FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[Kiki]

I would take the COST/# out of the analysis all together. There is far too much variance in this matter. One year, I paid $26/50# bag of barley, same price for wheat. Last fall, I was able to pick up wheat for less than $13. Same goes for chicken feed. You folks out in the mid west, the grain belt, those who have mills near by can get their feed for a FRACTION of the price that I pay. As far as I know, there is not even a feed mill in my entire state. Also, some folks buy the cheapest feed they can purchase (that would be me) while others pay for organic or other "high end" feeds.

If you want to find out how much your feed is costing you, simply figure out how many days a bag of feed will last you. For example, lets say you have 15 adult birds, and a bag of layer feed lasts 18 days. 50/15/18 = .185# per day per bird. The math would be the same whether you fermented that bag of feed, or fed it dry. Keep track of your feed consumption for a month, or several bags worth. If you want to go even further playing the math game, you can throw the cost/bird/day into the mix, or even figure out how much a dozen eggs cost you to produce. Then, just for grins and giggles, you could figure out the difference in egg cost based on fermented vs. dry, or cheapest layer feed available vs. organic or other high end feed.

Do my math please!

LOL

I'm just kidding.

 

[Elyrian1]

If I hadn't been bored at work I would have skipped the math... Haha! Let's just say working on the prairie with nothing but the wind to keep you company is good incentive to find something to do.

 

[Kiki]

My 50 pound bag last me between 30 to 35 days for 8 laying hens.
50/8/30 = .208
50/8/35 = .178

 

[Elyrian1]

Okay, you're seeing rates similar to mine then... I wonder if we can get enough numbers in here to say that on FF chickens consume on average .05 pounds less of feed per day than standards represented in certain written materials...

There I go getting scientific again, dang it... time to go play in the garage...

 

[Kiki]

I need to read back and catch up.
If it makes any difference I can not compare to regular dry feed because I have always feed mine FF started at day one.

 

[lazy gardener]

I need to read back and catch up.
If it makes any difference I can not compare to regular dry feed because I have always feed mine FF started at day one.

It really doesn't make any difference. You can compare your rate with the published standard of .20 - .25#of dry feed/day for a LF bird.

 

[SewCluck]

There is slightly more to it (stirring and air exposure), but it is really easy. You should read the following: https://tikktok.wordpress.com/2014/04/13/fermented-feed-faq/

That was a fantastic article! Thank you so much for sharing!!

 

[SewCluck]

It is really that simple and you don't have to keep adding water, just try a 50/50 mix of water to feed to start, and mix daily...put gauze or netting over the top with a rubber band instead of a lid to start with so it is a bit more exposed to air to get your ferment going.

So not an expert. LOL.. I know a few people who use glass/ceramic crocks for FF. If that works for you and your set up, it's the best.

I'm using a 2 gallon feed bucket I got from TSC with an inverted paper plate for a lid. So classy I know. I guess I come from the school of use what you have. LOL. I know some people do more(quantity) at a time than I am, but I have so few hens and I only need to replenish it about once a week. I also keep it in our garage. It's what works for me.

Honestly I don't measure at all. First go around I used my 'scoop' to fill the bucket about half way with dry food. Tossed in a 'glug' or two of ACV, then added water to cover. Stirred it up a bit and added more water to cover. When replenishing I add water first. Stir it up with what's in there. Then add a 2-3 of scoops of dry feed to get a soupy consistency. By the next day it's absorbed most of the liquid and is a consistency that reminds me of natural peanut butter before you stir it....but not quite as hard...and not oily....

Here's a link to the buckets I'm using. (one for my layers and one for my chicks)

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...ltipurpose-bucket-2-gal-capacity?cm_vc=-10005

Thank you all very much! I'm ready to give it a go!!!

 

[mobius]

My 50 pound bag last me between 30 to 35 days for 8 laying hens.
50/8/30 = .208
50/8/35 = .178

Nice nice, ok, very good! Wonder if the variation has to do with weather? So that is at that .05#-.072# per day per chicken reduction, which is a reduced amount of feed from .25# per chicken per day dry of 20 to 29 percent.

 

[Kiki]

I don't measure the feed..I just make it and pour it out to them.
Somedays I may pour a little more and some days a little less.
They get to free range daily for "stuff" too.
I average 6 to 8 eggs a day. ( I have actually been keep daily track of eggs since the beginning and will "publish" them after one whole year for exact egg numbers)
I do not have any "production" hybrids so I think my girls are doing pretty good.