FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[azygous]

Well, the troops are still gobbling the stuff down. This stuff doesn't smell like it's a bad bacteria problem so I'll feed it all out of the buckets and the new buckets will be sans raisins. That's the only thing I can think that might be causing this. I'm a little concerned it has methane in it and might cause an explosion if I let it get into the kitchen where the water heater is!

Maybe by tomorrow the gas will have subsided.

It's a comfort, Bee, you're monitoring this thread so closely. Thanks for the help!

 

[kpgoldstar]

Well, the troops are still gobbling the stuff down. This stuff doesn't smell like it's a bad bacteria problem so I'll feed it all out of the buckets and the new buckets will be sans raisins. That's the only thing I can think that might be causing this. I'm a little concerned it has methane in it and might cause an explosion if I let it get into the kitchen where the water heater is!

Maybe by tomorrow the gas will have subsided.

It's a comfort, Bee, you're monitoring this thread so closely. Thanks for the help!

I am just a newbie and I only have 4 chicks that I use strictly chick starter and water for my ff. I have heard however that the feather fixer causes an absolutely disgusting smell when fermented. Perhaps that is your problem?

 

[Beekissed]

I don't know what Feather Fixer is, exactly, but the FF is sort of the ultimate feather fixer in and of itself, so no help needed. Maybe we should sell it and make a lot of money from folks who need their feathers fixed!

 

[azygous]

Feather Fixer is a very pricey feed that's 18% protein and has prebiotics and probiotics added, and it's supposed to be very good for feather re-growth during molt.

I got the bag out and read the list of ingredients. It would set Bee's hair on fire! Everything but the kitchen sink is in there! But get this. One of the ingredients is yeast culture. Want to bet that's my culprit? I'm pretty sure that's causing the smelly gas!

So, next buckets will begin from scratch without raisins and Feather Fixer. Just water and feed and scratch grains and BOSS and a boost from a few glugs of ACV.

 

[Beekissed]

Now yer talkin'. The FF has the probios and prebios and it increases the absorption and utilization of the proteins you currently feed so you don't need all that fancy fartin' stuff anyhoo. Just the FF. Relax back into the cheap and simple life!

 

[Tikkijane]

How warm does it need to be to get a batch started?

Does anyone use just feed (w/o BOSS)?

I love the cooler idea. I have 3 separate coops, and I couldn't imagine the cooler inside with them getting pooped on. How do you keep it clean, Bee? Is there any way to keep it from freezing if it's just outside?

My other concern is keeping up with feed demands. I've got 14 bantams, 40 lf, and 12 guineas. How big of a cooler do I need to keep them fed and fermenting working?

 

[kpgoldstar]

Feather Fixer is a very pricey feed that's 18% protein and has prebiotics and probiotics added, and it's supposed to be very good for feather re-growth during molt.

I got the bag out and read the list of ingredients. It would set Bee's hair on fire! Everything but the kitchen sink is in there! But get this. One of the ingredients is yeast culture. Want to bet that's my culprit? I'm pretty sure that's causing the smelly gas!

So, next buckets will begin from scratch without raisins and Feather Fixer. Just water and feed and scratch grains and BOSS and a boost from a few glugs of ACV.

I have heard of others using the feather fixer in their ff and literally is so bad smelling makes one want to hurl.

 

[azygous]

Well, I've certainly learned my lesson. KISS. Keep It Simple Stupid!

 

[Beekissed]

How warm does it need to be to get a batch started?

Does anyone use just feed (w/o BOSS)?

I love the cooler idea. I have 3 separate coops, and I couldn't imagine the cooler inside with them getting pooped on. How do you keep it clean, Bee? Is there any way to keep it from freezing if it's just outside?

My other concern is keeping up with feed demands. I've got 14 bantams, 40 lf, and 12 guineas. How big of a cooler do I need to keep them fed and fermenting working?

Around 50* and up seems to be just fine. I normally use just feed....only in the late fall/winter do I add any BOSS, then back to just layer ration in the late winter/spring.

It isn't clean...it's covered with dust. But...it has a lid that keeps the dust out of the feed and that's alright with me. Nothing in a coop is "clean" when there are chickens involved, so I just go with the flow. My cooler is just like being outside as the wall it sits along is just wire and air, so the cooler keeps it from freezing...at least it has in the teens and twenties, not sure how it will do when we get the single digits. I'll let you know.

This cooler holds more than twice as much as my 5 gal. bucket and I fed 54 meat birds out of the bucket last spring, so I think you are safe on feed demands seeing as how some of your birds are only half of a bird....

I think your standard cooler will be just fine. I'm currently feeding 23 LF out of this cooler of mine and I barely reach over the half way point when I batch and I can feed out of it over a week at a time. See how dusty it is? Can't be helped.

 

[Tikkijane]

Around 50* and up seems to be just fine. I normally use just feed....only in the late fall/winter do I add any BOSS, then back to just layer ration in the late winter/spring. It isn't clean...it's covered with dust. But...it has a lid that keeps the dust out of the feed and that's alright with me. Nothing in a coop is "clean" when there are chickens involved, so I just go with the flow. My cooler is just like being outside as the wall it sits along is just wire and air, so the cooler keeps it from freezing...at least it has in the teens and twenties, not sure how it will do when we get the single digits. I'll let you know. This cooler holds more than twice as much as my 5 gal. bucket and I fed 54 meat birds out of the bucket last spring, so I think you are safe on feed demands seeing as how some of your birds are only half of a bird.... I think your standard cooler will be just fine. I'm currently feeding 23 LF out of this cooler of mine and I barely reach over the half way point when I batch and I can feed out of it over a week at a time. See how dusty it is? Can't be helped.

I'll have to start it inside, looks like. Mine will roost and poop all over it if it's inside. Hmmm. So when do you add to keep your fermentation going? {I mean, get it started, feed for a week but when does next week's get started?} I really need to do this. The guinea poo gets to me, lol.