FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[hennible]

Vehve, if you're referring to my style feeder there is seriously no way you can get the lid on fast enough to stop the water from overflowing
The poster was asking about these ones though.

And I cannot see anyway under the natural laws of physics that this thing isn't just going to dump fermented feed all over the ground...

 

[vehve]

You can close the lid and tilt the whole thing while filling it. Basically, if you would use your feeder as a waterer instead, it would work like that, as long as the lid seals tightly. Same principle as taking a glass of water in your sink, filling it, and turning it upside down below the surface. You can then lift it up, and as long as the mouth of the glass is below the surface, the water won't come out. But like I said, FF will produce gases by itself, so it would eventually push itself out of the feeder. It would probably take a moment though.

 

[hennible]

Of course I'm not 100% sure, I've never tried it.

 

[jbkirk]

If I used a lid it would be a sealing one. It almost sounds better to have it totally opposite of this design and let gravity work

 

[azygous]

This is being cross-posted from the "Emergencies" forum because sometimes I fail to get very good responses from it.

I'm at my wits end with Alice, my six-year old SLW who has been hopelessly stuck in molt for the past five months. She's been on FF for over a year and I've been supplement with occasional high grade protein like tuna and tofu, trying to jolt her into completing molt. She eats a small bit then lets the flock finish it off. She won't eat at all if I isolate her from the others.

Also, while I'm here, I have a problem with messy butts on half the flock of seventeen hens. It really isn't at the level of vent gleet, little evidence of inflammation, but there's a lot of white, runny poop crusting on the vent feathers. I've been washing them every week or so, trying to keep them clean. I thought FF would prevent runny poop, and especially prevent thrush-like organisms from colonizing the intestinal track.

So, two issues here: Alice is stuck in molt and crusty butts on FF. Ideas?

 

[hennible]

Maybe add a probiotic to the ff for the crusty butt... I know fermented feed is loaded with probiotics but maybe an extra boost will help...

 

[hennible]

Coconut oil is recommended (apparently) for Candida infections in humans... Wonder if it could have benefits to your birds with crusty butts.

 

[hennible]

The chicken that is stuck moulting could have a hormone imbalance... I think it's high progesterone that causes the moult... And it's prolactin that causes brooding...
Maybe some sort of light therapy could change her hormone balance...

 

[ChickenCanoe]

This is being cross-posted from the "Emergencies" forum because sometimes I fail to get very good responses from it.

I'm at my wits end with Alice, my six-year old SLW who has been hopelessly stuck in molt for the past five months. She's been on FF for over a year and I've been supplement with occasional high grade protein like tuna and tofu, trying to jolt her into completing molt. She eats a small bit then lets the flock finish it off. She won't eat at all if I isolate her from the others.

Also, while I'm here, I have a problem with messy butts on half the flock of seventeen hens. It really isn't at the level of vent gleet, little evidence of inflammation, but there's a lot of white, runny poop crusting on the vent feathers. I've been washing them every week or so, trying to keep them clean. I thought FF would prevent runny poop, and especially prevent thrush-like organisms from colonizing the intestinal track.

So, two issues here: Alice is stuck in molt and crusty butts on FF. Ideas?

Could be worms or a bacterial infection. I would find a vet to read a fecal sample before you treat so you know what it is.

 

[Chris09]

@azygous,

Question for you, are the feathers twisting any or do they break easy?
It also look like her right shank (leg) is swollen in the picture, is it, is she loosing weight?

I don't think she is in a molt but I may have a good idea what it might be but before I say anything I need these question answered.
I also don't think it is hormonal.