FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[skitzkle]

If you've got a hand saw and a screw driver or drill, some wood scraps and fencing scraps, you can build a nifty feeder that eliminates all that and keeps the chicks out of the feed.....simple and quick.

 

[Beekissed]

Bee - I thought FF protected chickens from maladies like sour crop. How does a hen who's been fed FF come down with it? Will others in the flock be apt to come down with it, also?

I got ahold of some Monistat and I gave her a second dose this morning along with amoxycillin. She's showing some signs of feeling a bit better, but she still won't eat much. and I haven't seen her eat any FF, just bits of cabbage and some meal worms. Do I continue with the castor oil, or is the Monistat enough to do the job?

Is there anything else I ought to be doing?

Just like anything else that is naturally good for animals, not all animals are born with the genetics for good immune system health, and the natural goodness of the feeds and natural remedies can only take them so far. There is no magic bullet or miracle cure or any snake oil mix that will insure the health of all birds living in all conditions in all areas of the world. That is why I advocate for the yearly cull.....this bird is a cull in my book. She contracted an overgrowth of harmful yeasts in her digestive system when none of the other birds have done so. It's a bird problem, not a feed problem, method problem or even a flock problem unless you have several birds coming down with the same issue. At this point one has to realize that no matter what you do, some birds are born culls and there is no way around that. I've never had a case of sour crop in 38 yrs of chicken life and there has got to be a reason for that...it could very well be that it's because I cull yearly for weak birds, non layers, too old, etc.

Giving Amoxicillin is only going to make it worse...it's a broad spectrum antibiotic and will kill everything...but the bad guys grow more quickly than the good guys and whoever establishes on that gastrointestinal mucosa first wins the game. So giving antibiotics are simply not the answer for this type of malady, as it just encourages further harmful yeast overgrowth.

If you won't cull this weak bird, then just use one thing...try one thing at a time and wait until it works. Either the castor oil or the Monistat, but if you give both you'll never know which one worked or which one did not. Dose and watch the bird for about 3 days and see what happens...she will either show improvement, no improvement or further decline. Then make a decision at that time to either try the other remedy or not according to the level of improvement.

After all the harmful yeast overgrowth is gone the FF can help restore good intestinal health and, in a normal, healthy chicken, it can help prevent certain bacteria and harmful yeasts from having an overgrowth, but a lot of that depends on the strong genetics of the bird.

 

[flockanuts]

Waaaaaay off topic, my goofy dogs love the fermented chicken's feed. What do you think about fermenting the dogs' food? House full of diarrhea or just regular poop??? My pitbull's stool is very soft and smelly right now and the fumes are KILLER!!!! Trying to solve this. Any ideas?

 

[Tikkijane]

Waaaaaay off topic, my goofy dogs love the fermented chicken's feed.  What do you think about fermenting the dogs' food?  House full of diarrhea or just regular poop???  My pitbull's stool is very soft and smelly right now and the fumes are KILLER!!!!  Trying to solve this.  Any ideas?   

So I'll hop on, too. Today's farmer's market yielded bunnies. . Anyone know about fermenting their food?

My one dog eats ff {chicken }. Loves it. Still alive. Fwiw.

 

[Beekissed]

Waaaaaay off topic, my goofy dogs love the fermented chicken's feed. What do you think about fermenting the dogs' food? House full of diarrhea or just regular poop??? My pitbull's stool is very soft and smelly right now and the fumes are KILLER!!!! Trying to solve this. Any ideas?

There are quite a few who ferment their dog's food and says it took care of stomach issues, coat issues, etc. No diarrhea noted.

 

[Ariel188]

So I'll hop on, too. Today's farmer's market yielded bunnies.

. Anyone know about fermenting their food?

My one dog eats ff {chicken }. Loves it. Still alive. Fwiw.

Waaaaaay off topic, my goofy dogs love the fermented chicken's feed. What do you think about fermenting the dogs' food? House full of diarrhea or just regular poop??? My pitbull's stool is very soft and smelly right now and the fumes are KILLER!!!! Trying to solve this. Any ideas?

I feed my dog RAW MEATS ORGANIC BONES etc. Research it. IT IS THE BEST WAY TO FEED YOUR DOG! You can look up BARF feeding dogs. (Biologically appropriate raw food)

 

[Beekissed]

I feed my dog RAW MEATS ORGANIC BONES etc. Research it. IT IS THE BEST WAY TO FEED YOUR DOG! You can look up BARF feeding dogs. (Biologically appropriate raw food)

My dog eats Ol' Roy Kibbles and Chunks...and raw meat and bones in season(deer and chicken butchering), kitchen garbage, garden left overs, cracked eggs, apples by the bushel, loves rotten bananas, rotten animals, and will eat chicken feed if he gets a chance.

Best way to feed your dog is subjective, as it is with the best way to feed your chickens.

 

[LindaB220]

My dog eats Ol' Roy Kibbles and Chunks...and raw meat and bones in season(deer and chicken butchering), kitchen garbage, garden left overs, cracked eggs, apples by the bushel, loves rotten bananas, rotten animals, and will eat chicken feed if he gets a chance.

Best way to feed your dog is subjective, as it is with the best way to feed your chickens.

Healthy too isn't he?

 

[Ms Jellybean]

I have bad news. I can't get chickens this spring. This year has been very hard on me financially. I took yet another blow when I read my mail last night. Another huge payout. My year started with paying the insurance deducible for a new roof and went downhill from there. I have never had such an expensive few months!

I'm going to start working on my coop this fall/winter and be already for chicks next spring.

I have been wanting to get chickens for over 5 years and when I bought this house a year and a half ago I finally had the yard that allowed it.

I am seriously bummed.

 

[Beekissed]

Healthy too isn't he?

Extremely! He's 8 this year and the last time he was at the vet was when we neutered him as a young dog. He bounces around like a puppy every day like he's got springs on his butt. He's never had diarrhea, no eczema, no health issues whatsoever. That's how hillbilly dogs usually are. He doesn't get baths, gets wormed once a year, lives outside in all weathers and he used to eat chicken poop many times a day until I switched to FF. Now he's not interested...not enough grains left in that poop now.