FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[mobius]

Welcome to the FF club! Ask away! And, please let us know how your fermentation goes!

 

[Wandercreek]

Thank you, Mobius. I'll let y'all know how it goes. I suspect everything will be just as it should. I can't believe the simplicity of it all. Maybe I'm easily impressed, I don't know, but I just can't get my mind wrapped around how something so easy can be so beneficial.

 

[lazy gardener]

Wow! FF did a feather good on that gal!

Very nice feathering. I have had a few of those stories myself....recovered some birds back from a place of poor care and found them to be very sickly and molting severely, covered with lice and mites. In almost two month's time these birds were back on track with the FF....

Mama Chicken AKA Middle Sister the first week after returning home looking like 100 miles of bad road....



Same bird 7 wks later....




Raggedy Ann...first week home, possessing one tail feather...



Raggedy Ann, 7 wks after starting FF...plenty of tail feathers now!

I had to look it up, and brought it forward so you all can see the visual proof of the benefits of FF. Bee kissed provides a fantastic example of good animal husbandry.

 

[Wandercreek]

Incredible.

 

[Kiki]

Thanks Lazy..I was on my way to go look for that post next.

 

[pioneerchick816]

These are my meat birds from last year and currently. I think they have feathered out MUCH better! They seem plumper and their poo is much more like regular bird poo & not just a watery mess

I will always do fermented feed with them

as well as my other birds

 

[igorsMistress]

Thanks Lazy..I was on my way to go look for that post next.

X2

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I'm new to the whole FF thing. I just heard about it 2 days ago when I stumbled upon this thread. The concept is fascinating and the results I've read about seem too good to be true.

I'm dutifully reading through each and every post, starting from page one and I've only made it to page 140 so far. Whew! It's a lot of reading!!

Today is my second day of reading through this thread, and my first day of delving into the FF world. (I hope no one minds if I join the club!) I went down to the barn midday today and slopped some feed and water into a bin and loosely covered it. We'll see how it goes.

I wanted to go ahead and post right now, partially to subscribe, but also to comment on post #1375 (pg138). Those photos just blew my socks off! It's just incredible to see results like that. That is the post that tipped me over the 'should-I-try-this' edge.

I'd also like to send out a big thank you to the wonderful ladies (and gents) that started this thread and have oh-so-patiently talked people through this method, explaining things and answering the same questions over and over. Bless your hearts.

I have a notepad next to me where I'm jotting down the questions I have, and then marking them off the list as I read further and find the answers. I'm notorious for asking the dumbest questions on earth, and I'll be back with those as soon as I can get current on this thread. Consider yourselves warned!!

...and now I'll slink back down into the nether regions of this thread and continue my reading...

Welcome to BYC and wide world of fermenting.

I was gonna say... meh, I read the whole thread and you really don't have to... but I see you found something specific that pushed you over the edge! Which also ended up being a great reminder for the rest of us who have healthy flocks and don't get to see the other side too often.

The dumbest question ever is the one not asked!

Let me know if you come up with an FF auto feeder that actually works.

Have you checked out the FF link in my signature line? It's a good basic run down if you haven't already been there.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

These are my meat birds from last year and currently. I think they have feathered out MUCH better! They seem plumper and their poo is much more like regular bird poo & not just a watery mess

I will always do fermented feed with them

as well as my other birds

I haven't raised meaties... and I wondered why they always look like they have feathers missing even from people you would expect to have good practices? Is it just they aren't finished feathering in or overcrowding?

 

[Wandercreek]

Welcome to BYC and wide world of fermenting.

I was gonna say... meh, I read the whole thread and you really don't have to... but I see you found something specific that pushed you over the edge! Which also ended up being a great reminder for the rest of us who have healthy flocks and don't get to see the other side too often.

The dumbest question ever is the one not asked!

Let me know if you come up with an FF auto feeder that actually works.

Have you checked out the FF link in my signature line? It's a good basic run down if you haven't already been there.

Thanks for the warm welcome, EggSighted4Life. I'm actually not new to BYC (joined in '07), was active here for several years, then life got busier and I took a pretty long hiatus. We purchased another farm (where I stay most of the time now) and I decided to embark on a new breeding program, so I headed right back here for guidance. Couldn't recall how to log in and figured it was just as well, a new name to go with the new farm was alright by me.

I've made it to page 229 and yes, a lot of the posts are general conversation that I could skip, but now getting through to the end is a personal challenge! Stubborn person that I am.

My flock isn't in bad shape at all, but I'm always happy to see improvements. I have 3 brooders going right now and another 2 will be full soon, so it seems the perfect time to start with FF's. With the adults, I think it will help me to determine which will enter the breeding program and which will stay in the 'egg' flock. As healthy as everyone seems to be at this point, I'm counting on FF to bring out the real potential of the birds.

An auto feeder is an interesting concept I hadn't yet considered. I've been working on a Black Soldier Fly auto feeder off and on over the last few days. I'll have to tinker with trying to combine the two somehow. Hmmm...what an interesting idea.

And yes, I did check out the link in your sig. Great info! Thanks