FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[Beekissed]

If you keep it too soupy they have to ingest more fluid than usual to get the amount of food they need, so you might mix it very much dryer to see if that helps. They usually don't drink/ingest that much water this time of year.

Mine doesn't smell horrendous either at this time of year, though in the heat of summer it can get pretty rank. I don't have to worry about yeast or mold issues either unless it's on the edge of the bucket or in the handle of the scoop.

 

[Leigti]

I think I found something that will work. Tonight I soaked a little bit of their dry food in buttermilk. They seemed to really like it. So I'm going to try that for a few days then see if they transition to the fermented food a little easier. Can I put buttermilk in the fermented food mixture or pour a little bit of it onto the fermented food?

 

[leliadax]

I think I found something that will work. Tonight I soaked a little bit of their dry food in buttermilk. They seemed to really like it. So I'm going to try that for a few days then see if they transition to the fermented food a little easier. Can I put buttermilk in the fermented food mixture or pour a little bit of it onto the fermented food?

I sometimes use buttermilk to start my ferment, just a bit mixed with the water. I also drain mine and mix in crumbles so is dry. I have heard buttermilk is ok for them but like anything else, in moderation. I sometimes start my ferment with the whey that comes off keifer cheese too, they love it too.

 

[BantyChooks]

Does anyone know if FF is a good feed for peafowl? I have been looking into getting them, and was wondering if FF would help me not need to use chemical dewormers so often by promoting gut health.
P.S. I stopped my fermented feed foray with my chickens, because is stunk up the whole basement. Too cold to keep it outside, and it was too stinky! I will be restarting it come spring, because the chickens loved it.

 

[lazy gardener]

I don't know why your peas wouldn't do well on it.

 

[chooknewb]

Is it possible that fermented feed may contribute to softer egg shells? Although my chickens ate the FF well enough, after a couple of days, I noticed that there were eggs without an outer shell, just a membrane. There was always oyster shell available for the hens. After three weeks, I stopped the fermented feed, and no more issues with shell-less eggs. My neighbor experienced something similar with her chickens.

I have searched and "googled" looking for an answer. Any ideas?

 

[Beekissed]

No one else has reported such a thing that I know of....on the contrary, most report egg shells that are a bit TOO firm at times, making the eggs hard to crack. Could this have coincided with your molting season?

I've not experienced any such thing either, so can't really imagine why that would be happening.

 

[chooknewb]

I don't believe so. As soon as I stopped FF, the egg issue went away. It may have just been a wild coincidence, except that my neighbor had the very same issue.

 

[Leigti]

Is it possible that fermented feed may contribute to softer egg shells? Although my chickens ate the FF well enough, after a couple of days, I noticed that there were eggs without an outer shell, just a membrane. There was always oyster shell available for the hens. After three weeks, I stopped the fermented feed, and no more issues with shell-less eggs. My neighbor experienced something similar with her chickens. 

I have searched and "googled" looking for an answer. Any ideas?

Are you and your neighbor feeding the same feed?

 

[shodack]

I haven't had any problems with soft shelled eggs. At onset of lay I had a few, but none since.