FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[EggSighted4Life]

At the moment I'm only fermenting their scratch feed. I want to find a feed that doesn't have the animal or fish protein before I try that.

I guess my science teacher just really liked his subject.... Plus, the school was a Seventh-Day Adventist one. Being SDA at the time, anyway, meant that eating even fish was frowned upon. Also, my parents were foster parents so each place we lived my mom had to supply the foster agency with data supporting the vegetarian diet being healthy and why. Scientific studies referenced and all.

The array of proteins is amazing. Some are useful to the human body, some are not. I don't remember how many amino acids there are but only some of them are part of the protein needed for the body to make tissue and such

I don't understand.... Even if you are only fermenting scratch, what are you feeding in addition for their other micro nutrients and minerals? Protein is not the only issue. And Scratch is like potato chips... no nutritional value.

Most SDA I have met are lying about what they eat in front of their peers. They forget God said "I have made this clean for you". I am not bashing them, just saying they are human and God gave us meat teeth for a reason. There are many SDA in my family. And I would never pressure them to eat meat, but many do in secret for fear of judgement. I will also not eat meat if at a function where it is inappropriate or makes others feel judgemental. Why make them stumble?

For the very first time this week I saw chicken feed with animal fat/protein in it, after many years of raising chickens. So it is not difficult to find feed with ZERO animal byproducts!

Don't take my post wrong, the only thing I want to know... is with your dietary nutritional knowledge, where are your birds getting their nutrients? Plus if your chickens are laying... they must be taking in oyster shell, right?

Wish I loved scientific stuff when I was in school the way I do now! Thanks for sharing your take on things. It is important to hear many different views. A open mind has a wonder of possibilities!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Thank you
Thank you! This is so helpful! Do you also put ACV in the water?

I don't use acv to start my ferment, just feed and water. A couple days later... yummy, is what the chickens express. And when I start feeding out, leave some in the bucket and add your new stuff, should be ready the next day.

I think acv in the water is overkill if you are fermenting feed as well. You only want the gut ph at a certain level. So if I was going to do it in the water, maybe only on occasion. I actually don't because it makes funky stuff grow in the water from the well. People in the city don't seem to have that problem though.

Also, if you do use acv for your water... get it "with mother" any brand is fine.

Best wishes!

 

[knjinnm]

I don't understand.... Even if you are only fermenting scratch, what are you feeding in addition for their other micro nutrients and minerals? Protein is not the only issue. And Scratch is like potato chips... no nutritional value.

Most SDA I have met are lying about what they eat in front of their peers. They forget God said "I have made this clean for you". I am not bashing them, just saying they are human and God gave us meat teeth for a reason. There are many SDA in my family. And I would never pressure them to eat meat, but many do in secret for fear of judgement. I will also not eat meat if at a function where it is inappropriate or makes others feel judgemental. Why make them stumble?

For the very first time this week I saw chicken feed with animal fat/protein in it, after many years of raising chickens. So it is not difficult to find feed with ZERO animal byproducts!

Don't take my post wrong, the only thing I want to know... is with your dietary nutritional knowledge, where are your birds getting their nutrients? Plus if your chickens are laying... they must be taking in oyster shell, right?

Wish I loved scientific stuff when I was in school the way I do now! Thanks for sharing your take on things. It is important to hear many different views. A open mind has a wonder of possibilities!

Are you concerned about GMO feed? My birds are carnivore/omnivores eating bugs, worms, lizards even mice if they can catch them.

 

[ldawntaylor]

I don't understand.... Even if you are only fermenting scratch, what are you feeding in addition for their other micro nutrients and minerals? Protein is not the only issue. And Scratch is like potato chips... no nutritional value.

Most SDA I have met are lying about what they eat in front of their peers. They forget God said "I have made this clean for you". I am not bashing them, just saying they are human and God gave us meat teeth for a reason. There are many SDA in my family. And I would never pressure them to eat meat, but many do in secret for fear of judgement. I will also not eat meat if at a function where it is inappropriate or makes others feel judgemental. Why make them stumble?

For the very first time this week I saw chicken feed with animal fat/protein in it, after many years of raising chickens. So it is not difficult to find feed with ZERO animal byproducts!

Don't take my post wrong, the only thing I want to know... is with your dietary nutritional knowledge, where are your birds getting their nutrients? Plus if your chickens are laying... they must be taking in oyster shell, right?

Wish I loved scientific stuff when I was in school the way I do now! Thanks for sharing your take on things. It is important to hear many different views. A open mind has a wonder of possibilities!

First off, thank-you for your questions. Second, my birds are getting their protein from the other feed - I just don't want to try fermenting that because of the fish products. As for the calcium - the purpose of oyster shell - dairy products have both that and protein. But my birds do have oyster shell available free chioice.

Also, I am well aware of the differences in what people say and what they do in terms of food/diet. I was raised SDA and my parents were teachers. That often felt like living in a fish or a zoo exhibit. Everything that I said or did was examined and questioned by everyone I knew and not just my parents. It seemed like my family and I were expected to live by their standards even if no one else in the congregation did or not. Also, I suspect some of the things that were true 25 years ago have changed in terms of what is expected of an SDA.

