FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[Tikkijane]

Ok....got a question....

First, yesterday was the first day of the feeding of the fermented layer feed to the layers. For the FIRST time in 3 years, my hen with the crop issues had completely solid healthy poop under the roost bar! I was completely shocked!!! She has had loose stool every day of her life. So this fermented feed is already doing wonders for this bird!!

BUT....I have a problem. My mash starts out as mash in the morning. It is wet and sloppy. We are in a very severe drought this past decade and our humidity averages daily around 6%. So I just can not keep the mash wet. It gets stickier as the day goes on, no matter how much water I add to the feed. By the end of yesterday it was such a thick paste and I am not sure they ate too much before roosting time because it was just too stiff. 

Is there something I can add beside water to help it stay wetter and moister? Possibly AVC or something else? Apple sauce? Should I be brewing it with ACV originally?? Would this help? I can't be running up there every 20 mins to add water to the feed. And even still, it wants to paste up by the end of the day anyway.

Help!!

What's wrong with paste? I like mine drier and thicker. Now, if you're talking solid as a rock and hard,that's something else.

Feed what they can clean up in 30 minutes or so and see if that doesn't help.

Or, you can start more soupy with the intention of it drying a bit. I like a 1:1 ratio, personally.

 

[LakeMomNY]

 
No plans to stop the FF and happy to say I found a non GMO/Organic layer feed to move to when they are ready.  Not much available around here.   The  lady I found said she got tired of driving so ordered 2 Tons and will sell it to friend and people like me  who find her on Craigslist.   I feel lucky she is close by!   It will go into my FF jar when the time comes.

Can you message me her info I am in your area and would like to look into buying from her too!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

ChickenCanoe, is exactly what I was thinking. So I have started another batch that is much drier. I mixed in some probiotics too to possibly help get the process going. I am keeping it moist, but not sloppy. I may have to let it brew a bit longer, but I don't see why it won't grow the same way as a sloppy mix would.

Leslie DJoyce, I am considering just this. Maybe adding grains to the mix to keep it lighter. I am still in the experimental stage and want to make this work so anything is worth trying.

n3kms, I have also thought of this, feeding it in small amounts all day. I can do this much of the time, but there are days that I am gone or not available to feed what they will eat in one hour. I am actually doing this today, but it is not a long term answer to my troubles. LOL

Thank you everyone very much for your replies!! I need all the help I can get. I really want this to work, after seeing the poop under my hen with the endless crop and digestive issues. This may be her answer to better digestion and health over all.

I occasionally had trouble in the drier heat of the brooder when it was moist. If it didn't get consumed it would get too hard for the chicks. When I got it drier by the time I served it, it stayed more crumbly and consumable.

 

[TwoCrows]

Thanks everyone concerning my stiff mash!! I agree with the idea that they probably didn't eat all of it at the end of the day because I had put out too much. I think I was trying to add to the stiff mix with more water and more slop. I also think that my birds are more used to wet loose feed as I have always wet down their layer feed. So, STIFF just has never been on the menu! LOL

BUT...I started another batch yesterday of layer and starter with the addition of probiotics. (ChickenCanoe, yes, it was a bit stiff for the chicks to eat). I mixed in only enough water to keep it at that moist and crumbly stage. I stopped adding water when it started to clump. I put a tight lid on it so it would keep the moisture in. I stirred it a couple times yesterday to get more oxygen into the mix. This morning it was warm and yeasty smelling! I was surprised it started to ferment after only 24 hours. I did feed off this stuff this morning, starter and layer, and it is holding its crumbly but damp state very nicely. I will work from these batches and keep them going by adding to what I take out. I think this is exactly what I need to do in this climate. The birds are wolfing it down as I type this! The chicks really enjoy it and the laying birds are eating more than they usually do of the standard feed.

I am very happy with how this is going. My hen with the crop issues is doing great so far. She has never had such great poop in all her years and I am sure she feels much better.

Thank you everyone! I will keep you updated on how it is going over the weeks.

