FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[carnivore]

These were the things that my chicks liked. Dryer with no soupyness to the feed more like skippy peanut butter. Stirred up and no crusted top from the heat lamp. Not in a metal container. I hope that that helps.

It's sad when we see little cuties having a hard transition. Have you tried taking it out putting it in a different container and trying to trick them into thinking it's something new. Maybe take a picture of your set up and the FF container and post it.

I have 17 week and a half old Black Jersey Giants, and they got their first taste of FF this morning. They were a little hesitant at first, shaking their heads after the first taste, but coming back for more. I use the same glass "cookie jar" pictured above, and my first attempt was very soupy. Yesterday, I added some more chick starter to thicken it up. I put it in a trough feeder this morning, and sprinkled some dried mealworms on top to attract their interest. SUCCESS! They are now ignoring the other feeder with the dry food.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

I think I've posted my FAQ at least 4 or 5 times just today. I need to check and see if I included the link to the study you shared on fermentation levels days 1,2, and 3. Someone made the comment that it didn't matter if you fed it pretty much right away- it was fermented and it just depends on personal method...... :bang

I've been sharing it too....everyone is mighty grateful to you for putting this page together and one requested it become a sticky link. I don't know if they do that here on BYC but it sure would simplify things if they did.

Bless you again for putting in all the work to type that up!!!

There are so many details a person COULD include ... that kind of writing is not easy. It takes so much time and concentration.

 

[birdlady79]

These were the things that my chicks liked. Dryer with no soupyness to the feed more like skippy peanut butter. Stirred up and no crusted top from the heat lamp. Not in a metal container. I hope that that helps.

It's sad when we see little cuties having a hard transition. Have you tried taking it out putting it in a different container and trying to trick them into thinking it's something new. Maybe take a picture of your set up and the FF container and post it.

I've tried flat containers , now I'm using a sour cream container I cut in half..... My mixture is like peanut butter....they don't use a heat lamp during the day, and at night the food is on opposite side of lamp. I've just been adding a little dry food on top or oats or eggs on top. ..

 

[aatx]

I got my chicks home shortly after 8am today. Nutri-drench, water, heat, a couple of baths for pasty butt... then I introduced the feed.

I had a strainer on the top of my jar and put a scoop in there while I was getting my plate ready (decided to start with that instead of the troughs I have due to the bantams being so tiny). Drained very nicely. Put a scoop in the plate and spread it out some.

Ended up putting three plates in the brooder total. I had to push a few beaks into it, but pretty soon the news spread. With 25, I'm not sure who all was eating and drinking, but the majority were.

Sorry for the bad photos due to the red light - this weekend I'll momentarily turn it off to get some better photos, but didn't want to stress them much this first day out of their shipping box.

 

[beverly evans]

I got my chicks home shortly after 8am today. Nutri-drench, water, heat, a couple of baths for pasty butt... then I introduced the feed.

I had a strainer on the top of my jar and put a scoop in there while I was getting my plate ready (decided to start with that instead of the troughs I have due to the bantams being so tiny). Drained very nicely. Put a scoop in the plate and spread it out some.

Ended up putting three plates in the brooder total. I had to push a few beaks into it, but pretty soon the news spread. With 25, I'm not sure who all was eating and drinking, but the majority were.

Sorry for the bad photos due to the red light - this weekend I'll momentarily turn it off to get some better photos, but didn't want to stress them much this first day out of their shipping box.

Congratulations on your new arrivals! Looks like an even dozen? And at least three different kinds. So very precious!

 

[Tumbleweed Farm]

Baby chicks enjoying the very young alfalfa crop I planted for them. Luckily, they are too young to do much damage as it is not established yet!

 

[aatx]

Congratulations on your new arrivals!  Looks like an even dozen?  And at least three different kinds.  So very precious!

Actually, I've got at least 25. They were spread out under the light and at the waterers. I got all bantams, Silkies, Easter Eggers, Dominiques, and Buff Orpingtons.

 

[beverly evans]

Quote: Don't forget to put marbles or pebbles in the waterer as the tiny chicks can drown in it. You probably know that already, but it happened to one of my bantams. They were with normal size chicks and can get run over.

 

[aatx]

Don't forget to put marbles or pebbles in the waterer as the tiny chicks can drown in it.  You probably know that already, but it happened to one of my bantams.  They were with normal size chicks and can get run over.

I got the quail sized waterer. Barely big enough for me to dip their beaks. I had marbles ready, but didn't think they were needed. I'll reassess when I get home. Going to try to switch them to vertical nipplessoon

 

[kpgoldstar]

I got my chicks home shortly after 8am today. Nutri-drench, water, heat, a couple of baths for pasty butt... then I introduced the feed.

I had a strainer on the top of my jar and put a scoop in there while I was getting my plate ready (decided to start with that instead of the troughs I have due to the bantams being so tiny). Drained very nicely. Put a scoop in the plate and spread it out some.

Ended up putting three plates in the brooder total. I had to push a few beaks into it, but pretty soon the news spread. With 25, I'm not sure who all was eating and drinking, but the majority were.

Sorry for the bad photos due to the red light - this weekend I'll momentarily turn it off to get some better photos, but didn't want to stress them much this first day out of their shipping box.

Yay! Chicks! Don't you just love them?