FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[ChickenCanoe]

YES! I am concerned about GMOs in all the feed/groceries we buy. Hence, the chickens are on a feed with non-GMO grain, and no soy but fish meal for a protein source. I just can't bring myself to pay for the organic feed when it is a vegetarian product. ...

I've searched mills around here and have been unable to find non-GMO corn. The mill operators told me unless I get organic, it will be nearly impossible to get non-GMO.
The cheapest organic starter/grower I can get is only 16% protein so I add the 65% protein fishmeal to supplement.
My wholesaler also carries a 36% poultry concentrate that contains fish and pork meal and has all the vitamins and trace minerals chickens need and down the road, I may just switch to fermenting oats, wheat and other non-GMO seeds and add the concentrate. It has formulas on the label with ratios for mixing with grains to make either grower or finisher feed.

The problem I have is that most of the grains I can buy are at least as expensive as a bag of conventional feed.

The whole reason I decided to allow my daughter to get chicks was because I am trying to limit as much GMO food coming into my house/body as humanly possible. I firmly believe my generation has more health issues at younger ages than our parents. I am 52 and just in the past year, I can no longer drink orange juice. I causes severe stomach pain (even the supposedly freshly squeezed); however, I can eat oranges and drink juice I squeeze myself without problems. I firmly believe additives, and GMO's have caused my serious health issues. Thus, my chickens get non-GMO/Organic feed no matter the cost. I want HEALTHY eggs!!! And, yes, I ferment their organic mash.
I buy Organic milk, we bake as much bread as possible and cook from scratch more often than not. We grow our own vegetable garden (and share some of my neighbor's). I agree that I am still consuming some GMO food because I can't control it if/when we eat out and I can't find/afford to have all my food non-GMO/Organic. However, I am doing as much as possible. I have even begun asking friends to help in the cause by just choosing one grocery item to buy organic. My son has promised to switch to Organic milk. The food industry would get the message on how we feel about organic/natural foods very quickly if every single person just make a slight change.
I have also switched my pets to grain-free food. It seemed more and more of my 5 cats were throwing up their food and having problems. Hummm... should tell us something, right? We have not had that problem anymore. I am also adding a seaweed supplement to their food. The cats seem much better. I am going to start growing greens for them to chew on inside because I do not let my cats outside.

Organic is pricier but is becoming more available and as it does, I think prices will come down. I'm 10 years older than you. I think by cutting out all the junk, one can go organic and not spend much more because you don't need as much food if it is more wholesome.
Raising a garden helps a lot. (except for the drought year when water for the garden cost me as much as the produce at the grocer)
There is a farm about 2 miles from me that has organic, grass fed/grass finished angus beef sides and wholes. And buying a side brings the price down to that of conventional beef.
We switched our dog to grain free over a year ago.

On a side note, bless you for keeping your cats indoors. I wish everyone would.

This is a long GMO video but for those of you that are interested. It is alarming though.

 

[Beekissed]

Quote:
Now...let's pause and think about this for a moment. The fish meal and pork meal comes from animals you didn't raise and it's likely they were raised on GMO sourced grains...which means whatever you are trying to avoid in your meat and eggs is in their bodies and being fed to your stock. See where it all spirals down into the ridiculous after a bit?

 

[beverly evans]

I have to say, that after roughly 3 weeks on FF, I am impressed. Not much change in my big red birds, but my poor naked barred girls are suddenly growing feathers! They've been NAKED except for their necks and wing feathers (and like 2 tail feathers each) for AGES, even after upping their protein, putting them on Feather Fixer (man, that stuff is pricey), etc. One of them has so many pin feathers at once she looks like a zombie! Poor girl! LOL!

If I could catch them and take a photo, she'd totally go into the 'worst molt' photo contest, but it's not worth it to catch the crazy things.

Use your zoom! We'd so like to see her! Mine molt over a very long period and never look horrible. : )

 

[azygous]

Is hydrogen sulfide gas a common, harmless by-product of fermenting feed? I seem to be getting a lot of this very sulphur-smelling gas. I especially notice it during the first stages when fermentation has been taking place for about 24 hours after I mix the dry feed with water. Is this normal? Or am I doing something wrong?

Now that I have two buckets going, it's getting pretty powerful smelling in my garage.

 

[Beekissed]

I've never noticed anything such thing and I kept mine in my bedroom all last winter. Could be you have an ingredient in your feed that is causing that smell/gas when fermented?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Now...let's pause and think about this for a moment. The fish meal and pork meal comes from animals you didn't raise and it's likely they were raised on GMO sourced grains...which means whatever you are trying to avoid in your meat and eggs is in their bodies and being fed to your stock. See where it all spirals down into the ridiculous after a bit?

You're right about the porcine meal. The fishmeal however is menhaden from the sea so hasn't been fed GMO.

 

[azygous]

Bee, I think I may know what I'm doing wrong. In trying to get the mixture at the consistency I want, I haven't kept a layer of water on top. In other words, the mixture has become too dry.

I'm going to go add water and see if that helps. I sure hope so.

 

[Beekissed]

I don't keep a layer of water on top either, so I'm not sure if that's the answer. I keep mine pretty dry.

 

[azygous]

You're right, that's not it. Adding water just made it more obvious that the ferment is undergoing some heavy duty gas production. A regular witches brew!

I wonder if it's the raisins? Lot of sugars there. Could that be what's happening? I only added about a cup of raisins to a tall bucket. Or could it be the high protein feed? I just added quite a bit of Feather Fixer to my mix which has Flock Raiser as the main ingredient.

Believe me, this is something you would not have been able to live with in your bedroom all winter!

 

[Beekissed]

Could be I never encountered all these issues because I kept it simple....that's still my best advice. This fermentation takes simple feed and makes it super food..what could be better than that? Leave all those extras out and try it again and see if it don't go smooth sailin' from there on in.

Don't mess with a good thing, I always say.