FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[ChickenCanoe]

Thanks, that makes me feel better. You read so many different opinions about what they can handle.

Once I opened a nest box with a broody around dusk. A 2 week old chick jumped out and ran off into the woods before I could catch it. I looked and looked and couldn't find it.
I figured since it was getting down to 50 that night the chick was a goner, either chilled to death or eaten by a predator. The next morning the chick was back running around the coop trying to get in. Healthy chickens (chicks included) are pretty bullet proof.

 

[Tikkijane]

I think I may go with the idea of putting FF in for the broody and throwing it to the others every day. I feel like since she's already not eating much than she would get more out of the fermented feed then she would dry. We'll see, this is my first time hatching eggs so I'm learning a lot! We have a small little A frame coup that I just fixed up and plan on moving her to there soon so she'll have easy access to feed and water.

I do. I walk the row and give everyone a splop. Especially with the higher temps, I have more peace of mind knowing they are getting hydration even I don't see them off the nest.

 

[aatx]

I have 15 chicks doing well on the FF.

I have 4 others separated - one with a leg injury and 3 others that were runts/had trouble with pasty butt. They don't seem to like the FF very much and to make sure they stay nourished, I have kept chick starter available to them as well.

One of them seems to have gotten over pasty butt and is larger than the others, so I plan on moving it back in with the main group late tonight.

But I would like to supplement my 3 runts/injured. What can I feed them? So far, I have boiled an egg, chopped it up fine, and given them about 1/2 of it with 1/2 in the main brooder. I haven't been able to get them to eat yogurt. I have drench and poly-vi-sol that I have tried to give to the injured one. It mostly shakes it off its beak, but maybe a tiny bit goes down. It does seem to be improving, but I still want to have it rest its leg. I'd like for it to be strong when it does rejoin the group - same thing with the other two runts.

So, any ideas or is the boiled egg a pretty good choice? How often can I give that to them?

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

I have 15 chicks doing well on the FF.

I have 4 others separated - one with a leg injury and 3 others that were runts/had trouble with pasty butt.  They don't seem to like the FF very much and to make sure they stay nourished, I have kept chick starter available to them as well.

One of them seems to have gotten over pasty butt and is larger than the others, so I plan on moving it back in with the main group late tonight.

But I would like to supplement my 3 runts/injured.  What can I feed them?  So far, I have boiled an egg, chopped it up fine, and given them about 1/2 of it with 1/2 in the main brooder.  I haven't been able to get them to eat yogurt.  I have drench and poly-vi-sol that I have tried to give to the injured one.  It mostly shakes it off its beak, but maybe a tiny bit goes down.  It does seem to be improving, but I still want to have it rest its leg.  I'd like for it to be strong when it does rejoin the group - same thing with the other two runts.

So, any ideas or is the boiled egg a pretty good choice?  How often can I give that to them?

Eggs haven't been studied too much in poultry science probably because it is counter-productive to egg farms to feed eggs back to the birds, but my instincts tell me eggs are the "perfect" food for chicks. I was advised to top my poult food with boiled eggs, though I wasn't ever told how much. My birds LOVE scrambled eggs ... they get some most days, and I always mix scrambled eggs into the baby food. But I don't worry about how much because I don't have any info on quantities.

Lots of people recommend liver. Raw, fresh, frozen, dried ... as long as the bites are small enough ... I've read recommendations for all of those. But again, no advice about portions. Liver has tons if nutrition.

There are also chick vitamins & probiotics to put in their water. The probiotics and some of the vitamins would be redundant if you're getting FF into the chicks.

Some people recommend cat kibble (high meat kinds, and some people recommend against the kinds with poultry, so that leaves fish-based cat food as the "safest" choice) ... you can soak that in milk or water to soften it and/or stir it into the FF. I do this occasionally for all my birds ... stir in a tiny amount if cat kibble the night before the FF gets served (just long enough to let it absorb some moisture to soften, but not so long before that it might get stinky ... just my preference). It keeps the birds super interested in the FF. My feed mill recommends this very highly.

