FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[Tikkijane]

TY SO MUCH, i've been asked by others not to give up and i won't!! They DO eat it but not with gusto so they'll have to get used to it! (also it's the same food they've been eating for awhile, just not moistened but fermented



oooh that's your blog? Your blog is the one that compelled me to start fermenting because of the ease of it!!

Yep i know that you were addressing someone else, the Scratch n Peck label is a bit misleading though--just wanted to clear it up for those who don't know it. They make all kinds of organic feed based here in the NW.

Yep. . I do a lot on FB chicken groups and got tired of answering {literally} the same questions over and over. I wrote and came back here for suggestions/feedback, and got a ton of help. I don't feel like I wrote as much as 'compiled' information from this thread- which is a *gold mine* of info.

 

[ReillyJ]

Yep.

. I do a lot on FB chicken groups and got tired of answering {literally} the same questions over and over. I wrote and came back here for suggestions/feedback, and got a ton of help. I don't feel like I wrote as much as 'compiled' information from this thread- which is a *gold mine* of info.

This is true and i read a lot of this thread and still will BUT.. i have a chronic illness and seriously need things simple and as you can tell i tend to over think things and want things done right and especially am concerned for my birds and want the best for them, i love this thread and the people in it but just wanted to give you kudos that it was your blog that made me take the plunge and not feel overwhelmed--as i tend to do!

 

[nevergiveup]

In case you are reading this and have had mouldy nasty messes instead of lovely healthy lacto fermentation (that's what happened to me). I thought 1) i was doing it wrong, 2) it was the wrong time of year , 3) I hadn't found the right combination of ingredients or 4) it simply isn't possible for me here, now. Probably all of above were true, but I was desperate for this lacto fermentation to work.

I remembered I had an unopened bottle of EMs, otherwise known as effective microorganisms, a combination of lacto bacteria, yeasts and photosynthetic yeasts invented by a Japanese farmer. In spite of it being past its Best Before date, it smelt lovely and fresh, so it tried about 1/2 teaspoon in the chickens food, which is 1/3 pre-soaked cracked barley with some mash, 1/3 veg/ barley grass with some fruit and 1/3 left overs with enough water to cover = about 2 gallons. In 48 hours it was bubbling like it was on the stove when I stirred it and it smelt lovely. It was quite warm where I kept it but it was the same place I experienced all my failures. My 12 1 month old chicks LOVE it and their coop and run don't smell at all.

 

[LindaB220]

In case you are reading this and have had mouldy nasty messes instead of lovely healthy lacto fermentation (that's what happened to me). I thought 1) i was doing it wrong, 2) it was the wrong time of year , 3) I hadn't found the right combination of ingredients or 4) it simply isn't possible for me here, now. Probably all of above were true, but I was desperate for this lacto fermentation to work.

I remembered I had an unopened bottle of EMs, otherwise known as effective microorganisms, a combination of lacto bacteria, yeasts and photosynthetic yeasts invented by a Japanese farmer. In spite of it being past its Best Before date, it smelt lovely and fresh, so it tried about 1/2 teaspoon in the chickens food, which is 1/3 pre-soaked cracked barley with some mash, 1/3 veg/ barley grass with some fruit and 1/3 left overs with enough water to cover = about 2 gallons. In 48 hours it was bubbling like it was on the stove when I stirred it and it smelt lovely. It was quite warm where I kept it but it was the same place I experienced all my failures. My 12 1 month old chicks LOVE it and their coop and run don't smell at all.

