FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[jerrey]

what do you mean an open air coop were you live is it warm all the time my chickens have large run and all so free range I have had them since day one spent a lot of time with them , always out with them when there out
jerrey mae

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

Phytate or phytic acid occurs naturally in many grains. Some consider it an anti nutrient as it blocks some mineral uptake in the digestive tract, especially iron.

Phytase is an enzyme that specifically breaks down phytate. Adding it to feed will help the animal absorb more minerals.

Soaking any phytate containing grain will break down most if not all of the phytate in 8-12 hours. By soaking, you are essentially starting the fermentation process.

This applies to humans as well. I just made buckwheat/sorghum/brown rice flours pancakes on Sunday. I mixed the flours and water in a bowl and let it sit overnight. In the morning I add the rest of the ingredients, such as eggs and baking soda and powder. Delicious! I've been doing this for a few years now and I really can tell a difference, they sit better in my belly.

One of the cool links I posted today ... this one: http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2010/09/reducing-phytic-acid-in-grains-and-legumes.html ... details how to get rid of phytate from lots of different things. Soaking works well for things with lots of phytase (rye in particular), but some things don't have a lot of phytase (millet I think is one).

 

[jerrey]

I all so have sweet potatoes starts and they are sprouting it toke awhile if they do ok I will keep some for next year I did get these at wall mart I have done this before
jerrey mae

 

[Beekissed]

what do you mean an open air coop were you live is it warm all the time my chickens have large run and all so free range I have had them since day one spent a lot of time with them , always out with them when there out
jerrey mae

A Wood's style coop has a lot of open air window on the face of it. Here's a pic of one. These were used originally up north in the colder areas like Wisconsin, Minnesota, etc in the 1900s.

 

[jerrey]

that is really nice we are building are chicken now so I will add a large window in it thank you

 

[bluebirdnanny]

Thanks Bee for getting back to jerrey with a photo for me. That large front is wired hardware screening not a window and the upper windows tilt out at the bottom and have a hardware screen on the inside to prevent predators from getting in. Mine isn't finished yet so it doesn't look that nice and I am no carpenter, live alone and with my disabilities did the best I could as finances and scrap wood allowed.

Jerrey I live in upper lower Michigan on the East side. An hour to Gaylord or Alpena or Mio. Half to Lewiston or Atlanta but Atlanta doesn't have much. It gets very cold here. But the prototype for this was used in Alaska so it will work well. The depth of back to front ratio is very important for proper function as is the placement of the open screened front.

Hillman is the closest for my organic feed. I get the grain based and ferment it following Bees directions. I AM guilty of a tweak occasionally. But usually is in the form of some herb like cilantro or oregano added just before feeding or a home made electrolyte if I see any sign of illness or hear anyone sneeze. Even though I keep a big wooden shipping crate with wood ashes inside the coop which I think is the cause of sneezing once in a while. The herbs/elecrolyte won't hurt like a chemical might if it isn't respitory.

 

[LindaB220]

I just found this thread here with some interesting duck pond ideas ...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/473545/homemade-duck-ponds-pics

I liked the masonry tub with drain. You could have more than one. Heck of a lot cheaper than the $400 one you saw. IMO.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

I liked the masonry tub with drain.   You could have more than one.  Heck of a lot cheaper than the $400 one you saw.  IMO.

masonry tubs are HEAVY and usually not free around here. And wouldn't be as portable as a stock tank. I wish I'd started with stock tanks. But a tub would be cute.

 

[debp]

Thanks so much, Beekissed. I will hold off on the garlic.

I just this morning started a small batch of fermented feed. My chicks will be 4 weeks old on Friday, and I want to get their GI tract ready for the move out to the coop. But, I do have a question about the size of grain a chick can handle. I get my feed from a small mill that other local BYC folks have recommended. I noticed when I opened my second bag that it was much coarser than my first bag which was already fairly coarse, compared to commercial feed (I got the bags on the same delivery). The corn and roasted soybeans are broken just in half, a few left whole. There are a lot of fines in there, too, though. I have been giving a pretty fine grit that I collect on the property, but I still worry this is too coarse for these still fairly small chicks. I contacted the mill and they said they had had some consistency issues with their new machine. Should I shift out the large pieces? What is too large? Wouldn't fermenting help them digest the larger pieces?

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

Thanks so much, Beekissed. I will hold off on the garlic.

I just this morning started a small batch of fermented feed. My chicks will be 4 weeks old on Friday, and I want to get their GI tract ready for the move out to the coop. But, I do have a question about the size of grain a chick can handle. I get my feed from a small mill that other local BYC folks have recommended. I noticed when I opened my second bag that it was much coarser than my first bag which was already fairly coarse, compared to commercial feed (I got the bags on the same delivery). The corn and roasted soybeans are broken just in half, a few left whole. There are a lot of fines in there, too, though. I have been giving a pretty fine grit that I collect on the property, but I still worry this is too coarse for these still fairly small chicks. I contacted the mill and they said they had had some consistency issues with their new machine. Should I shift out the large pieces? What is too large? Wouldn't fermenting help them digest the larger pieces?

Here is a link some info on grit, and what sizes work for what ages of birds. I wish I had a source of river sand in various sizes that I could "harvest" right off the farm so birds could pick up the exact size they want ...

http://www.tccmaterials.com/pdf/CSgritdata.pdf

One of the things I've been looking into recently is the question of particle size for feeding chickens. Whole grains vs. milled grains. It seems there is a trend recently toward whole grains for the "boutique" feeds. It sure makes an attractive feed that "looks" natural and it sure makes it easier to tell what's in the feed. But are "whole grains" what's best for the birds?

From what I can understand, a chick can "handle" a fairly large particle size, but I also know an adult rooster can choke to death on a pea (happened to a friend of mine). From what I understand, a chicken (of any age) has a strong biological preference for finding and picking up particles the size, color & shape of cracked corn.

From what I understand, a chicken will get more nutrition out of milled grains, AND from what I read yesterday, the phytase is more easily activated when the grains that are fermented are ground first. So that's my preference ... ground grains for feed. But I do like whole/cracked for scratch.