FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[kpgoldstar]

Thanks everyone for the tips! I will def start feeding smaller amounts and keeping the next feeding in the fridge is a great idea. My heat is very dry so the FF gets crusted over before they can finish it. I do sprinkle their morning leftovers on the lawn when they are out free ranging and they act like it is new food for sure! I might see about adding electrolytes to the water. I use frozen bottles in the waterers; I have a pan of water in the run but they don't use it to stand in. I tried to show them how that worked a few weeks back and they were none too pleased! I added some BOSS to the existing bucket of FF last night and they all stood at the feeder and were eating this morning instead of just staring at me. I think I'm going to try sprouting some this weekend.

As for other cooling methods I have read a ton and I am active on the AZ thread. We'll have highs well over 100 from now until October so my birds need to get somewhat acclimated. Extreme measures like fans or misters are great until the power goes out and you come home to a dead flock. They have fulll shade all day long and I thoroughly water the run every couple days so they can dig holes and rest in the cool dirt. When they are out free ranging I run the sprinklers on the lawn so their feet are wet and the temp drops to upper 80's on the grass surface.

My chickens were shipped to AZ from a hatchery and will adapt to their conditions much like their hatchmates who happened to be shipped to Alaska or Wisconsin, just in a different sense.

 

[Sparkway]

Hi question. I have some white fuzzy mold on top of my feed. Can chickens still be fed if I scrape that off

 

[Beekissed]

Hi question. I have some white fuzzy mold on top of my feed. Can chickens still be fed if I scrape that off

That's most likely yeast and good for the feeding out, so don't scrape it of....f just mix it in and feed as per usual. As the summer temps heat up you are going to see more of that, but no worries.

 

[jerrey]

what is boss

 

[niqueie]

It's short for Black Oil Sunflower Seeds

 

[jerrey]

thank you

 

[beverly evans]

The last several days my girls are not eating their FF. They have been on it since 2 wks old and are now 8 months. It's the only food they've ever had other than some kitchen scraps. It is very warm here, the last 2 days it has hit 109. I don't expect them to be all that hungry with the excessive heat but they are barely eating at all. I also got zero eggs Sat, 2 eggs each the last 3 days when we were consistently getting 4 a day. The FF is in my kitchen but even my house is over 80 and my cold water out of my faucet is warm. It will be like this until September at the earliest. The FF is really strong smelling, not bad just super duper fermented strong. I started making smaller batches when it started warming up since my backslop leftovers were really fermented. But since they aren't eating very much my small batches are still lasting 5+ days.

Would anyone recommend just feeding wet pellets for the summer months? I don't want to feed only dry as I like the hydration FF offers along with all the other benefits. I almost feel I could leave it in the fridge and it would still be OK! I sprinkled some BOSS on the top of their trough to get them remotely interested in the feed and they gobbled that up just fine. They also plowed through some leftover spaghetti squash rinds and cauliflower, grapes and cabbage. Just not eating their food.

This is my first year with chickens and I knew my summers were going to be a challenge. They are handling it otherwise well so far, no panting or splaying of wings. I sprinkle down the lawn when they get let out after work and they have access to full shade all day long.

Also, get them a mister and some pans full of water to stand in. I use 2 galvanized pans for changing the car's oil. I spray down the low hanging tree branches and the bushes too. I always wonder if the neighbors will report me for "watering" when it's not my day. Some people with much bigger frigs than mine, freeze milk bottles full of water and put them out for the hens to lay against. 109 already and it's still May!! I won't complain about Austin anymore!
It may very well be the heat they are not yet acclimated to that's putting them off their feed. Also, as long as you give them goodies they won't eat the ff. They'll hold out expecting the better stuff!. Good luck!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I wish misting worked here. Humidity averages around 70%. On hot days when it is a little lower, I'll hose down the roofs and shade cloth for some evaporative cooling. It's just not that often it works.
The frozen milk jugs hanging from the ceiling at various places along the roosts and they can nuzzle against them at night.

I was told by a poultry nutritionist NOT to put ice in their drinking water. It can constrict blood vessels and make matters worse.

Shad cloth over buildings helps. You can get remnants here.

https://www.farmtek.com/farm/suppli...s&breadcrumb_categoryIds=|46353&maxRecords=20

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

I wish misting worked here. Humidity averages around 70%. On hot days when it is a little lower, I'll hose down the roofs and shade cloth for some evaporative cooling. It's just not that often it works.
The frozen milk jugs hanging from the ceiling at various places along the roosts and they can nuzzle against them at night.

I was told by a poultry nutritionist NOT to put ice in their drinking water. It can constrict blood vessels and make matters worse.

Shad cloth over buildings helps. You can get remnants here.

https://www.farmtek.com/farm/suppli...s&breadcrumb_categoryIds=|46353&maxRecords=20

I read birds stop drinking the water if it gets over a certain temperature, so there has to be some way to keep it cool enough. Perhaps just shading the waterers (and the lines to them if they are automatic) it is good enough?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

That's true. Shading is imperative. I do freeze the pint water bottles and stick one in each waterer in the morning. It helps cool the water just a bit. At the end of the day I put them back in the freezer so keep reusing them.

All my automatic water systems are under shade trees but the ambient temperature can still make the water pretty warm even shaded. That's why I put out founts and foot baths too.