FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

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kile529 said:
Should I be measuring how much FF I'm giving chicks? I've been just loading them up twice a day (morning & night) and they seem to eat it all within an hour or so.
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Hey kile, my babies are 11 days old and I've been feeding about 3-4 times a day. I wondered if it was too much. I picked up one last night and it was a tiny thing. I wondered if it would live. All of my Delawares are frail compared to the Golden Comets and White Rocks. It had a hugh growth on its neck and I immediately thought tumor. Yeah, right. It was the crop and was so stuffed. It looked to be 1/4 of the total body size.
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Needless to say, I am cutting it back to 2x daily.
 
A lot of people recommend letting tiny chicks have access to feed 24/7. This is easier with dry food, but by putting out several meals per day of FF it can be accomplished. If chicks are in with the rest of the flock, it can be a little harder to give chicks constant access to feed or give them special feed ... I have a little platform the chicks can get under but the older birds cant. I put feed under that. The broody will take the chicks to the platform and stand on it when the chicks are under it eating.
 
If one raises chicks with the flock, they won't get as much feed. I'm not saying it's all bad. They just won't grow as fast and perhaps that isn't all bad either.
Feeding chicks twice a day to fill their crops, they won't eat as much as if feed was available constantly. If they foraged all day, they'd be filling their crops more than twice a day.
 
How does everyone keep their chicks from stomping the FF down into a "crust". Mine don't want to eat it once they've mashed it down and they all seem to think the only way to eat it is to stand on it. Currently we're using a round serving tray because we couldn't find any of the trough-style with the lid. I imagine the lid would help? Otherwise I think I should start baking cheesecakes on top of all these wonderful crusts.
 
bramblefir said:
How does everyone keep their chicks from stomping the FF down into a "crust". Mine don't want to eat it once they've mashed it down and they all seem to think the only way to eat it is to stand on it. Currently we're using a round serving tray because we couldn't find any of the trough-style with the lid. I imagine the lid would help? Otherwise I think I should start baking cheesecakes on top of all these wonderful crusts.
Click to expand...

Yeah, tasty.
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Bee has a pan that looks like a big metal ice cube try with square wiring on top to keep them from flattening it. I don't have one yet, so yes, mine is flattened also. I scrap it back into the bucket and stir. Start over.
 
bramblefir said:
How does everyone keep their chicks from stomping the FF down into a "crust". Mine don't want to eat it once they've mashed it down and they all seem to think the only way to eat it is to stand on it. Currently we're using a round serving tray because we couldn't find any of the trough-style with the lid. I imagine the lid would help? Otherwise I think I should start baking cheesecakes on top of all these wonderful crusts.
Click to expand...
Get a muffin pan or ice cube tray and stretch chicken wire over the top. They can still stand on it but won't mash the food.

You can stir up the crusty food for them and they should go back to eating it.
 
Thanks everyone! I knew it should be what they can eat within a specific amount of time, but also thought maybe it's too much. They're growing and looking great so I must be doing it right. lol :)
 
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