FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[jasmine5904]

When it wasn't so hot I left mine on the counter for several days when we were gone. I didn't instruct my babysitters to stir it. I guess it depends how warm your house is. Do you keep it fairly dry or water over the top? If it's wet you can just have them stir before feeding out.

I do keep it fairly dry, and our house is usually about 72 degrees. If it did go bad it wouldn't be a huge loss, since it's a smaller batch.

 

[beverly evans]

So, question about keeping FF in the fridge... I have a small-ish tub of FF (I only have 7 girls, and they free range all day), and we're getting ready to go out of town for a couple days. Would keeping it in the fridge while we're gone be preferential to leaving it out on the kitchen counter for two days without stirring?

Thanks for all your expert advice! This thread has been a wealth of information!

Have to ask.......what tricks do you use to make your girls able to tolerate the heat better? : )

 

[beverly evans]

Quote: I made a trough with 2x4 planks, about 3 foot long, but am very unhappy withit because they still knock lots of it out on the ground that goes wasted. I mix in steamed oats, milo or sorgum, sweet feed (for horses), and some alfalfa along with the organic layer feed. So I get p___ed when it gets wasted! Back to the drawing board! I will make it deeper to see if that makes a difference. : )

 

[jasmine5904]

Have to ask.......what tricks do you use to make your girls able to tolerate the heat better?  : )

I don't really have any tricks for dealing with the heat, but I'd like to hear if anyone else does! My girls have lots of shade - we have a lot of bushes and trees for them to get under, and leaves from our oak tree for them to dig through and get to the cooler dirt. They don't seem to drink much though, so I'm wondering if they're getting most of their water from the FF?? I serve mine at an oatmeal-like consistency, and I've noticed they hardly drink much at all compared to what they were drinking when I was feeding dry feed! It's in the 90s here and miserably humid, but they still run around like happy little chickens, so I guess they're doing fine!

 

[topdycke]

I've had to resort to keeping mine in the fridge for a few days at a time, then out for a day or two, then back in. It has been hovering about 115+ for the past few weeks and even the other night I think my low was only 93. Poor girls are ready for a break in the weather but none that we can see for a while yet.

Since we are also in a hot humid are I have kept mine just inside the utility to access it It was not smelling in a good way when I had it outside. If I make smaller batches I can pick up the bucket and go feed without lugging a lot of weight

 

[LindaB220]

Just thought some of you might like to know that in SW La. it is so hot and humid that I have stopped fermenting until it gets a little cooler and the flies aren't sooo bad...that stuff stinks like crazy and my flock seems happier eating grass, bugs and other goodies from the pasture. They really loved it at first but now, nature must be better! I did get blessed with 5-6 sacks of wheat from a friend who raises it so...

I will be ready for later!!!

Hey Meadowchick, I'm out of Shreveport. Yes, it's hot and humid. But mine don't have the opportunity to get out and roam. So I continue feeding them and they will eat a bit less due to the heat. Don't worry, start back in Oct or so and it will run good through the rest of the winter. Thank goodness we don't have snow and all the heated water dishes. Miserable.

 

[LindaB220]

Well, I have FINALLY made it all the way through this thread!

I found Tikijane's blog post about fermenting feed about a week ago. I began fermenting after reading the beginning of this thread and hearing about the benefits. My chickens love it!

I feed about 15 chickens 6 cups a day, which seems to be enough for now with the free-ranging they are getting. Now that I've got the fermenting part down, it's time to build some troughs out of scrap wood we've got! Thanks to everyone who has been tirelessly sharing their knowledge and helping others out. My chickens from South Texas thank you!

South Texas, sounds hot. Have y'all been getting any of the rain that Shreveport has been getting lately. I don't remember a time when it was so wet. Not griping you understand. This is the most important decision I made in getting chickens. Mine are so healthy. Love my FF.

 

[LindaB220]

I made a trough with 2x4 planks, about 3 foot long, but am very unhappy withit because they still knock lots of it out on the ground that goes wasted. I mix in steamed oats, milo or sorgum, sweet feed (for horses), and some alfalfa along with the organic layer feed. So I get p___ed when it gets wasted! Back to the drawing board! I will make it deeper to see if that makes a difference. : )

It will make a difference. There's no way I could fill up my big trough, I'm liking your mixture. How much sorgum do you feed? Not the sweet kind, right? And the alfalfa pellets? Mine don't get to roam and I need to buy some of this. What exactly is in sweet feed? I've been interested in it for a while. Lots of questions, Beverly. Sorry.

 

[jerrey]

I don't really have any tricks for dealing with the heat, but I'd like to hear if anyone else does! My girls have lots of shade - we have a lot of bushes and trees for them to get under, and leaves from our oak tree for them to dig through and get to the cooler dirt. They don't seem to drink much though, so I'm wondering if they're getting most of their water from the FF?? I serve mine at an oatmeal-like consistency, and I've noticed they hardly drink much at all compared to what they were drinking when I was feeding dry feed! It's in the 90s here and miserably humid, but they still run around like happy little chickens, so I guess they're doing fine!

how old are your chickens

 

[jasmine5904]

how old are your chickens

Not very. Only about 10 weeks old.