FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[LeslieDJoyce]

If its too thick to stir, how about adding enough water to get it started? Shouldn't it all break down the same? What are you using to stir? I got a large stainless steel paddle that does really well.

We use various things to stir. We have a very large stainless spoon (navy surplus), a large stainless whisk (also military grade), and a manual cement mixer ... even using the manual cement mixer, which involves putting the bucket on the floor and bracing it so it stays put, then using both hands on the handles of the mixer, neither Dad nor I are strong enough to stir the feed. It gets that stiff. It isn't even that easy to cut through smaller portions of the feed with a knife to crumble it. It sticks to the scoop in a big clump so you have to scrape it off, then it sticks to the scraper.

I think the only "solution" would be to mix it much, much wetter. But we know getting the FF too wet isn't ideal.

Tres frustration.

ETA: Dad is also military surplus AND a farmer. He isn't exactly weak. This stuff is stiff.

ETA: The fermentation seems adequate. It has been smelling so pickled we've tightened the rotation by a day.

 

[LindaB220]

Adults need 1/2-1 cup of FF 1-2 times a day. There are no hard and fast rules. Consumption goes up when it's cold; down when it's hot. Both varaible affect how much I mix at one time. When it's cold, my batches are close to 24 qts of both dry feed and water (1:1 ratio). Now that it's hot and theu are eating less, it's more like 16 qts of each. Keets get their own and that's not factored in.

It's more of an art than science. Feed what they can eat in 30 minutes to an hour and go from there.

Always good to know. Thanks

 

[chickensfinally]

ETA: Dad is also military surplus AND a farmer. He isn't exactly weak. This stuff is stiff.

Heeheehee, Dad is also military *surplus* . I think you should have called him military *grade*

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

Where's the halo smilie when I need it?

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

I did find some articles about antibiotics appearing in spent brewers grains used as animal feeds. The grains in question are part of the biofuel industry ... a byproduct.

Never guess why the antibiotics are in there. That's right, because they are added as a way to optimize the fermentation process and get out the most fuel. NOT because they occur naturally.

NOTE: these are grains which were fermented so long and so thoroughly that every bit of alcohol was extracted from the process ... well beyond what we are doing here, which is pretty much just souring the grains.

There has been testing done to see how much of the antibiotics found in this industrial-waste-used-as-animal-feed are still active ... "Almost nil" is the answer ... well below the regulated "safety" threshold. (yay team)

I had links for every bit of that info ... but my computer ate it.

There are like 300 different types of penicillium, BTW. Moldy fruit rinds, for example ... that's how the preppers "make" penicillin. (Don't do that. And maybe don't add moldy fruit to your FF bucket.)

 

[Beekissed]

So thankful for knowledgeable and dedicated people who keep these FF threads on track with good research and steady minds....it really helps to dispel the rumors put out there about the process. Those rumors spread like wildfire and can burn a person's new growth when it comes to poultry keeping. Thanks LJ, for taking the time to research the question and shed some light on misinformation that is stated merely to frighten people.


Edited by staff

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

If only "growing" penicillin were so simple ... le sigh.

The articles I came across about the spent brewers grains said the levels of protein and other nutrients in the stuff produced as a biofuel byproduct are threefold greater than the way the stuff starts. But again ... that product is not quite what we're doing here. Just another way of digging into the available research ... cuz you know the biofuel industry has researched the snot out of their by products for marketing purposes ...

Edited by staff

 

[RoseMarie1]

Someone asked me was a alcohol smell to the ff mean it's gone bad? Mine doesn't smell like alcohol so I have no clue so was going to ask what does that mean? Mine gets a stronger smell but wouldn't say it smelled like alcohol. Anyway wondering if hers has gone bad?

anybody?

 

[birdlady79]

anybody?

If it has a alcohol smell you can add a little AVC to it....I have found stirring it everyday helps .... I did throw one of my first batches out bc of the smell but haven't had a prob since ..,.

 

[subhanalah]

If it has a alcohol smell you can add a little AVC to it....I have found stirring it everyday helps .... I did throw one of my first batches out bc of the smell but haven't had a prob since ..,.

I once added ACV to some alcoholy smelling FF, it made it smell MORE like straight up beer....The neighborhood guineas must have been drunk after I threw that stuff out!

sometimes I get a slight alcohol smell, I think some of us are just more sensitive to the smell of alcohol than others. If it's just food+water, I feed it.