FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[chickengirl1193]

Okay thanks everyone for the info. There is so much to learn!
We had another week or so of single digits so no matter what I did my girls didnt eat thier feed fast enough before it froze so I got frustrated and gave them dry pellets (also because I had to go to work and I couldn't keep bringing out small batches of feed and I knew they hadnt eaten enough)
This morning they came out of the coop and all ran to the water! I havent seen them do that yet, I guess the FF is providing a lot of water for them. Im never going back to dry pellets again, ill just have to figure something else out for freezing food

 

[Searsmom]

I like to put DE in my horses stock tank and the kiddie pool that I use for the 2 geese. It stays fresher longer and doesn't get as scummy. I put it in the areas where the chickens do their dusting. We had a horrible millepede out break two years in a row, it was so gross! They were EVERYWHERE . Tried the regular bug killer stuff from the hardware store,nothing worked till we used the DE. Handy to have around.

Hmm, have to try that in the duck "pond". S'not easy to clean out.

My continuing egg saga... my sitters were getting an egg in the morning (which I have NEVER had) and a couple in the evening. We got home from a couple days away Friday evening and found 2 eggs! One in the nest box and one under the roost. This morning I went out to feed breakfast hoping to find that elusive morning egg. NOPE! I didn't get one. But then I went out again around 10 before I had to leave for town and there it was! A morning egg!

The best part of the story though is we got home around 4:00 today and wouldn't you know it?? There were THREE eggs in the nest boxes!! WOOOHOOO!! That means all 4 of my girls are now laying. One of them for sure was a first egg, just as small as the other first eggs we've gotten so far. Well, of course that is assuming that no one laid 2 eggs today LOL!

Yay! Pretty eggs.

Side note about laying - When I first started my Buff Orpingtons, some of them started laying at 20 weeks, they definitely don't lay every day though. I wonder how much of it has to do with pampered human-friendly happy chickens. The 2nd generation of Orpingtons raised by broodys were definitely not happy to see me and didn't start laying until around 24 - 26 weeks.

 

[kpgoldstar]

I don't want to rain on your parade, but unless you obtained your chicks from someone who places well at APA judged chicken shows, your pullets are almost certainly production reds, bred to come into lay at 16-20 weeks of age. If you would like to see the difference between heritage RIR and production reds, goto the Heritage Large Fowl thread, phase 1 on byc, for photos and descriptions of the differences, towards the beginning of the thread.

No raining on my parade. I realize they are production reds and I love each of them the same as I would if they were purebreds. I had RIR's as a kid in 4-H 40+ years ago and unfortunately all our old photos and slides were destroyed by an evil stepmom. My dad was an avid photographer and I wish I had some pics to compare now with then. I have no idea if they were RIR's that long ago or if the hatcheries have been spitting out productions for decades.

 

[Ariel188]

Yep!

Thank you Beekissed, I will try it today!!

 

[LonelyPageTurne]

Is anybody familiar with using water kefir as the fermenting liquid? I have about a half gallon of grains and we just don't need that much. These grains ferment from sugar water but the bacteria consume all the sugar so I don't think that would be an issue and I believe the carbs and starch in the feed would be enough anyway. Anyone familiar with this?

 

[Beekissed]

Is anybody familiar with using water kefir as the fermenting liquid? I have about a half gallon of grains and we just don't need that much. These grains ferment from sugar water but the bacteria consume all the sugar so I don't think that would be an issue and I believe the carbs and starch in the feed would be enough anyway. Anyone familiar with this?

There are many on these FF threads who have used it as a starter and report good results. Go for it!

 

[LonelyPageTurne]

Yay thanks!

There are many on these FF threads who have used it as a starter and report good results.  Go for it!

 

[LindaB220]

Is anybody familiar with using water kefir as the fermenting liquid? I have about a half gallon of grains and we just don't need that much. These grains ferment from sugar water but the bacteria consume all the sugar so I don't think that would be an issue and I believe the carbs and starch in the feed would be enough anyway. Anyone familiar with this?

It'll work fine. Just give some of your extra grains to your babies. They'll love it. !!! I have my milk grains going as we speak.

 

[LonelyPageTurne]

Oh so you can use milk grains too?


I have some milk kefir sitting in the fridge that's not the tastiest I've made and was wondering what to do with it. I can culture from them since they are active too maybe I can actually do something useful with them. Could you PM me specifics on the best method to make this feed?

 

[SavageDestiny]

My four new girls got FF this morning and just went nuts for it! Gobbled it all right up. So glad they took to it so fast!