If you can get your hands on fish meal that's a great source of nutrition for poultry. You have to watch how much goes into layers or older meat birds so the meat & eggs don't pick up a fishy flavor, but there is less concern about that with chicks.

I've been curious about powdered dairy proteins for poultry -- dairy used to be very popular for poultry. I'd think that would be a great protein source, and wouldn't flavor meat or eggs, but it's expensive and current research is sketchy.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Eggs are excellent for vitamins and minerals but surprisingly are a little low in protein which runts need.

I would consider canned tuna or mackerel (cheaper). Also, sprinkling their feed on top of plain yogurt is a good way to get them to eat it.

 

[subhanalah]

Eggs haven't been studied too much in poultry science probably because it is counter-productive to egg farms to feed eggs back to the birds, but my instincts tell me eggs are the "perfect" food for chicks. I was advised to top my poult food with boiled eggs, though I wasn't ever told how much. My birds LOVE scrambled eggs ... they get some most days, and I always mix scrambled eggs into the baby food. But I don't worry about how much because I don't have any info on quantities.

Lots of people recommend liver. Raw, fresh, frozen, dried ... as long as the bites are small enough ... I've read recommendations for all of those. But again, no advice about portions. Liver has tons if nutrition.

There are also chick vitamins & probiotics to put in their water. The probiotics and some of the vitamins would be redundant if you're getting FF into the chicks.

Some people recommend cat kibble (high meat kinds, and some people recommend against the kinds with poultry, so that leaves fish-based cat food as the "safest" choice) ... you can soak that in milk or water to soften it and/or stir it into the FF. I do this occasionally for all my birds ... stir in a tiny amount if cat kibble the night before the FF gets served (just long enough to let it absorb some moisture to soften, but not so long before that it might get stinky ... just my preference). It keeps the birds super interested in the FF. My feed mill recommends this very highly.

If you can get your hands on fish meal that's a great source of nutrition for poultry. You have to watch how much goes into layers or older meat birds so the meat & eggs don't pick up a fishy flavor, but there is less concern about that with chicks.

I've been curious about powdered dairy proteins for poultry -- dairy used to be very popular for poultry. I'd think that would be a great protein source, and wouldn't flavor meat or eggs, but it's expensive and current research is sketchy.

Do you think throwing powdered milk (like Nido brand) into our FF would help break down the lactic acid (which is what makes dairy inappropriate for all non-mammal, non-infant animals to digest) in it, making it suitable for chickens?

 

[subhanalah]

Eggs are excellent for vitamins and minerals but surprisingly are a little low in protein which runts need.

I would consider canned tuna or mackerel (cheaper). Also, sprinkling their feed on top of plain yogurt is a good way to get them to eat it.

can I feed then canned clams? That's what I have "around".

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

Eggs are excellent for vitamins and minerals but surprisingly are a little low in protein which runts need.

I would consider canned tuna or mackerel (cheaper). Also, sprinkling their feed on top of plain yogurt is a good way to get them to eat it.

Most "fresh" foods are lower in protein than I think they are. High percentage protein concentrates seem to require dehydration. That's probably why dry cat kibble is recommended. It's usually above 30% protein ... some are like 50%.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Actually lactic acid is what is produced anaerobically during ferment by glycolysis (degradation of glucose) One molecule of glucose breaks into 2 molecules of pyruvate or pyruvic acid. Pyruvate supplies energy to living cells in the presence of oxygen (Kreb's cycle). Anaerobically pyruvate becomes lactic acid.

Fermentation is the metabolic process that converts sugars to acids, gasses or alcohol depending on the species of bacteria and yeasts that are present.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Most "fresh" foods are lower in protein than I think they are. High percentage protein concentrates seem to require dehydration. That's probably why dry cat kibble is recommended. It's usually above 30% protein ... some are like 50%.

True. Fish and meat is about 28 % while fish meal is between 60 and 75%.

http://www.avianaquamiser.com/posts/Protein_content_in_chicken_feed_ingredients/