FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[ChickenCanoe]

I would think so. The bacteria should populate the FF.

 

[Tikkijane]

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! 

Me, too. I read for a long time, but everything was so involved- multiple buckets, steps, etc etc. It wasn't until I read about Bee's one-bucket cooler method that it looked easy enough to try.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Same here. I avoided it for about a year after hearing about it.

 

[LindaB220]

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!

Hey Linda, I love to talk about fermented feed. It's my greatest discovery when I came on here the very first day. I found BeeKissed, the lady who started this thread, and never looked back. I've got the healthiest birds in the town. I'd like to say that I followed the Homestead sites instructions perfectly but what works for me is to get within a couple of serviings from the bottom and add hot water and 1/2 cup AEM and about 1/3 c molasses. Stir really good and add water to about halfway up the 5 gallon pail. Stir and start adding feed or grains. Rice Bran is really good for chickens and since I live in the deep south I can buy it for $8 for 50#. It's 12% protein. I also buy catfish food 34% or so protein. 2 Scoops of rice bran, 2 qt scoops of layer or grower and 1 scoop of catfish food. I also add 1/2 scoop of BOSS black oil sunflower seeds. I have azomite rock dust with 70 something trace minerals and I add about 4-5 tbls. I make this the consistancy of thick oatmeal and set it overnight. I lay a gallon size baggie on top of the feed itself before putting the lid on loosely. It keeps it from getting the white scoby on top. If I forget to do that I just stir the white film down and it dissolves back into it. Never throw any out until you check with us.

My daughter came to the coop with me today and was taking pictures for me. She hadn't seen them since they were babies. I told her how healthy they were and she said she could tell. I asked her "Can you smell anything?" No, not at all. No poo smell ever with FF

 

[Hennyetta]

So eventually I want to mix my own non-GMO, soy-free feed for my chickens, and ferment it. I would like to add an animal protein to it, especially during the winter months when my birds aren't getting 'animal' protein from bugs they catch while free-ranging. I've been doing some research, and will probably use organic fish meal if I can find it around here for a halfway decent price.

My question is, can I add it to my grain/seed mix and ferment it right along with everything else, or is that not okay to do with something like fish meal? Does anyone know? Could it spoil and make my birds sick or kill them? LindaB220, you mention using catfish food, which I assume might contain fish meal. Do you know if it does?

 

[LindaB220]

So eventually I want to mix my own non-GMO, soy-free feed for my chickens, and ferment it. I would like to add an animal protein to it, especially during the winter months when my birds aren't getting 'animal' protein from bugs they catch while free-ranging. I've been doing some research, and will probably use organic fish meal if I can find it around here for a halfway decent price.

My question is, can I add it to my grain/seed mix and ferment it right along with everything else, or is that not okay to do with something like fish meal? Does anyone know? Could it spoil and make my birds sick or kill them? LindaB220, you mention using catfish food, which I assume might contain fish meal. Do you know if it does?

Yes, it does. I don't use a lot. Just to bump up my protein. What kind of grains are you thinking? Wheat is ok, barley too. And oats. The main thing is keeping away from corn, beets and soy. Also hybrid veggies for your garden. What else?

 

[nevergiveup]

Thanks for that... again LindaB220. That is very helpful. I too am working on finding the right combo of ingredients to give the chicks top nutrition and no GMOs. Do you add the BOSS with shell into the fermenting feed bucket? My chicks are about 6 weeks old, from when do you think I can stop 'cracking' (in reality i pre-soak the barley and whizz it in the blender) their feed before I start fermenting it? I am a total beginner in all things chicken but spent about about 2 years on and off researching it !

 

[LindaB220]

Thanks for that... again LindaB220. That is very helpful. I too am working on finding the right combo of ingredients to give the chicks top nutrition and no GMOs. Do you add the BOSS with shell into the fermenting feed bucket? My chicks are about 6 weeks old, from when do you think I can stop 'cracking' (in reality i pre-soak the barley and whizz it in the blender) their feed before I start fermenting it? I am a total beginner in all things chicken but spent about about 2 years on and off researching it !

I'd wait a few more weeks before giving whole grains. BOSS ferments wonderfully. They can go to whole grains by 10 weeks. My chickens will not eat whole corn at all. Even fermented. You can buy the crimped oats and ferment it. Or soak whole oats separately for 3 or so days then add to the ferment. You'll have to keep adding water. If you do that add ACV to the water.
Yes, research is most important. I began looking into chickens last summer but I had to wait to get a coop, yada yada and winter came so I had to wait until almost April to get my first chicks. And I've never looked back. I've read thousands of posts (and posted thousands) The joy of chickens is that there is always something new to learn. Different ways to do things. Enjoy your babies.

Edited: One important thing that you need to do now if you are not is to get them grit. Granite grit when they start grains but for right now give them sand to have in their crop. They have small granite and adult. If you wait until 10 weeks you can serve a mixture and let them choose.

 

[nevergiveup]

Thanks, i work away a lot so Hubby keeps me up-to-date on their progress. I do miss them...... and him.....

Hmmmmmmm, good point re the grit. I was hoping I could avoid that with fermenting, I mean the grains will be softer once soaked/fermented. I can't seem to find any farmer here who knows what I am talking about when I mention grit....could be my horrendously poor Spanish ;-) . The feed stores don't have it, perhaps because most people around here just feed the pellets / mash.....wonderful (note sarcasm) list of ingredients : GMO maize, GMO soy, GMO wheat. The barley isn't GMO, though ! Yippeee! Hence my focus on barley grain and barley grass. Do you think builders' sand or gravel will be OK?

 

[nevergiveup]

P.S. I'll look out for oats as well. Good idea. Also I will be starting a mealworm farm.....I guess its not a good idea to ferment them though ;-) !!!!