FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[Chris09]

The vet confirmed round worms, but then didn't tell me what to use or what dosage because she was in a surgery. So I did buy wazine but im not sure on the dosage orally and a few posts on here claim that all the worms being expelled at once will block up the intestines and I don't want to do that to a broody who isn't pooping a lot anyway

1 oz per gallon of water sole source of water for one day.

 

[elroddo]

go to the website of the medicine manufacturer, no guarantees but they might have some information on dosages. When in doubt use google, bing or whatever search engines your favorite and you might find what your looking for. Might even be a veterinary website where you can ask. or on here under emergencies section

 

[chickengirl1193]

Okay thanks everyone I appreciate it!

 

[LindaB220]

Gave my girls their first batch on monday right before bed. They didn't touch it before i put them to sleep but they finished it by the time I got home tuesday night. I have 8 5 week old silver laced wyandottes, and they probably had 5-6 cups of FF the first day. Last night I refilled the bowl and they went right at it as soon as I gave it to them. All 8 of them were crowding around and going crazy, which made me happy that they liked it, and that I appeared to have done it right. Need to get a scoop to get it out of the bucket easier, right now I'm using a paint stirrer I bought to mix it with. Figure a ladle from the dollar store should be perfect. Going to make some troughs for when I start meat birds next month.

Good going.

They do love some ff

 

[Nuggetirl]

uuuuuugh. Is fermenting on a super small scale just harder, or am I doing it wrong? I first mixed up a batch in a plastic cereal tupperware and it went great, just was waaaaaay too much. I only have 3 bantams (not full grown yet) and I kept feeding it for weeks and never got far enough down to backslop. It finally fermented too much (if that's possible?) and smelled so yeasty I couldn't keep it in the house. I finally threw it out and tried on a smaller scale so I could feed it faster. I've been plagued with issues. First time - molded up the sides. Found an even smaller container. Second time - after a day it smelled like straight rubbing alcohol. Read up some and decided I needed to use more water the first ferment, so I mixed in more water so there would be standing water on top. Third time - had to leave for 2 feedings without stirring (a little over 24 hours) without touching because I left town, mold all over the top. Threw that out.
Now I'm on my fourth time and maybe I've got it figured out this time (on day two), but am I doing something wrong? I don't use ACV, just feed and water. I stir when I feed and before bed (I work during the day, so it gets stirred 3 times a day). My container is wider than it is tall. I set the lid on top, but I don't seal it. I use tap water.

Is doing it on such a small scale just harder? Should I just keep trying different mixes until I get a good starter going?

(also, the first time I started the FF it was on the weekend, so I stirred it much more. Should I start it on a weekend so the first batch gets stirred more??)

 

[EmeraldSkye]

Is your tap water chlorinated? If so then you need to let it sit out for a day before using for the chlorine to dissipate. Otherwise it kills off the good bacteria you are trying to cultivate. Other options are to use distilled water or to use (as we do) RO (reverse osmosis) water. We have a tap for that installed in our house.

 

[Nuggetirl]

Is your tap water chlorinated? If so then you need to let it sit out for a day before using for the chlorine to dissipate. Otherwise it kills off the good bacteria you are trying to cultivate. Other options are to use distilled water or to use (as we do) RO (reverse osmosis) water. We have a tap for that installed in our house.

....It's probably chlorinated. Never thought about that killing bad and good bacteria.

 

[LindaB220]

uuuuuugh. Is fermenting on a super small scale just harder, or am I doing it wrong? I first mixed up a batch in a plastic cereal tupperware and it went great, just was waaaaaay too much. I only have 3 bantams (not full grown yet) and I kept feeding it for weeks and never got far enough down to backslop. It finally fermented too much (if that's possible?) and smelled so yeasty I couldn't keep it in the house. I finally threw it out and tried on a smaller scale so I could feed it faster. I've been plagued with issues. First time - molded up the sides. Found an even smaller container. Second time - after a day it smelled like straight rubbing alcohol. Read up some and decided I needed to use more water the first ferment, so I mixed in more water so there would be standing water on top. Third time - had to leave for 2 feedings without stirring (a little over 24 hours) without touching because I left town, mold all over the top. Threw that out.
Now I'm on my fourth time and maybe I've got it figured out this time (on day two), but am I doing something wrong? I don't use ACV, just feed and water. I stir when I feed and before bed (I work during the day, so it gets stirred 3 times a day). My container is wider than it is tall. I set the lid on top, but I don't seal it. I use tap water.

Is doing it on such a small scale just harder? Should I just keep trying different mixes until I get a good starter going?

(also, the first time I started the FF it was on the weekend, so I stirred it much more. Should I start it on a weekend so the first batch gets stirred more??)

If the mold is white then it's the good stuff. Stir down and feed. I do it daily. If you get some that's super over fermented use a cup of it to make a new batch and it's ready overnight. I feed mine like oatmeal and don't leave water standing. I don't like to strain. You can go as little as you like. Pint jar? Quart? Just leave a serving or two in the bottom and start over with water and feed. I usually just scrape down the sides and stir in. If it's black, I wipe it off and stir again. Coffee filter and rubber band on top or partially screwed on top. Just so air can get in. Good luck.

 

[evemfoster]

uuuuuugh. Is fermenting on a super small scale just harder, or am I doing it wrong? I first mixed up a batch in a plastic cereal tupperware and it went great, just was waaaaaay too much. I only have 3 bantams (not full grown yet) and I kept feeding it for weeks and never got far enough down to backslop. It finally fermented too much (if that's possible?) and smelled so yeasty I couldn't keep it in the house. I finally threw it out and tried on a smaller scale so I could feed it faster.

Is there a chance some of the original start is still around? Even small dried up chunks will do.

You had the right bugs going in the original start. If so you can take a little bit of the old FF and add it to your next new smaller container everything should start working and be fine.

I had to search how much bantams eat, never had them myself. They said full grown bantams eat only 2-3 ounces (50g - 85g) per day. Because crumbles are bulky 2 ounces is a scant 1/2 Cup and 3 ounces comes out to be 1/2 Cup plus 2 tablespoons, per bird. So 1 1/2 to 2 cups a day for all three if they were full grown.

With a small ferment for only 3 adult bantams i would make at the most 3-4 cups of FF to start with. Then after each feeding add only enough feed to replace what was fed out.

In hot weather the feed ferments so fast you may want to make even less to keep the smell down, having only couple days’ worth in the container at a time.

 

[Nuggetirl]

Quote: None of the old stuff around, I let the wild birds have it.
Thanks for the info. Guess I'll try to recreate what I did at first, and get a little more technical about how much I need each day to keep the smell down.
I'm just annoyed at the whole process right now. lol.