FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[Wandercreek]

Me too!! Any thread for that matter, if only everyone took that attitude, even(especially?) on the shorter threads...
......instead of just figuratively shouting..... Hey Siri, blahblahblah????? haha!!

If only, indeed!
This thread would be half as long as it is. I guarantee it.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

If only, indeed!
This thread would be half as long as it is. I guarantee it.

Agree with you both... and I did read this whole thread to!

Can't stand when someone comes at the end of a thread, especially a passionate one... and blurt out whatever so everyone can hear THEIR opinion. Never mind if it's been said 100 times or even already resolved with a happy ending and they try stirring the pot.

With chicks... I personally would switch to a flock raiser or unmedicated starter for everybody with OS on the side for layers. Added calcium in layer is not preferred. Some will claim it's no big deal. I say , ya... until it is. And for me especially chicks, I want to get the best start possible.

So as a self proclaimed permie... do you have a maggot bucket?

I love fodder and agree it goes hand in hand with FF, especially for those in climates that aren't green all year long.

 

[Wandercreek]

Agree with you both... and I did read this whole thread to!

Can't stand when someone comes at the end of a thread, especially a passionate one... and blurt out whatever so everyone can hear THEIR opinion. Never mind if it's been said 100 times or even already resolved with a happy ending and they try stirring the pot.

Yay! I'm not alone and we both deserve a cookie!! (Oatmeal Raisin is my favorite, if anyone feels like baking....)

Cookies=good, stirring the pot=bad.

With chicks... I personally would switch to a flock raiser or unmedicated starter for everybody with OS on the side for layers. Added calcium in layer is not preferred. Some will claim it's no big deal. I say , ya... until it is. And for me especially chicks, I want to get the best start possible.

I have to say that I was in this camp too, until reading this thread and seeing it mentioned several times that Bee has fed straight layer to chicks with no ill effects. I believe that any ill effects (if there would be any at all) were probably mitigated by the fact that she free-ranges on high-quality forage. This is my situation as well, so I'm not terribly concerned about layer vs starter vs grower etc. When the feed becomes the supplement rather than the bulk of the nutrition, all bets are off on those labels and 'traditional wisdom'.

So as a self proclaimed permie... do you have a maggot bucket?

I love fodder and agree it goes hand in hand with FF, especially for those in climates that aren't green all year long.

I don't have a maggot bucket, but I do farm BSF in a bucket-ish system.

I'm about 2 or 3 weeks from completing training for my permaculture design certificate. Now THAT (permaculture) is a truly fascinating subject.

As for fodder, I don't fiddle with sprouting and such. I tried it once and it's just too much extra work for my taste. I do, however, cultivate fodder worthy plants and trees on the farm. With carefully planned guilds, judicial use of cover cropping, and smart water management all geared towards building the soils, even the smallest yards can provide a variety of healthy fresh fodder. That said, I live in a semi-tropical region, so I thankfully do not have to deal with the difficulties of harsh winters.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Yay! I'm not alone and we both deserve a cookie!! (Oatmeal Raisin is my favorite, if anyone feels like baking....)

Cookies=good, stirring the pot=bad.

I have to say that I was in this camp too, until reading this thread and seeing it mentioned several times that Bee has fed straight layer to chicks with no ill effects. I believe that any ill effects (if there would be any at all) were probably mitigated by the fact that she free-ranges on high-quality forage. This is my situation as well, so I'm not terribly concerned about layer vs starter vs grower etc. When the feed becomes the supplement rather than the bulk of the nutrition, all bets are off on those labels and 'traditional wisdom'.
I don't have a maggot bucket, but I do farm BSF in a bucket-ish system.

I'm about 2 or 3 weeks from completing training for my permaculture design certificate. Now THAT (permaculture) is a truly fascinating subject.

As for fodder, I don't fiddle with sprouting and such. I tried it once and it's just too much extra work for my taste. I do, however, cultivate fodder worthy plants and trees on the farm. With carefully planned guilds, judicial use of cover cropping, and smart water management all geared towards building the soils, even the smallest yards can provide a variety of healthy fresh fodder. That said, I live in a semi-tropical region, so I thankfully do not have to deal with the difficulties of harsh winters.

My daughter makes a mean Oatmeal Raisin cookie.

At least my hubby thinks so... For some reason I hate raisins... but she usually holds back a few for me. Everything else she makes is great to.

I'm in the PNW, so green abounds.. I sprout for fun mostly. But I do agree all bets are off on labels when free ranging.

I appreciate @Beekissed and most all of her information. Even if I don't agree with or follow everything she does... she has been a great influence on my chicken keeping experience.

We all have to do what makes sense for us... and I can tell you are going to be a great wealth of information and wonderful addition to BYC!

 

[Wandercreek]

*sigh*
I cannot recall how long it's been since I've eaten a cookie of any sort. Amongst my other odd quirks, I eat a Primal diet and traditional cookies are not on the menu.

Ah, the PNW. Such beautiful country. Lucky you!

"We all have to do what makes sense for us"
Wise words there. I think it should be a mandatory sentence at the beginning of every post on this site.

 

[Tikkijane]

Who else is here? Trying to figure out if my delivery options are the same....

 

[TexasLisa]

I am here!!!

 

[pioneerchick816]

Hello We're back!!

 

[FlyWheel]

Well, I've been fermenting for a while now, and here are the things I''ve noticed. FYI: I am using commercial feed (Purina flock raiser crumbles, 20% protein. Oyster/ground egg shell on the side for those that need the extra calcium).

1) "They eat less feed"
Questionable. Back when I was feeding dry I left out more each day than I thought they would need, gradually reducing that until there was just a little left in their bin after 24 hours. This I used to judge how much their daily requirements were, and it worked fine. When I started fermenting I figured I would use the same method to adjust for the added nutritional value. So i began by using the same amount of dry feed per day in the mix. Well, that didn't work very well; They love the fermented feed so much they scarf it all up within 24 minutes! So does it reduce the amount of feed I use? No, not really.

2) "More/better eggs"
More I'm not sure of, as half my current flock had not yet started laying when I started fermenting. But the quality of the eggs is very noticeable. Their shells are much thicker, and the yolks are a deep yellow and nearly as thick as honey. The whole egg in fact is much better!

3). "Nicer, glossier feathers".
There is a slight improvement here, but they always had nice feathering, so it's kinda hard to tell.

4). "Less poop"
Definitely! On dry feed I would be scooping out enough poo from their trays to fill a 2# coffee can from between 2/3 -3/4 full. Now that they have been on FF for a few months they produce barely enough to fill it 1/2 full. Remember, they are getting the same amount of dry feed a day, only now more of it is being turned into chicken and eggs.

5) "Less smell"
Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it) I lost my sense of smell in an accident back in '77, so I couldn't tell you if "Their $#!t Don't Stink" or not.

6) "They drink less water"
Yes. about half as much. Even better, they aren't gagging as much when they eat because the wet feed doesn't cake up in their throats.

 

[FlyWheel]

P.S. I'm here too (Obviously).