I also use Em-1. To make more of it (AEM) use 3/4 c EM-1 and 3/4 c Molasses (from the feed store $ 7 gallon). Mix together in a little warm water and add to gallon milk jug. Fill the rest with water and close tightly. In this heat it will work in about 4 days. Then to make a 5 gallon bucket full of FF, fill bucket 40% full of hot or warm water. Then add 1/2 c of AEM and 1/2 c molasses. Stir well and start adding your mash or feed. It will take about 2/3's of a bucket of feed. Make it stiff like thick oatmeal and it will last for weeks if stirred daily. By making the AEM you can use your one bottle of EM to make hundreds of bottles of AEM. A terrific website I found explains the benefits of using in feed and for the coop and run as well as your garden for soil amendment.
http://www.home-n-stead.com/homestead/tipsandrecipes/ems.html

 

[onmelissa]

Any tips for chicks on FF? My babies are a week old, and I give them some every day, but they trample it until it's like concrete. I always end up scraping it up to break it apart and adding some dry chick starter to keep everything crumbly.
My FF tends toward the dry side anyway.

 

[nevergiveup]

Wow, thanks for that, LindaB220. I was going to read up and experiment with getting the most out of a bottle of EM1. Time is too short, I'm afraid so any pointers are very welcome. Tell me, could you help me out with a few more pointers ?

+ in your 'recipe' above, do you mean that you make a 5 gallon bucket of feed once every few weeks, use it ALL and then make a new batch. Or do you add fresh food to an already fermenting batch to extend its life...perhaps a little like 'normal' lacto fermenting?
+ what are optimal temperatures and at which temperature does the process become impossibly slow or halt altogether ?
+in your experience how long will an opened bottle of EM1 stay fresh in a cool dark room ? ....... a bottle of AEM ?
+how many chickens are you feeding and how much EM1 do you go thru in a year ?

That's it...interrogation over ! Thanks, LindaB220....good name that......I'm a Linda too
P.S. I will read the info in that link....soon!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

In case you are reading this and have had mouldy nasty messes instead of lovely healthy lacto fermentation (that's what happened to me). I thought 1) i was doing it wrong, 2) it was the wrong time of year , 3) I hadn't found the right combination of ingredients or 4) it simply isn't possible for me here, now. Probably all of above were true, but I was desperate for this lacto fermentation to work.

I remembered I had an unopened bottle of EMs, otherwise known as effective microorganisms, a combination of lacto bacteria, yeasts and photosynthetic yeasts invented by a Japanese farmer. In spite of it being past its Best Before date, it smelt lovely and fresh, so it tried about 1/2 teaspoon in the chickens food, which is 1/3 pre-soaked cracked barley with some mash, 1/3 veg/ barley grass with some fruit and 1/3 left overs with enough water to cover = about 2 gallons. In 48 hours it was bubbling like it was on the stove when I stirred it and it smelt lovely. It was quite warm where I kept it but it was the same place I experienced all my failures. My 12 1 month old chicks LOVE it and their coop and run don't smell at all.

I use a little bit of both plain kefir with live cultures and gro2max. The latter is a mix formulated in Egypt specifically for chickens. The rights for US distribution were bought by this company. It can be used with can be used in water or dry feed but in FF it goes much farther.
http://www.gro2max.com/

Any tips for chicks on FF? My babies are a week old, and I give them some every day, but they trample it until it's like concrete. I always end up scraping it up to break it apart and adding some dry chick starter to keep everything crumbly.
My FF tends toward the dry side anyway.

I use the plastic reel top chick feeder. NO trampling.
http://www.farmtek.com/farm/supplies/prod1;;pg106139.html

 

[nevergiveup]

Sorry ChickenCanoe...thanks for that but I live in the backwoods of Andalucia, Spain. I need to stick to stuff I can get in Europe.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

No worries. I envy you for that. You can probably get kefir though.
Anyone around you have Penedesencas or Empordanesas?

 

[ReillyJ]

I use a little bit of both plain kefir with live cultures and gro2max. The latter is a mix formulated in Egypt specifically for chickens. The rights for US distribution were bought by this company. It can be used with can be used in water or dry feed but in FF it goes much farther.
http://www.gro2max.com/

I use the plastic reel top chick feeder. NO trampling.
http://www.farmtek.com/farm/supplies/prod1;;pg106139.html

i was wondering if i could add "chicken probiotics" to my FF, didn't know if it would screw it up or not, mine has probiotics and electroytes that you add to water.