FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[Nuggetirl]

I have to say - fermented feeds make my chickens poop so much better. It's properly formed, not liquidy at all (except for cecal poops. ugh) and it's noticably different within a week of starting them on it (I've tried FF a couple different times, finally got my mixture right so it's not going bad!). Just got 2 craigslist chickens two weeks ago. They were pooping stressed, gross poops, but even after they stopped being so stressed they were not pooping like I like my chickens to poop - solid with a white cap. They've already started pooping just like my other chickens and I really think it's the FF. (oh, and they are all house chickens, so yes, I basically inspect their poop every day and REALLY notice when it stinks more than usual)

 

[aatx]

Who says you can't dump it on the ground? What about your compost bin? I don't think it necessarily goes rancid, it just gets super over-the-top fermented.

Everyone else who lives here. No dumping because of the stench. We do not have a compost bin.

Pretty sure there's mold in there now. I stirred it about a week ago after not doing so for a few days. Way more white on top than normal, some areas were black, etc, especially around the edge where the FF meets the bucket.

 

[aatx]

After it's made up it doesn't need to be stirred everyday. Check it out and if it's still fairly ok put some in a baggie and fridge it until you are ready again. Then it will quick start your new batch. Once I get everything straightened out with who goes in which coop, I'm going to build a 5 gallon w/pvc opening for dry feed. And the same for a waterer. I've been having a lot of trouble with my knee and it would be nice to only go out once a day instead of multiples.

I'll pass. If I go back to FF when it cools off, I'd feel much better just starting all over. It doesn't take much effort to do that.

We have a couple of buckets with horizontal nipples on them for waterers. They last for weeks, but I change out the water every week or two just to freshen it up. Except for changing out the water in their wading pool which I do every day or two, they could easily go a week or more without me going inside the run. I do normally go inside there once a day or at least every other day, but I have to wait for it to cool off - the sun and I do not get along.

 

[Angiebubs]

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

WATERMELON! lol we buy watermelon every few days-take msot of the nice pink center but leave an inch around the sides...put it int he fridge then mid day when its hot-the chickens get it! They go crazy and eat it down to a thin layer of green. Also when grapes or bananas start to get a lil mushy, put them in the freezer and pull out on a hot day. I also keep a fan on on hot days, and have been known to put ice cubes in the waterer. If you were referring to FF/heat only: On really hot days, I add some cold water in the evenings/start a new batch...not really had to much of an issue with it.

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.

We get the fun of -30 up to 100 here....so heated waterers in the winter and fans in the summer.

 

[jerrey]

Not very.

Only about 10 weeks old.

when it was very hot this pasted sun. put the water hoes on mist, the girls really liked that really cooled them down

 

[beverly evans]

Quote: Wonder what aatx's problem is. Not enough water? I put lots of grains in mine so it is mealy and lumpy, never sticks together that way. I can't smell mine except when I'm serving it up and I keep it in the kitchen. Keep it wetter and serve it with a strainer if you have to. All of us have gone to the drier way of doing it now but maybe with using only pellets or granules that's what happens. : )

 

[aatx]

Wonder what aatx's problem is. Not enough water? I put lots of grains in mine so it is mealy and lumpy, never sticks together that way. I can't smell mine except when I'm serving it up and I keep it in the kitchen. Keep it wetter and serve it with a strainer if you have to. All of us have gone to the drier way of doing it now but maybe with using only pellets or granules that's what happens. : )

I think it was just the heat and humidity here. I went drier, I went wetter. Never really gave me a suitable result. I won't keep it in the house. I'll reconsider going back to FF when it cools off, but I'm not going to keep fighting with it this summer.

 

[LindaB220]

I'll pass. If I go back to FF when it cools off, I'd feel much better just starting all over. It doesn't take much effort to do that.

We have a couple of buckets with horizontal nipples on them for waterers. They last for weeks, but I change out the water every week or two just to freshen it up. Except for changing out the water in their wading pool which I do every day or two, they could easily go a week or more without me going inside the run. I do normally go inside there once a day or at least every other day, but I have to wait for it to cool off - the sun and I do not get along.

aatx, I've been wondering about your horizontal nipples. Are they better than the little cup nipples?

 

[wonkyflock14]

My flock is aging and pretty soon we will be starting Layer feed for the girls. I understand it's actually pellets... does this still ferment well? I also have at least one male, a questionable second, and I believe a male Pekin... does the extra calcium in the layer feed need to be kept away from the males? Is it detrimental to them?

 

[evemfoster]

I think it was just the heat and humidity here. I went drier, I went wetter. Never really gave me a suitable result. I won't keep it in the house. I'll reconsider going back to FF when it cools off, but I'm not going to keep fighting with it this summer.

Its reaching over 100 daily now and I am down to making only one feeding at a time. The feed ferments so fast the feed i mix up in the evening is well fermented by the morning feeding. I mix it a little on the wet side so any uneaten food wont dry up out in the sun. And if it does dry up i have found that all i need to do is splash a little water onto the feed and the liquid will work its way all the way through the feed. So far so good.