FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[Chris09]

Quote: When you look at a feedstuff analysis they have the energy broke down into types.
For the most part (for poultry) you have Net Energy (NE), Digestible Energy (DE), Metabolizable Energy (ME), Net Energy Maintenance (NEm). and Net Energy Growth (NEg).

Net Energy (NE) refers to the amount of feed energy actually available for animal maintenance, growth and production. Conceptually, total NE is the portion of metabolizable energy (ME) remaining after the energy expended in body heat (or “heat increment of feeding”).

Net Energy Growth (NEg) is an estimate of the energy in a feed used for body weight gain once maintenance is achieved.
Net Energy Maintenance (NEm) is an estimate of the energy in a feed used to keep an animal in energy equilibrium, neither gaining weight nor losing weight.
Metabolizable energy (ME) equals the gross feed energy minus the energy lost in the feces, urine and gaseous product of digestion.

 

[circlehouse]

So I read the whole Tok Tok article, very helpful! But I haven't had chickens before, picking up our first 8 chicks next friday. How much and how often should I feed them? I know with adults on FF you feed them 2x/day should I do that with the chicks? Should I have dry feed available all day too? Or try to keep replenishing the FF? And how much should I dish out? Planning on starting our FF on Sunday.

 

[lazy gardener]

With chicks, I put some dry down on the paper towels or a shallow cardboard box top, or what ever the first day, as I think it supports their natural tendency to be picking at little tidbits they find on the ground. I also give them a plop of FF. Be sure to make it very small. They will play around in it, and eat some. When they are eating well, I take away the crumble on the floor and give them just their FF. Depending on how many chicks, I either put it in a shallow dish, or just plop it on a lid, or a piece of cardboard. When the first plop is gone, I give them more. I don't like chicks to go without food, but, if you're using the heating pad system, they will not eat at night in the dark. The important thing is to keep the container appropriately sized to the chicks. If it's soupy, it would be possible for them to fall in and get trampled. Dry is better!

 

[COChix]

Thought I would share my ferment stir stick, nothing fancy, my BF cut it for me. It works well except food gets stuck in the tube. Also got back to fermenting a couple months ago, I feed on stumps in the run. I just set up a flat stump for our 4 day old chicks who also are getting fermented feed as well.

 

[circlehouse]

On stumps

Thought I would share my ferment stir stick, nothing fancy, my BF cut it for me. It works well except food gets stuck in the tube. Also got back to fermenting a couple months ago, I feed on stumps in the run. I just set up a flat stump for our 4 day old chicks who also are getting fermented feed as well.

On stumps? Can I see a picture? What is the benefit of that?

 

[circlehouse]

With chicks, I put some dry down on the paper towels or a shallow cardboard box top, or what ever  the first day, as I think it supports their natural tendency to be picking at little tidbits they find on the ground.  I also give them a plop of FF.  Be sure to make it very small.  They will play around in it, and eat some.  When they are eating well, I take away the crumble on the floor and give them just their FF.  Depending on how many chicks, I either put it in a shallow dish, or just plop it on a lid, or a piece of cardboard.  When the first plop is gone, I give them more.  I don't like chicks to go without food, but, if you're using the heating pad system, they will not eat at night in the dark.  The important thing is to keep the container appropriately sized to the chicks.  If it's soupy, it would be possible for them to fall in and get trampled.  Dry is better!

Thanks! That was really helpful!

 

[COChix]

On stumps
On stumps? Can I see a picture? What is the benefit of that?

I will snap a pic, no dishes to clean our or worry about is the main benefit. Plus the stump is higher so I don't have to add anything additional to the run to elevate their feeder. Plus it was free!

Stump in the run for the adult flock, no ferment on it atm, that is oyster shells. Love that it is heart shaped.

Flat stump in brooder, I have left their food dish in the brooder for now. In a day or so I will remove it and feed on the stump.

 

[circlehouse]

I will snap a pic, no dishes to clean our or worry about is the main benefit. Plus the stump is higher so I don't have to add anything additional to the run to elevate their feeder. Plus it was free!

Stump in the run for the adult flock, no ferment on it atm, that is oyster shells. Love that it is heart shaped.

Flat stump in brooder, I have left their food dish in the brooder for now. In a day or so I will remove it and feed on the stump.

And they don't just jump up there and get the feed on their feet? And poop on their food? I like the idea though!

 

[COChix]

And they don't just jump up there and get the feed on their feet? And poop on their food? I like the idea though!

Of course they jump up there are get feed on their feet, that is what chickens do. Haven't seen anyone poop up there but I guess that is possible, as far as the adults. We will see what the chicks do, this is the first time I am using a stump with them. So far I like it. Seems to work for us and I like the fact of not having feed pans to deal with...

 

[Beekissed]

So I read the whole Tok Tok article, very helpful! But I haven't had chickens before, picking up our first 8 chicks next friday. How much and how often should I feed them? I know with adults on FF you feed them 2x/day should I do that with the chicks? Should I have dry feed available all day too? Or try to keep replenishing the FF? And how much should I dish out? Planning on starting our FF on Sunday.

With adults, you don't have to feed twice a day....I've only ever fed once a day, even when I fed dry feeds and just continued that with the FF. For chicks I feed twice a day and I never give them dry feed with that...no choices insures a good feed clean up of the FF. Keep the FF away from the heat source in the brooder or it will bake the surface of the FF and they can't access it but keep it near enough to that heat to keep it from getting too cold...stir it up a little if you see it forming a crust and they will eat it all the way gone.

I wait until the first meal is all gone for a couple of hours before I give the next, evening meal. If it's not gone by evening, I'm feeding too much. If it's gone too early in the day, I'm feeding not enough. That's how I work it all out. Either way they have a clean trough when I go out to feed in the morning and only a little residue left in it for the evening meal.

How much to dish out depends on how many chicks you have and you'll just need to play with your amounts until you see they can clean up the feed before their next meal. It's just like knowing how much to give a little kid to eat...if they are leaving a lot behind, give less next time. If they are consuming it all quickly and seem like they could use more, add more next time.