FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[subhanalah]

I prefer letting them stay in their natural laying cycle with the seasons. Personal preferences, but the breaks do them good.

 

[ReillyJ]

i posted this in another sub forum but since we're talking fermented feed, here is pics of the feathers i'm finding and also pics of some of my birds (one isn't in the picture) wanted to know if they LOOK good and a good weight?

Also if the consensus is they might be going through a moult, should i buy a bag of Broiler feed? it's slightly higher protein (minimum 19%) and of course lower calcium, hopefully they'll be smart enough to eat the oyster shell. I would ferment it, i think. Wonder how long they should be on it, this seems if it's a moult, that it's light--or maybe it'll get worse in the coming days?

 

[evemfoster]

Shamefully copied and pasted from the molting page i posted earlier.
On average, molting takes 7-8 weeks from start to finish, but there is a wide range of normal from 4 to 12 weeks or more.

I am getting feathers on the ground like in your photo and a bigger collection under the roost inside the coop. But i haven't deiced if my chickens have decided to molt or not myself. They are way too young for their first adult moult.

 

[ReillyJ]

Shamefully copied and pasted from the molting page i posted earlier.
On average, molting takes 7-8 weeks from start to finish, but there is a wide range of normal from 4 to 12 weeks or more.

I am getting feathers on the ground like in your photo and a bigger collection under the roost inside the coop. But i haven't deiced if my chickens have decided to molt or not myself. They are way too young for their first adult moult.

Oh you have a red sex linked? Wonder if mine is (i posted her above) i don't know if she's a RIR or a red sex linked. Someone else helped me identify what my 4 hens were, apparently the owner had ordered them from Australia???? :O And mine are adult so this probably is indeed molt (idk why i spell it moult or some are doing).

But i thought they could have a molt as a juvenile?

 

[evemfoster]

Oh you have a red sex linked? Wonder if mine is (i posted her above) i don't know if she's a RIR or a red sex linked. Someone else helped me identify what my 4 hens were, apparently the owner had ordered them from Australia???? :O And mine are adult so this probably is indeed molt (idk why i spell it moult or some are doing).

But i thought they could have a molt as a juvenile?

My red sex linked has the sweetest personality. But I don't dare get between her and a mealworm.

Young chickens do have mini molts as they grow up. Its like they are always loosing and replacing a few feathers at a time as they grow. It seems like every time they have a growth spurt they needing bigger feathers to match.

I am figuring out how to feed higher protein and what feeds will be best in my FF for the winter. I am sure if they are going through a bigger molt than expected i will end up having to get broiler feed myself.

 

[Teila]

De-lurking to talk about molting; gees, do I have some pics of a hard molt! Poor ole Dusty went from this:



To this in a matter of days! I freaked out, came home from work, black feathers everywhere! This was my first experience with a hard molt:







Now, she is back to this and I truly believe that FF has a lot to do with her beautiful shine:



I made sure her diet had extra protein during the molt. Because of the hard molt and winter months she has not laid for 5 months but she started squatting just last week

 

[ReillyJ]

De-lurking to talk about molting; gees, do I have some pics of a hard molt! Poor ole Dusty went from this:



To this in a matter of days! I freaked out, came home from work, black feathers everywhere! This was my first experience with a hard molt:







Now, she is back to this and I truly believe that FF has a lot to do with her beautiful shine:



I made sure her diet had extra protein during the molt. Because of the hard molt and winter months she has not laid for 5 months but she started squatting just last week

What a lovely bird!! Such pretty pictures

Did you change the feed, or how did you provide extra protein? Giving mine meal worms and scrambled eggs but frankly don't know if that's enough

 

[Teila]

Thank you ReillyJ

Dusty is a Bantam Langshan, famous for their beautiful big brown eyes which melt hearts on sight

I didn’t change her base feed at all; stuck with the coarse grain FF they have always had but made sure she also got some eggs (scrambled and boiled; I mash up the boiled eggs, shell and all), beef, tuna, chicken, mince and as treat cheese (not too much; once a week).

Some folks do not like to feed their chickens meat and I respect that; different strokes etc

My gals always get a 'side-dish' of some description with their FF each morning; depending on the day and availability, lettuce, green beans, corn, eggs, meat, fish, tomato etc

 

[Teila]

While I am in de-lurk mode, I am going to share how I do my FF; again, just sharing what I do .. different strokes

Because I have a small flock, the 'bucket method' is a little on the overkill side and would probably take up more room than my 5 little bantams.

I use the 3 jar x 3 day method:

Day 1: add grain to jar and top up with water, about two fingers high above the grain. Set aside.
Day 2: repeat above.
Day 3: repeat above.
Day 4: feed to gals, wash out jar, repeat above and set to end of the line.

Continue above daily so that each day they are getting the grain which has fermented for 3 days. I do not add any starter (ACV etc) as, by the third day, it is ready.

This method works well for my small flock and if I am away for work, it is easy for hubby to do also

Edited to add: I use boiled, cooled water to get rid of the chlorine and just rest a lid on the jar to keep out anything I do not want in there but also allowing the fermenting gasses to escape.

 

[LindaB220]

While I am in de-lurk mode, I am going to share how I do my FF; again, just sharing what I do .. different strokes

Because I have a small flock, the 'bucket method' is a little on the overkill side and would probably take up more room than my 5 little bantams.

I use the 3 jar x 3 day method:

Day 1: add grain to jar and top up with water, about two fingers high above the grain. Set aside.
Day 2: repeat above.
Day 3: repeat above.
Day 4: feed to gals, wash out jar, repeat above and set to end of the line.

Continue above daily so that each day they are getting the grain which has fermented for 3 days. I do not add any starter (ACV etc) as, by the third day, it is ready.

This method works well for my small flock and if I am away for work, it is easy for hubby to do also

Edited to add: I use boiled, cooled water to get rid of the chlorine and just rest a lid on the jar to keep out anything I do not want in there but also allowing the fermenting gasses to escape.

This is a win-win for you. You only have to use 3 jars that don't take up much space. You don't even have to wash the jar. It will ferment faster with the little sediment in it. Save you a step each night. I'm all for saving steps.