FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[hennible]

X2

 

[KristinKH]

Take away the dry. they'll eat it, and once they do, they'll never look back. You'll be amazed at how much less their poo stinks.

Thanks! I'll give it a try and report back.

K

 

[ak rain]

You can sprinkle a little dry on top too.
You cn mi ff thickeras well and it won't be as sticky
Ak

 

[Tikkijane]

Is amprolium available separately then? Is that the only medication in medicated chick feed?  I make milk kefir regularly, could I use that to jump start the first fermentation?

Yes and yes. I keep a packet of Corid on hand but should check to see if it's expired because I've never had to use it. Sulmet can also be used to treat. Cocci thrives in a wet environment; it's the *overgrowth * that's an issue {think about Candida in humans, for example}.

No starter is needed. It will ferment just fine without it {although some folks use them.}.

 

[Tikkijane]

But would just the water dilute the med? They probably take in as much liquid by just drinking as they would if you wet the feed.
Now the ferment might render the med inert.

Afaik, it's doseage. If you were to treat in their water, there is a much higher concentration they would get. When you mix the feed with water to ferment, the amprolium gets diluted. I don't know what fermentation does to the chemical compound, if anything, of amprolium. I don't think drinking water after eating dry feed has any effect on the amprolium at that point, because it's already been ingested.

Bottom line is- fermented feed changes the gut ph and gut flora, which makes an inhospitable environment for cocci overgrowth.

 

[Regin]

Quote: I don't use medication with my chicks. The fermented food seems to be enough. Besides, the medication can cause B-vitamin deficiency problems.

 

[triplepurpose]

I don't use medication with my chicks.  The fermented food seems to be enough.  Besides, the medication can cause B-vitamin deficiency problems.

X2 Some prefer to promote health instead of worrying about every possible disease. I would never recommend medicating to anyone unless they already had experienced such bad disease problems that there was no other way to raise chicks (in which case I'd probably have some other questions about their methods too)! Unnecessary use and/or overuse of meds is it's own problem IMO.

 

[ak rain]

You have to talk with local folks to
See if disease is active in area. In the end it's a personnel choice
ak

 

[Honey B]

I was wondering about fermenting alfalfa pellets...Can it be done? Can they be mixed in with my fermenting layer feed? Are the benefits the same as fermenting regular food, ie is it worth the effort?
I have search the forums for information but didn't find any detailed info, just people who said they have done it. I did not have the patience to read through the huge fermenting threads that also came up in my search. Any info is very appreciated.
@Beekissed As the fermenting guru, any thoughts?

 

[KristinKH]

You can sprinkle a little dry on top too.
You cn mi ff thickeras well and it won't be as sticky
Ak

Success! Taking away the other food didn't work, but mixing in some dry did the trick. I mixed in enough that it doesn't get their beaks wet, which seems to be what they had a problem with. I'll make it with less and less dry over time until they're eating all fermented. Thanks again for the help.

Next question - how much water kefir should I put in their water, percentage-wise?

K