 

[Beekissed]

I'd not keep that tight lid on it....need to let it breathe and also garner wild yeast spores from the air.

 

[TwoCrows]

Thanks Bee! I will loosen up those lids!

I can't get over how much the chicks are enjoying the fermented starter. They refuse to eat the plain dry starter feed, even if they run out of the fermented stuff! I have noticed they are getting really hyper too....I mean LOTS of energy. Dashing around, zooming here and there. They just never stop moving!!

The layers are enjoying their fermented layer feed as well. So far my hen with the crop issues is not having any crop issues and her poops are nice and solid.

I am thrilled to pieces!

 

[Beekissed]

Thanks Bee! I will loosen up those lids!

I can't get over how much the chicks are enjoying the fermented starter. They refuse to eat the plain dry starter feed, even if they run out of the fermented stuff! I have noticed they are getting really hyper too....I mean LOTS of energy. Dashing around, zooming here and there. They just never stop moving!!

The layers are enjoying their fermented layer feed as well. So far my hen with the crop issues is not having any crop issues and her poops are nice and solid.

I am thrilled to pieces!

I'm so glad you are loving it! You love it even more as time goes along...when you walk into your coop and there are no smells, you will love it. When there are no flies, you will love it. When the birds recover from molt in just days, you will love it.


I love it too!

 

[Teila]

Delurking to sing a little praise for FF also

After thinking about trying FF for a while, I finally decided to give it a go after a friend recommended the '3 x day, 3 x jar' method. I only have 5 little banties and found the whole 'one batch bucket, take out, top up' method a bit daunting.

Prior to taking that final step, I also read the whole of this thread as research.

I have to confess that it took my fussy little girls a couple of days to adjust but once they did, they were hooked. They love it! Also, it is nowhere near as daunting as I thought it would be.

Beekissed is so right when she mentions the "no smells, no flies" and yes, I had a girl in a hard molt when I switched a month or so ago and she is now back to her beautiful feathered self with such a wonderful shine ... all I need now is for someone to break the 3.5 month egg drought; but that is a different story.

While I would never describe my girls as unhealthy they somehow now appear healthier, shinier and happier. No way I would switch back to dry feed now

Edited to add: I forgot to mention ... going through less food due to no wastage

 

[KittieChick]

I'm starting week 2 of my FF with 6 cornish cross meat birds. I've been feeding them about 1 cup per bird 2x day, plus they forage. Their crops are FULL!!!! And they eat like they're not gonna get another meal. I'm getting ready to have knee surgery and want this to be easy for my husband.

So my question/concern is this. My FF is drier and more crumbly. As I get down to the 1 meal or so left mark, should I be adding more water and feed to keep the ferment going? I thought that it needed water to ferment. Also, it smells not bad, but more sour. The dogs like it, and I find dead bugs in it every day, so I'm thinking it should smell sour but not bad, right?

If I keep the FF drier, will it ferment new feed okay, or should I start a second bucket?

Thanks.

 

[EmeraldSkye]

I'm starting week 2 of my FF with 6 cornish cross meat birds. I've been feeding them about 1 cup per bird 2x day, plus they forage. Their crops are FULL!!!! And they eat like they're not gonna get another meal. I'm getting ready to have knee surgery and want this to be easy for my husband.

So my question/concern is this. My FF is drier and more crumbly. As I get down to the 1 meal or so left mark, should I be adding more water and feed to keep the ferment going? I thought that it needed water to ferment. Also, it smells not bad, but more sour. The dogs like it, and I find dead bugs in it every day, so I'm thinking it should smell sour but not bad, right?

If I keep the FF drier, will it ferment new feed okay, or should I start a second bucket?

Thanks.

Mine smells sour, like sauerkraut.

I'm sure the drier FF will ferment new feed OK. See this: http://tikktok.wordpress.com/2014/04/13/fermented-feed-faq/

She keeps hers on the dry side. I found these FAQs very useful.