FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[Beekissed]

Yes....that is a valid point!

 

[Ariel188]

How early is too early to start chicks (4wks) on fermented whole grains???

I am going to start my day old chicks on organic Stratch and Peck FF.

 

[Ami hoegemeyer]

Ok new question, how much chick starter should 37 chicks go thru their first month? They have eaten a 50lb bag & almost done with the second... seems like a lot but I am sitting them at a neighbors till my coop is finished. Still for growning chicks that seems like a lot thanks

 

[Beekissed]

Ok new question, how much chick starter should 37 chicks go thru their first month? They have eaten a 50lb bag & almost done with the second... seems like a lot but I am sitting them at a neighbors till my coop is finished. Still for growning chicks that seems like a lot thanks

That does seem like an awful lot...for 54 meaties I went through 50 lbs in about two weeks, then started mixing in layer ration with it. If these are regular layer birds, it seems like they should be eating a lot less than hungry hippo meat chicks.

 

[azygous]

This may seem like an out-of-the-blue question, but Bee, I'd appreciate it if you can answer it. Is it possible for a chicken on FF to get sour crop? If so, what causes it? And what can be done about it?

 

[Beekissed]

This may seem like an out-of-the-blue question, but Bee, I'd appreciate it if you can answer it. Is it possible for a chicken on FF to get sour crop? If so, what causes it? And what can be done about it?

Other folks have reported sour crop while feeding FF...two that I've heard of and both were also using ACV in the water and had just treated birds with a broad spectrum antibiotic. Both decided that it was the FF that had caused it and so stopped the FF. I don't think they understood balance in a normal digestive system. They killed all the healthy flora in the bowel, then made the bowel very acidic by feeding too much acetic acid, so the quickest growing thing to take hold in that environment was harmful yeast.

Women can sometimes cause a vaginal yeast infection by douching with vinegar douches, which changes the pH in the vagina to the degree that it's TOO acidic.

 

[niqueie]

That makes sense with yeast taking over after antibiotics. Yeast is hard to fight with anything but a balanced system of good bacteria.

 

[subhanalah]

That does seem like an awful lot...for 54 meaties I went through 50 lbs in about two weeks, then started mixing in layer ration with it.  If these are regular layer birds, it seems like they should be eating a lot less than hungry hippo meat chicks. 

I think part of the selective breeding of meat birds is for them to have a higher feed to meat ratio.

 

[azygous]

How would you treat sour crop in a bird that has been fed FF?

I have a hen that I think MAY have sour crop. It's squishy, won't empty, even after her not eating in four days, but there's no odor that I've heard sour crop has.

I haven't had ANYONE answer my posts on the "Emergencies" forum on this. I've tried olive oil, olive oil plus ACV, but she's the same. I let her out of the "hospital" crate this morning and she had the strength to walk back to the coop and ask to be let in. So she has rejoined the flock, on her own, even meeting a challenge from one of the young pullet punks.

She does that thing with the head and neck like her crop is uncomfortable. Yesterday, after the olive oil plus ACV treatment, she had a big burst of diarrhea containing undigested FF. There were seeds in it, and she hadn't eaten in three days.

 

[Beekissed]

How would you treat sour crop in a bird that has been fed FF?

I have a hen that I think MAY have sour crop. It's squishy, won't empty, even after her not eating in four days, but there's no odor that I've heard sour crop has.

I haven't had ANYONE answer my posts on the "Emergencies" forum on this. I've tried olive oil, olive oil plus ACV, but she's the same. I let her out of the "hospital" crate this morning and she had the strength to walk back to the coop and ask to be let in. So she has rejoined the flock, on her own, even meeting a challenge from one of the young pullet punks.

She does that thing with the head and neck like her crop is uncomfortable. Yesterday, after the olive oil plus ACV treatment, she had a big burst of diarrhea containing undigested FF. There were seeds in it, and she hadn't eaten in three days.

I wouldn't add ACV to the mix as it will create acid on top of acid, when you really need the presence of the LABs more than the acetic acid. Sounds like food is not advancing in this bird...I'd offer some grit as she is not grinding her feed well.

Castor oil is a great antifungal agent and will help stimulate that digestive system...wouldn't hurt to dose her with some. Some folks say .5 mL....I just pour some in the cap of the bottle and pour it down the throat. Done. I've never seen it cause diarrhea in any of the chickens I've dosed, so I wouldn't worry about that.

Some people give Monistat orally and say it really works. I've never done that...I've never had a chicken with sour crop before so never had to work out a treatment but I'd use the grit and castor oil first if I had this problem. If this chicken couldn't get right but is eating the same as other, living the same as the others~but still having this malady, then it's a bird problem and you know what I recommend for bird problems. Take that bird out of the equation.

I wouldn't confine her...she needs more exercise, not less. Exercise helps digestion. Could be she will get over this on her own if you just give her time...but I'd still offer grit and give the castor oil, no ACV, but continue to feed the FF.