FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[Beekissed]

Question -- I was just wondering do you scoop your FF right off the top or do you stir it first then scoop. It seems all the good stuff is on top and should be mixed in first. Was just wondering what everyone else does.

The good stuff is all throughout the feed, wherever there is grain or moisture, you have the good guys....I always mix mine first anyway because I like to keep the top moistened and the mix moving, letting gases and fluid escape that might have gotten trapped in the middle.

I saw a post on FB yesterday that was meant for keeping climbing dogs from getting over fences but it would work great for keeping chickens off feeders too. It was a piece of PVC pipe threaded over a cable and aonther bigger PVC pipe slipped over that. If something tried to grab it (or perch on it) the outer pipe would spin over the inner pipe to they could not get traction or balance themselves.

That's genius!!!! I'll have to remember that one...though PVC is pretty pricy here.

Niquele, thanks for the description of how the sprouting trays work. It sounds a lot easier than the old fashioned jar method.

Audio, where did you find your 30 inch trough? What did the manufacturer call it? Did you have to buy it on line or did you find it at a feed store?

Bee, what do you think about mixing beet pulp into the FF? Would it be nutritionally beneficial? I'm having a time keeping up with these voracious hoards of mine. They're consuming around 12 cups of FF per day for 20 chickens, 8 cups in the morning and 4 cups more in the afternoon. I don't think I'm saving on the feed bill at all. Maybe beet pulp would stretch the FF. What is your expert opinion?

It couldn't hurt but it's not necessary. It is commonly used to fatten livestock but if your birds are consuming that much feed they are already eating enough for 24 chickens. Don't let the "voracious" act fool you....I have never owned a chicken that didn't act like that at feeding time, even if they had to waddle to get to the feeder. I'm feeding 10 LF birds 5 c. of feed per day and they are fat as hogs...but still act like their throats are cut when I go to feed.

Winter time is a hard time to measure feed cost savings as everyone feeds a little more than they normally would if the weather is particularly cold...and it is this year. But, I know I'd be feeding twice this much if I were feeding dry, so the feed savings are still there. Just got to resist the urge to feed bored and confined birds more food simply because they are standing around with nothing to do but eat. Throw some apples in the coop or a couple of handfuls of BOSS to keep them busy and it will be alright.

 

[Audio51]

That's genius!!!! I'll have to remember that one...though PVC is pretty pricy here.



Winter time is a hard time to measure feed cost savings as everyone feeds a little more than they normally would if the weather is particularly cold...and it is this year. But, I know I'd be feeding twice this much if I were feeding dry, so the feed savings are still there. Just got to resist the urge to feed bored and confined birds more food simply because they are standing around with nothing to do but eat. Throw some apples in the coop or a couple of handfuls of BOSS to keep them busy and it will be alright.

I'm thinking that fence topper would even be good for people who have critters that climb over their fence to get at chickens.

My girls give me that 'vocracious" act when I first bring them out ther FF in the morning too...but when I go out a couple of hours later to check for eggs, there is usually still a lttle left in the feeder. They don't get out to forage in the yard until it's all gone. I think they are learning that now and do a better job finishing it up.

 

[azygous]

I've been under the impression all this time that chickens won't consume more food than they need. So mine are over-eating at anything over 1/2 a cup per bird per day?

Maybe if I ferment the beet pulp separately and feed it to them as a sort of second meal later in the day, it would satisfy their so-called hunger. Can beet pulp be fermented all by itself? Or is it necessary? If I feed beet pulp in addition to 1/2 cup FF, will they be getting too much to eat?

I can't believe they've been fooling me into thinking they were starving!

 

[Beekissed]

I've been under the impression all this time that chickens won't consume more food than they need. So mine are over-eating at anything over 1/2 a cup per bird per day?

Maybe if I ferment the beet pulp separately and feed it to them as a sort of second meal later in the day, it would satisfy their so-called hunger. Can beet pulp be fermented all by itself? Or is it necessary? If I feed beet pulp in addition to 1/2 cup FF, will they be getting too much to eat?

I can't believe they've been fooling me into thinking they were starving!

Let's just say that 1/2 is usually sufficient to keep a bird in good condition if feeding a balanced ration. That 1/2 c. can even be too much in different seasons or if the winter is light, or if the feed ration rich.

Some breeds/chickens will most definitely consume more than they need...just like some humans and some mammals.

I've never fermented beet pulp but I'm sure it will ferment well as it's just carbs and fiber. I wouldn't bother unless you already have the beet pulp and want to play around, but I wouldn't buy beet pulp for that purpose unless it's cheap and you are trying to stretch your feeds.

 

[WalkingWolf1]

I'm thinking that fence topper would even be good for people who have critters that climb over their fence to get at chickens.

I'd love to see a video of a coon encountering this for the first time. Something tells me the coon would conquer in the end.

 

[kpgoldstar]

Question -- I was just wondering do you scoop your FF right off the top or do you stir it first then scoop. It seems all the good stuff is on top and should be mixed in first. Was just wondering what everyone else does.

I always stir well before scooping. Sometimes there is trapped water underneath.

 

[Tikkijane]

Why not buy a 10' gutter at Home Depot for under $10 and cut it in half.  The lid on a yogurt cup fits on the end.  Two 5' feeders under $10.  Learned this on BYC. 

That's what I did- 10ft = $6 + end caps. I have 4 different sections.

 

[Beekissed]

I did the same and used 6 ft. of trough for my meaties than knocked down that feeder to a 3 1/2 ft. for the layer flock. Now that's my spare feeder as I switched to a wooden one that I knocked together out of some 2x6s and my dad's old miter box. I really like the wooden one...more sturdy on the sides, though more shallow than I would like.

Here's an end view of a trough someone was making in the old style of hog troughs that I think would be a neat design for those feeding FF. It's just two boards joined in a "V" shape and then end caps that also double as the legs/feet of the trough.

 

[Faerie]

Another question.....for feeding FF to baby chicks, do I make sure there is always feed for them, or feed at certain times?

 

[niqueie]

I kept mine with food continually till they were 2 months.