FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[Johntodd]

I'm a newbie chicken attendant.

I started with fermented feed with my 3 chickens. Two slightly-young hens and a young rooster.

They are growing like gangbusters and are loving the fermented feed.

What a great idea!

Thanks!
-Johntodd

 

[circlehouse]

So this may be a dumb question but... I have been feeding my new chicks FF and they are all eating well it seems. But I still haven't figured out exactly how much they need to eat so there is a lot left over, do I need to scrape it off my log feeder? And clean out the bowl? Or just put a little new on top of the old? Thanks!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

If it is hard from being in the heated brooder, scrape it out. If it's soft, you can pile more on top. They'll eat more and more each day.

 

[aart]

If it is hard from being in the heated brooder, scrape it out. If it's soft, you can pile more on top. They'll eat more and more each day.

Could you scrape it back into the ferment bucket?
Or re-wet it in another container with water or some wetter fermented feed?
Providing it wasn't contaminated with chick poops.

 

[Beekissed]

So this may be a dumb question but... I have been feeding my new chicks FF and they are all eating well it seems. But I still haven't figured out exactly how much they need to eat so there is a lot left over, do I need to scrape it off my log feeder? And clean out the bowl? Or just put a little new on top of the old? Thanks!

If it's hard baked, I just scrape it off into the bedding and they will clean it up. If soft, I just scratch it up a little and they eat it anyway. Try to keep your feed away from the source of the heat if you can....and give less, of course.

 

[Leigti]

Could you scrape it back into the ferment bucket?
Or re-wet it in another container with water or some wetter fermented feed?
Providing it wasn't contaminated with chick poops.

The problem I always had was I had one particular check that insisted on standing in it. No matter what kind of container I put it in. So she would trampoline down and then they wouldn't eat it. So I started around and they ate it then. As long as there's no poop in it you can always add water and mix it around or add a little and mix it together. Let them pretty much clean it up before you add more.
For my adult chickens I just throw it on the ground. I did that the first time with the checks and they just stared at it eventually they figured it out. I haven't decided if I will continue just throwing it on the ground or put it in a bowl of some kind long term.

 

[Beekissed]

I'd stick with a feeder....unless the ground you are throwing it on is pretty clean soil, you'll just be forcing them to eat soil that is overly impacted with their own feces. Not too bad for a little while, but for the long term it's not a great idea.

Feeders are incredibly easy to construct out of just a few boards and some nails or screws. All my feeders are homemade, no matter how small or large.

 

[Percheron chick]

Dog bowls and pie plates work for me.

 

[circlehouse]

Thanks everyone! It was still wet not using a heat lamp, using the mama heating pad so no worries there. So I just scratched it up and put a small amount of new FF on top. I am spreading it out on a split log, and that seems to be working really well. They seem to be eating more today too.

 

[Leigti]

I tend to throw it different places every day. But, in the run I will use bowls probably. I have dog bowls I can use, and those rubber type feed bowls from the farm store.