FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[Chiks N Stiks]

Thank you.

 

[shodack]

I started feeding my chickens FF a week or ten days ago, and in the last few days the amount they're eating has dropped by half. I read that they would be eating less, but it's still a shock to see that much of a change! Normal?

 

[enola]

My feed consumption decreased by at least 40%.

 

[shodack]

Wow, awesome!

 

[evemfoster]

I also have a huge drop in the amount of feed consumed. Over 60%

One of the reasons i find is unwanted pests that help themselves to the chicken feed wont take the wet feed. For example mice and chipmunks cant store the wet feed like they do dry feed so they ignore the FF. On the other hand marmots love it, they get as big as a nearly grown house cat and live in large groups, so i have to add cayenne to all the feed to keep them out. I'm sure that nearly everyone reading this doesn't have a marmot problem but the cayenne trick works on nearly everything that will get into the feed, and it works with wet and dry feed.

 

[Herdsman01]

It is amazing to me how much less feed is consumed while on FF. I recently started letting my birds free range and their feed consumption has dropped even more since a good chunk of their diet has become whatever they can forage for. The nice thing about the FF is even though the birds are free ranging they still go crazy over the feed. This is nice when I comes time to lock the birds up at night. Haven't had any problems with them not coming in to eat...knock on wood.

 

[elizmartin]

I also have a huge drop in the amount of feed consumed. Over 60%

One of the reasons i find is unwanted pests that help themselves to the chicken feed wont take the wet feed. For example mice and chipmunks cant store the wet feed like they do dry feed so they ignore the FF. On the other hand marmots love it, they get as big as a nearly grown house cat and live in large groups, so i have to add cayenne to all the feed to keep them out. I'm sure that nearly everyone reading this doesn't have a marmot problem but the cayenne trick works on nearly everything that will get into the feed, and it works with wet and dry feed.

Interesting…Do the chickens eat the cayenne as well…..didn't know if it was powdered or whole pepper seed. in what ration proportion??

 

[evemfoster]

Yes they eat it. I have read that chickens have very few taste buds and one of them that we have and they don't is the one for capstan the hot in hot peppers. I have mixed in both powdered and whole peppers into the feed. I think they can taste the peppers just not the hot part.

 

[smccully]

We got a puppy a few weeks ago and he goes crazy for the chickens FF. Does anyone see a problem with him eating it?

 

[enola]

It won't kill him, but, fermented feed is not a satisfactory diet for a growing puppy.