FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[Beekissed]

I find the long, elevated troughs work best for me as my flock is always changing, with different birds and ages happening most of the year. The long trough lets each bird have a chance at eating without too much interference from dominant birds. They are also easier to fill and be done with than multiple dishes or feeders, never get overturned or moved by the birds and I can load them up with as much feed as I want if I'm leaving on a trip. I keep my bucket right next to the trough and it's a matter of seconds to feed.

 

[tsousley]

hello, I have a batch of fermented feed (I think) using natura grower crumble and all flock pellets. I see the bubbles , and had a nice layer of foam on top today , which is probably the 4th its been sitting. My concern is I don't smell anything. No rotten smell which is obviously a good thing, I don't smell alcohol ( I have brewed beer and made mash before) but also no sour smell ( I've also made kimchi and pickles in the past) basically if I really try and smell it I would say it smells the same as the dry grain. any ideas why ? thanks

 

[Beekissed]

hello, I have a batch of fermented feed (I think) using natura grower crumble and all flock pellets. I see the bubbles , and had a nice layer of foam on top today , which is probably the 4th its been sitting. My concern is I don't smell anything. No rotten smell which is obviously a good thing, I don't smell alcohol ( I have brewed beer and made mash before) but also no sour smell ( I've also made kimchi and pickles in the past) basically if I really try and smell it I would say it smells the same as the dry grain. any ideas why ? thanks

Got city water? Some folks say the chlorine in city water kills the microorganisms that would normally develop. If you live in an arid, dry climate, you may not have sufficient airborne yeasts to capture into your mix right away...might take longer to ferment. You'll only smell the really strong ferment if it's hot outside and it's fermenting very quickly. If it's pretty cold still where you live, you may not smell anything for longer than if it were warmer.

 

[Johntodd]

It just takes time to get started. Get some yogurt with active cultures. Dump in and stir.

 

[Leigti]

I find the long, elevated troughs work best for me as my flock is always changing, with different birds and ages happening most of the year.  The long trough lets each bird have a chance at eating without too much interference from dominant birds.  They are also easier to fill and be done with than multiple dishes or feeders, never get overturned or moved by the birds and I can load them up with as much feed as I want if I'm leaving on a trip.  I keep my bucket right next to the trough and it's a matter of seconds to feed. 

Do you have a photo?

 

[Beekissed]

If you look to the right of this thread you'll see a photo gallery for the thread, wherein there are many examples of DIY FF troughs from other members and myself. All different kinds of materials and styles used, so you might find one you like. I usually use the classic hog trough construction of two boards formed into a "V" with end caps of boards that are wide enough to keep the trough from being tipped. In this manner I can make the trough as long, as wide or as high as I wish and am not limited by the scope of my materials...I've made small troughs for little chicks that were a foot long up to 5 ft. long troughs for the whole flock.

Let me dig around in all my pics to see if I can find some examples.....

Here's how to join the two boards to form the trough...




Here's one I made out of an old wooden miter box....just capped the ends and put it up on "feet".



Here's my smallest one for chicks, next to the miter box trough....



My current trough and my favorite so far....the top bar is not a roost, it's a pole to keep the big chickens from walking in the trough and dominating the trough in that manner.....and, no, they don't roost on it and poop in the feed. My birds aren't in the coop long enough to hop up on a feeder and take a dump.




It's a 5 ft. trough and the bar across the top also helps me move it easily....quite a bulky piece of equipment if you don't have a handle. I rarely move it, but if I need to it sure makes it easier.




Here's a simple hanging PVC feeder another member posted...I thought that was a really neat design but I find the PVC to be too narrow for the scoops I use and how much feed I throw down sometimes.....there are times I go out of town for 5 days and my feeder has to hold enough for that.




In that pic gallery for the thread you'll find all kinds of neat trough designs out of different materials....all great ideas and people seem to really like them.

 

[Leigti]

Thanks for the ideas. But you're talking to somebody who can barely put a nail in the board street I saw this and thought I might try it.

I know some people use vinyl gutters also. I have a total of nine chickens, three younger ones and six older ones. So eventually I'm going to make or get a longer trough type because the dog bowls aren't going to work for much longer. Unless I want to put out about five of them.

 

[Beekissed]

I'll tell you what I see happening with that....that would get tipped in about 5 seconds flat with my flock. Not only that, they'd be kicking bedding into like crazy. The rain guttering troughs are a quick build....and you don't need a nail but you can use screws and a drill. Just get a couple of blocks of wood that would bring the trough to the height you want it and screw the gutter right onto them. Those were the first types of troughs I made for feeding FF to my 54 meaty birds....worked like a charm and took all of a few seconds to make.

One person just put the PVC or guttering through the holes on cement blocks...didn't have to drive a single nail or screw in a screw. Pretty genius.

 

[Jensownzoo]

One person just put the PVC or guttering through the holes on cement blocks...didn't have to drive a single nail or screw in a screw.  Pretty genius. 

Perfect. I had already bought gutter and end caps for the coop/run (whenEVER it gets finished ), and this is a great way to set it up.

 

[Molpet]

Perfect. I had already bought gutter and end caps for the coop/run (whenEVER it gets finished

), and this is a great way to set it up.

I skipped the end covers and have a slant to the gutter. It's out in an uncovered run so the rainwater just runs out. I feed a thick FF so it stays put and they eat it in under 1/2hr