FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[kpgoldstar]

Okay I have a question, im fermenting my feed in a house supplement bucket that I cleaned out, is that considered food grade if it was for horses? I have one pickle bucket that I can switch to but it's dirtier than the supplement buckets were and idk what it's dirty with so I was apprehensive (my bf brought it for me from work and didn't realize I wanted a clean one that was only used for pickles, and not one used for who knows what) the supplement buckets came from my aunt and they were only dusty so I didn't mind using them.
Also, im only fermenting my layer pellets and my chick grower (separately for the two flocks) with only a little flax added, is this good enough for my birds? They seem to be doing great, I give them kitchen scraps some scratch at night and cabbage to help with boredom and aboutonce a week they get sprouts. I'm just not sure if I should be adding grains to their ff

Since my girls have been 3 wks old they have been fed only chick starter and water ff feed. No grain, no additives. They are totally fat, sassy and very well fed. Just the last couple of weeks they have finally gotten kitchen scraps. When mine start to lay in a few weeks their ff will only be layer feed and water. For the first time since having mine I added Black Oil Sunflower Seeds. Ask Bee but I think it ups their protein intake. I gave it free first and they loved it so now it is in my ferment bucket and I will probably add a handful with each ff batch.

 

[KuroKitsune]

can ducks/ducklings have FF?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I don't know why not. Virtually anything can have it and since ducks nutrition requirements are similar, I'm sure it would be ok.

 

[Beekissed]

Since my girls have been 3 wks old they have been fed only chick starter and water ff feed. No grain, no additives. They are totally fat, sassy and very well fed. Just the last couple of weeks they have finally gotten kitchen scraps. When mine start to lay in a few weeks their ff will only be layer feed and water. For the first time since having mine I added Black Oil Sunflower Seeds. Ask Bee but I think it ups their protein intake. I gave it free first and they loved it so now it is in my ferment bucket and I will probably add a handful with each ff batch.

BOSS adds more fats than protein, though it does have nice protein it won't increase the total feed ration of it. I add BOSS in the fall and part of the winter for the fats they contain, as my birds lose their foraged fat source when the bugs go into hibernation.

 

[roostereggs]

I made both my layer and grower buckets of FF drier over the weekend and it is SO much easier to dish up now!

 

[Beekissed]

I made both my layer and grower buckets of FF drier over the weekend and it is SO much easier to dish up now!

Makes life easier, doesn't it?

 

[luvblues7]

I used to keep about an inch of water over the top of my fermenting feed. Then I found this thread and started keeping it dryer, but still needing a fine mesh strainer to dole out the feed. Wet, but not covered with water. As I have progressed, mine has become significantly drier at the start of each ferment. I have been using the same bucket for 4 months. I make enough for 4-5 days for my small flock of 4 gals not yet laying at 20 wks. It gets a little moister as I feed out each day. When there is only 1 day of feed left it can be fairly watery. That is the milky goodness (backslop) to which I add another 4 days of crumbles and water.

Keep toying with it and you will get it right. It's been a learning curve but so rewarding when you feel you've mastered it for your own situation and needs.

I told you I was a little thick headed sometimes. Somewhere I missed the post about not having to cover it with water. I have been trying to keep at least 1/2" to 1" of water on top of the FF at all times. It will be so much easier to manage without that much water floating on top. Thank you kpgold ! I added enough laying crumbies last night for about 3 days and it was really bubbling this morning. I'll add a little more laying crumbies tonight to help soak up all that water I added to cover it. Maybe with your help I'll get this down pat sooner or later.

I have 4 day old chicks so I decided to experiment with them. I took a little of my older chickens FF and added chick starter and water to it and let it set over night. This morning before leaving for work I feed it to the chicks. Now I know what is meant by the term "Feeding Frenzy". The chicks went wild over their new FF.

I have one more question: I keep my FF in my laundry room and my husband is complaining about the smell. I don't think it smells that strong but I am trying to come up with someway to move it outside. I'm considering putting it in a 5 gallon bucket and setting the bucket in a small plastic barrel and clamping a light that will shine on top of it to heat it up. Will the constant light shining on it hurt the fermentation process? I could cover the bucket with a loose fitting lid so that the light doesn't shine directly on the food itself. Do you think this would work?

 

[Beekissed]

I told you I was a little thick headed sometimes. Somewhere I missed the post about not having to cover it with water. I have been trying to keep at least 1/2" to 1" of water on top of the FF at all times. It will be so much easier to manage without that much water floating on top. Thank you kpgold ! I added enough laying crumbies last night for about 3 days and it was really bubbling this morning. I'll add a little more laying crumbies tonight to help soak up all that water I added to cover it. Maybe with your help I'll get this down pat sooner or later.

I have 4 day old chicks so I decided to experiment with them. I took a little of my older chickens FF and added chick starter and water to it and let it set over night. This morning before leaving for work I feed it to the chicks. Now I know what is meant by the term "Feeding Frenzy". The chicks went wild over their new FF.

I have one more question: I keep my FF in my laundry room and my husband is complaining about the smell. I don't think it smells that strong but I am trying to come up with someway to move it outside. I'm considering putting it in a 5 gallon bucket and setting the bucket in a small plastic barrel and clamping a light that will shine on top of it to heat it up. Will the constant light shining on it hurt the fermentation process? I could cover the bucket with a loose fitting lid so that the light doesn't shine directly on the food itself. Do you think this would work?

Depends on where you live. How about you ask hubby for a heated stock watering bucket instead? That will keep it warm if you place it in the garage or somewhere sheltered and he doesn't have to smell it.

 

[chickengirl1193]

I don't use food grade buckets...no worries about that.  I've seen no corrosion of the buckets from this feed and I doubt that leeching of that kind is the biggest worry in this world.  It's like gagging on a gnat and swallowing a mule.  Silly. 

What you are fermenting should be just fine...this fermentation takes your balanced feed ration and just amps it up to make it a much better feed than it is already, so you can't get much better than that.  You can add grains or not, your choice. 

"Food grade" means any kind of food for any sort of animal, including humans and horses and chickens.

Heck, any bucket can be made clean with plenty of hot water and detergent and bleach and scrubbing. One of my FF buckets had diesel fuel in it and the other had dry wall plaster. It took a lot of time and energy, but these buckets are clean enough now for hospital food. The only thing I would never reuse would be a container that had previously been used for pesticides.

Okay thanks guys! My chickens have been eating their ff like crazy now! I think im still giving a little too much because they dont finish but its hard to measure how much they eat. With the dry feed on a normal day where they can get at the compost and pick at the goats hay they will eat probably a fourth of a cup each or less but on a day they dont go outside cuz of weather they will eat a half cup each. Should I be giving more ff on bad weather days and less when they can get out?

 

[Beekissed]

Okay thanks guys! My chickens have been eating their ff like crazy now! I think im still giving a little too much because they dont finish but its hard to measure how much they eat. With the dry feed on a normal day where they can get at the compost and pick at the goats hay they will eat probably a fourth of a cup each or less but on a day they dont go outside cuz of weather they will eat a half cup each. Should I be giving more ff on bad weather days and less when they can get out?

Not really...they are expending less energy on the bad days and more on the good days, so it all works out evenly if you just keep their feed at the 1/2c. measure but if you see some changes in their body condition you can always tweak it up a bit.