FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[nevergiveup]

Oh and LindaB220, do you go all the way with home 'n steads advice and take your first batch and make a 2nd dilution then from that a third dilution ? Does it work well ? Is it the third dilution that you use when you add 1/2 cup of AEM to start a new 5 gallon batch of feed ?

 

[Hennyetta]

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?

I haven't decided for sure yet. It's going to depend on what I can get around here that's affordable. I know I can get some non-GMO/organic stuff from the same place where we get a lot of our cow feed, so I just need to figure out my recipe and call them and see if they have what I want. And then modify from there, I guess. There are quite a few recipes floating around cyber-space for making your own chicken feed, but so far I haven't found one that includes the fish meal. I'm not sure if I can just add some to an existing recipe? Also if so, I'm not sure how much to add. I've heard that too much can give your eggs a fishy flavor, which I sure don't want!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

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?

I mix the fishmeal with my feed for the chicks with no problems.
Check the last reply below for ratios.

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 !

As Linda said below, I'd wait a bit on the whole BOSS (Semilla de Girasol). That said, my feed is very coarsely ground with a lot of whole seeds, yet I start feeding it by the end of the first week as FF. If they were with a mother hen foraging, they'd be eating similar size things. Hence the importance of grit, unless it's available naturally on range.

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.

There's really 4 sizes of grit. 1,2 and 3 for chickens and 4 for adult turkeys.
http://www.tccmaterials.com/pdf/CSpoultrygritdata.pdf

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?

Grit is a good idea regardless of what you're feeding. It helps develop the gizzard and therefor the health of the chicken down the road. I give grit right out of the hatcher. I sprinkle feed on the paper towels and sprinkle the #1 grit on top. After a week I put it in a separate container from the feed and continue that all through their life.

The Spanish word for grit is gránulos.

Perhaps if all the farmers there free range, they don't provide it.

If you need other Spanish words for anything feed or animal related, I can help.

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 ;-) !!!!

I wouldn't ferment live animals.
The chickens love hunting for them in their bedding to relieve boredom in winter.

I haven't decided for sure yet. It's going to depend on what I can get around here that's affordable. I know I can get some non-GMO/organic stuff from the same place where we get a lot of our cow feed, so I just need to figure out my recipe and call them and see if they have what I want. And then modify from there, I guess. There are quite a few recipes floating around cyber-space for making your own chicken feed, but so far I haven't found one that includes the fish meal. I'm not sure if I can just add some to an existing recipe? Also if so, I'm not sure how much to add. I've heard that too much can give your eggs a fishy flavor, which I sure don't want!

It's also between 60 and 66% protein so it takes very little to bump the total.
I use a 16% coarsely ground organic grower for all the birds. For chicks I mix in fishmeal at a 10:1 ratio and that bumps the total protein to 20%.

Here's an ap that will help you determine ratios to achieve the desired protein.

https://homesteadapps.com/app/free/feedcalc/pearsonsquare.php

 

[Hennyetta]

I mix the fishmeal with my feed for the chicks with no problems.
Check the last reply below for ratios.





It's also between 60 and 66% protein so it takes very little to bump the total.
I use a 16% coarsely ground organic grower for all the birds. For chicks I mix in fishmeal at a 10:1 ratio and that bumps the total protein to 20%.

Here's an ap that will help you determine ratios to achieve the desired protein.

https://homesteadapps.com/app/free/feedcalc/pearsonsquare.php

Thanks! That's really helpful. Unfortunately, I called the feed place I thought might carry fish meal, and they don't. So now I'm going to have to try to find another source. I only want the organic fish meal to avoid the yucky preservative that's used in the non-organic meal. I know I could order online, but the shipping is nuts. Hopefully I can find it somewhere local!

 

[evemfoster]

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.

You can put wire with big holes above the feed so that they cant walk in it.

Also when it gets trampled and dry just add a little bit of water and stir. It will hydrate right back up.

 

[nevergiveup]

Very helpful, ChickenCanoe. I will get back to you for some Spanish words if I draw a blank !

 

[LindaB220]

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.

You know, Tikkijane, I had forgotten about Bee one-bucket cooler. I probably should be using that down here in La. I think I will give it a try. Sold my first ever chicken today. New layer Delaware for $15. Win-win Everybody happy. The buyer was so excited about how healthy the girls are looking. Fermented feed from day 1.

 

[LindaB220]

I mix the fishmeal with my feed for the chicks with no problems.
Check the last reply below for ratios.

As Linda said below, I'd wait a bit on the whole BOSS (Semilla de Girasol). That said, my feed is very coarsely ground with a lot of whole seeds, yet I start feeding it by the end of the first week as FF. If they were with a mother hen foraging, they'd be eating similar size things. Hence the importance of grit, unless it's available naturally on range.

There's really 4 sizes of grit. 1,2 and 3 for chickens and 4 for adult turkeys.
http://www.tccmaterials.com/pdf/CSpoultrygritdata.pdf

Grit is a good idea regardless of what you're feeding. It helps develop the gizzard and therefor the health of the chicken down the road. I give grit right out of the hatcher. I sprinkle feed on the paper towels and sprinkle the #1 grit on top. After a week I put it in a separate container from the feed and continue that all through their life.

The Spanish word for grit is gránulos.

Perhaps if all the farmers there free range, they don't provide it.

If you need other Spanish words for anything feed or animal related, I can help.

I wouldn't ferment live animals.
The chickens love hunting for them in their bedding to relieve boredom in winter.


It's also between 60 and 66% protein so it takes very little to bump the total.
I use a 16% coarsely ground organic grower for all the birds. For chicks I mix in fishmeal at a 10:1 ratio and that bumps the total protein to 20%.

Here's an ap that will help you determine ratios to achieve the desired protein.

https://homesteadapps.com/app/free/feedcalc/pearsonsquare.php

Yea!!! I'm always learning something new. Thanks for the info on the grit and sizes. I'd seen it before but couldn't remember what age to use it. 3riverschick said it is so important to get them on grit from day one. It helps develop a healthy gizzard.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Very helpful, ChickenCanoe. I will get back to you for some Spanish words if I draw a blank !

You probably speak better than I do. I have poor grammar, especially when it comes to verb conjugation. But I do have a good technical vocabulary, primarily when it comes to industry, especially feed manufacture and livestock.

 

[gem861]

For those that use diatomaceous earth & FF- when do you add your DE?