed!

 

[beverly evans]

Quote:
You use a strainer as your scooper.

 

[Beekissed]

Bee....how do you drain the excess liquid out that way?

My feeder has holes drilled in the bottom and sits on a little bit of a slant, which allows it to drain if it needs to do so. But, primarily, mine is not soupy...I keep mine thick so there isn't a lot of fluid to drain off in the first place. The scoop has holes drilled in it but I rarely if ever wait until that drains out anything...not when I have a feeder that acts as a strainer.

 

[pdirt]

Pdirt....how do I keep the screen in the bottom of the bucket? If I just set it in there it comes out each time I dump the feed into the feeder.

You could use a scoop instead of tipping the bucket over. Or use a couple zip ties to sew the screen on through a couple holes in the bottom.

Here's a simple thing...just make your FF in a picnic cooler and leave it right in the coop where you feed and just scoop directly out of it. Simplifies life greatly to do so...no screens, no straining, no holes, nothing but a container, FF and a scoop.

I'm going to move to this method! Next time I find a good deal on a cooler at at thrift store, this'll be it! Bee, how cold is it in your area? I mean, I'm thinking the cooler should keep the FF from freezing in a giant brick for at least a few days in our 15-20F temps here.