FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[igorsMistress]

I've managed to convert to organic crumbles and working through the last of it.

The regular feed always had an oil slick look to the water and I needed less water weight than feed.

This organic feed requires 3:1 water to feed and there's no oily looking stuff to mix back in.

So glad I switched over. I think the organic feed is also fresher because it's fermented in 24 hours. The other stuff took about 36 hours.

 

[centralcaligirl]

I've managed to convert to organic crumbles and working through the last of it.

The regular feed always had an oil slick look to the water and I needed less water weight than feed.

This organic feed requires 3:1 water to feed and there's no oily looking stuff to mix back in.

So glad I switched over. I think the organic feed is also fresher because it's fermented in 24 hours. The other stuff took about 36 hours.

Which organic feed did you decide to go with?

 

[igorsMistress]

Which organic feed did you decide to go with?

Bar Ale I think. Got one bag from the feed store but I've decided to switch to Scratch and Peck and pick up my first order next week.

Edit: I'm not switching because there seems to be anything wrong with Bar Ale. I would like to provide less processed feed without soy most of the time. I think I might keep a bag of Bar Ale on hand to switch things up once in a while.

 

[centralcaligirl]

Bar Ale I think. Got one bag from the feed store but I've decided to switch to Scratch and Peck and pick up my first order next week.

Edit: I'm not switching because there seems to be anything wrong with Bar Ale. I would like to provide less processed feed without soy most of the time. I think I might keep a bag of Bar Ale on hand to switch things up once in a while.

I haven't tried Bar Ale but I've been really happy with Scratch and Peck. The whole grains make a really beautiful fermented feed, and the other thing I have liked is that both times I've ordered it, the mill date was less than seven days prior to the delivery date.

I also ferment it in 24 hours but I'm still trying to get the water to feed ratio right. If I add too much water, a lot of the fines end up glued to the bottom of the feed bowl instead of sticking to the grains. If I too little water, the grains expand less and I'm not sure they ferment as well. I'll be interested to hear what ratio you end up liking the best.

 

[igorsMistress]

I haven't tried Bar Ale but I've been really happy with Scratch and Peck. The whole grains make a really beautiful fermented feed, and the other thing I have liked is that both times I've ordered it, the mill date was less than seven days prior to the delivery date.

I also ferment it in 24 hours but I'm still trying to get the water to feed ratio right. If I add too much water, a lot of the fines end up glued to the bottom of the feed bowl instead of sticking to the grains. If I too little water, the grains expand less and I'm not sure they ferment as well. I'll be interested to hear what ratio you end up liking the best.

Good to know, thanks! I have been wondering about the fines in the ferments of people who strain the feed.

What are your ratios now, or past experience? I usually measure using weight and my digital scale.

I am looking foward to experimenting after I pick up the new stuff.

 

[centralcaligirl]

Good to know, thanks! I have been wondering about the fines in the ferments of people who strain the feed.

What are your ratios now, or past experience? I usually measure using weight and my digital scale.

I am looking foward to experimenting after I pick up the new stuff.

I only have three chickens right now and they free range most of the day so I don't have to make very much at a time. The current recipe is a tablespoon of leftover fermented feed from the day before, to which I add enough water to equal 10 fluid ounces, and between 6 and 8 ounces of dry feed. My kids broke my kitchen scale last week or I would weigh it tomorrow to see exactly.

I've been trying to find the maximum amount of water I can use that also ensures that the chickens will consume the fines. I may try a 48-hour ferment to just to see what happens and if the grains will absorb more water in two days vs. one. I'm not sure at what point the grains will become fully saturated, but I want to find that point because I noticed that on the fermented feed, they drink a lot less water and I'm hoping that being better hydrated will help them get through the heat better.

I'll be very interested in what you end up doing, as I can see that you're in Phoenix and your summer temps are much higher than ours!!!

 

[FlyWheel]

My chickens won't touch it anymore!

A few days ago I poured them their FF, but instead of wolfing it down like they usually do they gave it a few pecks then ignored it. By the end of the day they still hadn't touched so I gave it a taste and it did taste slightly different; not as 'vinegary' as it usually does. Thinking something had gone wrong I poured it out (and the batch I was brewing, as each successive batch is backslopped from the previous one) and started over from scratch.

While it brewed I have been giving them their feed dry, and they have been eating it, slowly, taking 24 hours to finish it all, just as they used to before I started fermenting.

Well, they're not touching the new stuff either, and it does taste right. What happened? Has anyone else encountered this?

I don't think they're sick. Can ten hens all get sick at the same time?

Help!

 

[Dayrel]

I doubt they all got tired of FF simultaneously. Far more likely, there is something about the FF that they don't like- doesn't smell or taste good. Have you changed your feed or purchased a new bag recently? If not, then my bet is that some bacteria has gotten into your mix that is making it unpalatable.

If you haven't changed feed/bags, then I'd clean and sterilize your FF containers and start the process over again. You will have to feed normal pellets until the new FF is ready.

 

[FlyWheel]

No new feed, it's the same they've been gobbling up for months now (Purina Flock Raiser crumbles). In fact, they were halfway through the current bag when they suddenly stopped eating it.

 

[igorsMistress]

I only have three chickens right now and they free range most of the day so I don't have to make very much at a time. The current recipe is a tablespoon of leftover fermented feed from the day before, to which I add enough water to equal 10 fluid ounces, and between 6 and 8 ounces of dry feed. My kids broke my kitchen scale last week or I would weigh it tomorrow to see exactly.

I've been trying to find the maximum amount of water I can use that also ensures that the chickens will consume the fines. I may try a 48-hour ferment to just to see what happens and if the grains will absorb more water in two days vs. one. I'm not sure at what point the grains will become fully saturated, but I want to find that point because I noticed that on the fermented feed, they drink a lot less water and I'm hoping that being better hydrated will help them get through the heat better.

I'll be very interested in what you end up doing, as I can see that you're in Phoenix and your summer temps are much higher than ours!!!

I will be interested to know the results of your longer ferment time, and whether the grains absorb more water over time as well. Please post an update if you try it.