I've only been keeping chickens for a little over a year so there is a lot I don't know about what may be available in the area.

In reference to someone else's question about GMO's I have to say that yes I do have problems with the true GMOs but no problem with the hybrid. For example, I've heard that certain grain products have either fish or toad DNA added to the plant DNA to increase drought resistance. I don't feel comfortable with GMOs when the DNA crosses animal or plant kingdoms like that. After all you won't find any of those kinds of crossbreeds occurring naturally. But, you will find hybrids sometimes that had nothing to do with a laboratory.

I hope I've answered these questions, but, it seems to me that both topics - SDA and GMO both belong to other threads now.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Are you concerned about GMO feed? My birds are carnivore/omnivores eating bugs, worms, lizards even mice if they can catch them.

I'm on the fence about GMO. Also organic and GMO are not the same thing. At my LFS they sell both. I just buy regular feed with the ingredients that seem the best and doesn't have DE in as I discovered my starter did.

We bought our land 2 years ago. I don't use chemicals, pesticides, or herbicides. All my household products are biodegradable and we drink our well water. However the person who owned before us did who knows what? I already found oil dumped and tires in a redwood stump.

I don't think all GMOs are bad. But I also don't think all organics are good! Case and point, even arsenic and lead are organic....

My chickens free range all day long. They eat whatever they enjoy. Haven't seen them catch big stuff yet, but I am sure they will. I also raise meal worms,darkling beetles and red wigglers for them. Of course they are omnivorous. Makes me laugh when I see eggs that say only vegetarian diet! I think those hens must have never seen the light of day. But I realize they *mostly* just mean there were no animal products in the actual feed.

I was just concerned and CURIOUS as well about the other guys chickens and feeding program.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

First off, thank-you for your questions. Second, my birds are getting their protein from the other feed - I just don't want to try fermenting that because of the fish products. As for the calcium - the purpose of oyster shell - dairy products have both that and protein. But my birds do have oyster shell available free chioice.

Also, I am well aware of the differences in what people say and what they do in terms of food/diet. I was raised SDA and my parents were teachers. That often felt like living in a fish or a zoo exhibit. Everything that I said or did was examined and questioned by everyone I knew and not just my parents. It seemed like my family and I were expected to live by their standards even if no one else in the congregation did or not. Also, I suspect some of the things that were true 25 years ago have changed in terms of what is expected of an SDA.

I've only been keeping chickens for a little over a year so there is a lot I don't know about what may be available in the area.

In reference to someone else's question about GMO's I have to say that yes I do have problems with the true GMOs but no problem with the hybrid. For example, I've heard that certain grain products have either fish or toad DNA added to the plant DNA to increase drought resistance. I don't feel comfortable with GMOs when the DNA crosses animal or plant kingdoms like that. After all you won't find any of those kinds of crossbreeds occurring naturally. But, you will find hybrids sometimes that had nothing to do with a laboratory.

I hope I've answered these questions, but, it seems to me that both topics - SDA and GMO both belong to other threads now.

I agree, they belong to other threads. And also about naturally occurring hybridizing.

Thank you for sharing. It MUST have been very difficult growing up in the fish bowl! Especially I think a while back.

I am so glad to live up to my own standards now instead of what everyone including parents and the world expect of me. Though I am my own worst critic!

I have only been keeping chickens a few years now. For me, I often feel like the more I know the less I know! By that I mean.... regarding many subjects, 1 answer almost inevitably leads to another question.

Back to fermenting... The nutritionist at the VA hospital my hubby works at loves the fermenting idea and agrees that it increases nutritional absorption. I think it's great that you are fermenting at all and I am glad you found the thread! So you are actually not worried about feeding them only veg, you just don't ferment your other feed because it has animal protein. You answered my question that they do have access to other feed than just scratch, which was my concern. You actually use dairy products for your birds? Does it adversely effect them?

Just for fun... How many birds are you feeding? How old? How long have you been fermenting? Have you noticed any differences at all in your chickens since you started. or your consumption amount? Did you get your questions answered? And did you make any observations.... other than that BYC is a great knowledge sharing community? Any tricks you learned so far about FF? Sorry if I asked questions that you already have addressed.

1 thing I would like to suggest is not feeding it directly on the ground, at least not where they poop.

I think that gives more of a possibility of heavy parasite load.

I actually like the FF process... the stirring, the mixing, the bubbling, the feeding out. Hope you enjoy your chickens and BYC as much as I do!

Best wishes!

 

[omalicha]

Is it my imagination or does meat birds that were fed fermented feed really tasty when cooked?

 

[Beekissed]

Is it my imagination or does meat birds that were fed fermented feed really tasty when cooked?

NOT your imagination. I've had them both ways and they definitely taste better, smell better when cooking and the stock made from birds fed FF is aromatic and more flavorful than otherwise. Same with the taste of the eggs...clean, nutty, no eggy smell or flavor.

 

[omalicha]

The meat is also intact after cooking! Taste of freshness yummy

FF was sureeee worth it.

 

[omalicha]

Will you also say you spend less on feeds when u ferment? Do the chickens really eat less? Mine always ate all up within 5 mins and am always tempted to add more.... Attimes I feel am not saving money