FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[centralcaligirl]

Live action...

https://www.instagram.com/p/BPlTzuogfUw/

I've been using organic chick starter (for the higher protein) from Green Mountain Feeds. I tried the soy-free layer pellets and my birds weren't crazy about it fermented...but they will eat it dry. Go figure. Sometimes I will add a probiotic with bacillus subtilis to get a little extra vitamin K2 out of the fermentation (think natto). As you can see in the above vid, I use 1/2 gallon canning jars and fill the feed up to about the 2.5-3 cup line. Then I fill with water up to about the point where the glass starts to curve toward the lid. Once the absorption is complete I usually have about 1" of liquid sitting above the feed.

If I can get my hands on a bag of New Country corn&soy free I'd like to try fermenting that.

Wow really bubbly! How do you feed it with all of that extra liquid? Do you strain it?

 

[centralcaligirl]

I'm kind of surprised at how different mine looks. Here is mine. Scratch and Peck grower feed, fermented for 24 hours. It develops air pockets but doesn't actually bubble on the surface.

 

[igorsMistress]

I'm kind of surprised at how different mine looks. Here is mine. Scratch and Peck grower feed, fermented for 24 hours. It develops air pockets but doesn't actually bubble on the surface. View attachment 1058413

That's what mine looks like right now. Do you stir it?

 

[centralcaligirl]

That's what mine looks like right now. Do you stir it?

No, I just let it sit and ferment for 24 hours and then pour it out into a dog bowl when I feed them in the morning. Then I mix up the next batch in the same container and let it sit on the kitchen counter until the next day. They usually finish it by the time they go into the coop at night. I think it would be better if I let it ferment a little longer, but the 24-hour system is working well so far.

 

[igorsMistress]

No, I just let it sit and ferment for 24 hours and then pour it out into a dog bowl when I feed them in the morning. Then I mix up the next batch in the same container and let it sit on the kitchen counter until the next day. They usually finish it by the time they go into the coop at night. I think it would be better if I let it ferment a little longer, but the 24-hour system is working well so far.

I started my first batch of the s&p last night so it'll have about 36 hours to ferment. I'm not sure I like the consistency, maybe too thin.

When I started fermenting the crumble I didn't stir it. It looked like wet glop. Then I started stirring it when I could and it fluffed up with those fat air bubbles in it by the 24 hour mark..

Perhaps stirring helps promote the fermentation, which makes sense.

 

[barred2rock]

I started my first batch of the s&p last night so it'll have about 36 hours to ferment. I'm not sure I like the consistency, maybe too thin.

When I started fermenting the crumble I didn't stir it. It looked like wet glop. Then I started stirring it when I could and it fluffed up with those fat air bubbles in it by the 24 hour mark..

Perhaps stirring helps promote the fermentation, which makes sense.

If it's too thin for the birds, you can always add a little dry feed just before you serve it. My birds won't touch it if it's soupy. They shake their heads like they have gunk on their beaks before they even touch it.

 

[igorsMistress]

If it's too thin for the birds, you can always add a little dry feed just before you serve it. My birds won't touch it if it's soupy. They shake their heads like they have gunk on their beaks before they even touch it.

Lol, same here. They stand around with this attitude like are ya goona fix it or what?
Good idea adding some dry in the morning, thanks!

 

[ChickNanny13]

When I first started, it was runny/wet so I'd strain (plastic) before feeding. Now I keep it like "oatmeal" which they seem to prefer. I've "played" with the ratio, found 1:1 works best & less messy face/feathers. Mix I add dry feed to the mix & after scooping their feed (2x day).
centralcaligirl your bubbling nicely, that's what it should look like. You are going to find it bubbles faster during the warm weather but winter it will take longer.

 

[igorsMistress]

@ChickNanny13 for clarification do you ferment 1:1 feed:water AND mix in dry when you feed?

 

[centralcaligirl]

I started my first batch of the s&p last night so it'll have about 36 hours to ferment. I'm not sure I like the consistency, maybe too thin.

When I started fermenting the crumble I didn't stir it. It looked like wet glop. Then I started stirring it when I could and it fluffed up with those fat air bubbles in it by the 24 hour mark..

Perhaps stirring helps promote the fermentation, which makes sense.

When I first started fermenting feed I was using crumbles and I agree, stirring was definitely helpful. I will try it with this feed and see how it goes!

The first time I fermented S&P it took three or four days to get a good ferment going. It seems to me that the whole grains ferment a little slower overall than the crumble did.

I've also got a little project batch going to see if the feed will absorb more water between 24 and 48 hours. Right now is about the 36-hour mark and it doesn't look like it is. I'll check in the morning but at this point it looks like the grains stop absorbing water between 12-18 hours, which is similar to what others have also reported.

How much feed and water did you start with?