FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[ldawntaylor]

Are you only fermenting scratch, or also fermenting a blended feed? I ferment their layer or multi-flock, and toss their scratch in the coop or run so they can "scratch for it"!

One thing I forgot to mention is that the subject intrigues me as well. The dietician (sp?) at my work can verify I am always the one asking how and why in regards to various aspects of diet.

I forgot to say that the birds most likely will be scratching for the scratch feed even if it is fermented. I just haven't decided how I want to scatter it for them. What liquid is with the fermented scratch won't hurt the soil any so far as I can tell.

 

[ldawntaylor]

Most chicken feeds do not have fish or animal protein in them. Chickens are not vegetarian. They need animal protein of some kind. If they are free room in the make it bugs etc. but if not they need it somewhere.
It took me a while to find chicken feed with animal protein in it

I see from your info that you are in the area of one of the SDA colleges. In fact, the one my grandparents worked at when my mother was born.... That may have something to do with how available feeds are that have animal protein.

My birds get their protein - I just don't want it in a feed that I ferment.

 

[Leigti]

I see from your info that you are in the area of one of the SDA colleges.  In fact, the one my grandparents worked at when my mother was born....  That may have something to do with how available feeds are that have animal protein.

My birds get their protein - I just don't want it in a feed that I ferment.  

I don't think my location has much to do with it. Most feeds across the country do not have animal protein of any kind in them. It is more expensive and people don't want to pay for it. So you shouldn't have any trouble finding feet without animal protein. As long as they get it somewhere it doesn't need to be in the feed that you are fermenting. The feed I use has fish meal in it but it does not smell like fish when I ferment it.

 

[WPFarmstead]

I don't think my location has much to do with it. Most feeds across the country do not have animal protein of any kind in them. It is more expensive and people don't want to pay for it. So you shouldn't have any trouble finding feet without animal protein. As long as they get it somewhere it doesn't need to be in the feed that you are fermenting. The feed I use has fish meal in it but it does not smell like fish when I ferment it.

Over in our part of the country (Inland Northwest), it's pretty well impossible to find a feed with any sort of animal protein and I've tried.

 

[Beekissed]

My feed doesn't have animal protein in it either. Mine get plenty of the right kind of protein out on range, so I don't sweat it. I like the fresh ground layer mash I buy and it's incredibly cheap, so it matters not that it uses soy protein instead of animal.

 

[ShanandGem]

My feed doesn't have animal protein in it either. Mine get plenty of the right kind of protein out on range, so I don't sweat it. I like the fresh ground layer mash I buy and it's incredibly cheap, so it matters not that it uses soy protein instead of animal.

Are you able to free range them year round? Do you have bugs even through the winter?
Winter (snow on ground) can last five months here. My poor birds may have a very boring November-March if I can't get them out of the coop to stretch their legs.

 

[Beekissed]

Are you able to free range them year round? Do you have bugs even through the winter?
Winter (snow on ground) can last five months here. My poor birds may have a very boring November-March if I can't get them out of the coop to stretch their legs.

Yep...they range all year round, though when the snow is on they rely more on the FF. They have deep litter in the coop that attracts bugs and worms of all kinds, even in the winter months, but I doubt it augments their diet much. But, that's only for a 3-4 mo. of the year and it's a resting time for them as they regrow feathers, hang out in the coop when the snow is too deep for good mobility, and egg counts go down. I usually cut protein in the feed then anyway, cutting the layer mash with 50% barley or oats along with some BOSS.

They do get meat scraps during that time when we get deer kills here and get to scavenge even more when we pull in a road kill deer for the dogs to work on and the chickens work that carcass like buzzards. They also get meat protein when I do the fall cull and await eagerly for the spare chicken parts they can glean around the butchering table. Squirrel season is another meat bonus for dogs and chickens alike.

I don't worry too much about the source of the protein in the feed....if they have it at all, that's good. If we can provide it in other ways, that too is good. Keeping chickens doesn't have to be all that complicated, so I try to keep it as simple as possible.

 

[Intheswamp]

<snip>

They do get meat scraps during that time when we get deer kills here and get to scavenge even more when we pull in a road kill deer for the dogs to work on and the chickens work that carcass like buzzards.
<snip>

Little tyrannosaurus rex savages!!!!

(Note to self: Never lay down around chickens and take a nap!<grin>)

 

[lazy gardener]

What are you paying for chicken feed in other parts of the country? I'm paying 13.50 - 14.00/50# for layer. Multi-flock is around $18. That's without any discount. Scratch is the same price. Bag of wheat or barley last time I checked was 26.00. No grain mills any where near me.

 

[Beekissed]

Little tyrannosaurus rex savages!!!!

(Note to self: Never lay down around chickens and take a nap!<grin>)

Here's chickens sharing a gut pile with the pup.....gory but it's food and good food, at that.

What are you paying for chicken feed in other parts of the country? I'm paying 13.50 - 14.00/50# for layer. Multi-flock is around $18. That's without any discount. Scratch is the same price. Bag of wheat or barley last time I checked was 26.00. No grain mills any where near me.

I pay $10 and some change per 50# of layer mash from the local feed mill. Surprisingly, oats or barley are not much more than that right now, though in the past they went up as high as $15 per 50#.