FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[EggSighted4Life]

Just tried fermenting my chicken's feed. I have a quick question since I've seen differing comments on how long you can let the feed ferment. Should I finish all of the feed by four days or is it ok to use the fermented feed and keep adding new grains to the starter feed indefinitely? Thanks for your time!

Hi, hope you are enjoying BYC!

Most of us ALWAYS back slop (leave a healthy portion behind) a bit of the FF into our new batches. It gives you a good starter to ferment your next batches much faster(for some only overnight after adding new grains/feed). In other words, just keep it going.

In fact I NEVER clean my container other than rinsing down the sides. The sides of the container can grow mold (not desirable), but the FF itself should not.

The amount of time it is OK to feed out your FF will vary with your weather. When it's hot it ferments much faster. I try to keep mine at about the 4 day level of ferment because it seems like a sweet spot to me.

Good luck, and don't forget that SOME chickens will require more than 1 introduction before they start really enjoying it because they are creatures of habit and this is something new to them.

 

[feather13]

Thanks so much for your thoughtful and very helpful response! I found that the adult chickens were totally into the FF from the start while the chicks have been more hesitant. Even though I work full time, giving FF doesn't seem like much work.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Thanks so much for your thoughtful and very helpful response! I found that the adult chickens were totally into the FF from the start while the chicks have been more hesitant. Even though I work full time, giving FF doesn't seem like much work.

Yes, chicks do seem to be VERY resistant little buggers.

I only put out FF 1 time a day, enough to last for free choice feeding all day. And I put my feeders up at night. Glad it isn't too much work for you!

 

[chcknwhisperer]

My girls loved fermented feed!! I just have not had time to do it again.

 

[alicexx]

So can you use any feed type even if it contains pellets?
Just equal parts water and some apple cidar vinagar?
I had tried with only water and the smell didn't seem right.. it smelt off I think?

 

[lazy gardener]

Whole grains are ground. Other ingredients are added to provide the proper nutritional analysis. This would be called mash if it was bagged and sold. The mash is then moistened and extruded and flash dried. This form is a pellet. The pellets are then ground up a bit. This form is called crumble. The initial formulation will determine what the feed is called: layer, grower, starter, multi flock...

You don't need ACV. Simply use your feed and water. Allow exposure to air to pick up the beneficial yeast and bacteria, and it will ferment.

 

[feather13]

So can you use any feed type even if it contains pellets?
Just equal parts water and some apple cidar vinagar?
I had tried with only water and the smell didn't seem right.. it smelt off I think?

I didn't use dry feed from the store for my first batch. I went to our local WinCo and bought dried, unroasted and unseasoned grains and seeds (sesame, black sunflower, millet, quinoa, oatmeal... stuff you'd find in bird seed plus I put in crushed up eggshells, but no vinegar or starter). I found recipes like this online. I also leave regular dry layer crumble out all day in case the hens want that instead.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I didn't use dry feed from the store for my first batch. I went to our local WinCo and bought dried, unroasted and unseasoned grains and seeds (sesame, black sunflower, millet, quinoa, oatmeal... stuff you'd find in bird seed plus I put in crushed up eggshells, but no vinegar or starter). I found recipes like this online. I also leave regular dry layer crumble out all day in case the hens want that instead.

Skip all the seeds, they are likely high in fat. You can ferment any feed, doesn't matter if it pellets, crumbles, whole grain. Whole grains take longer. And when you are getting it started, leave your top open and stir several times per day to help grab the bacteria from the air that are going to colonize and start your ferment. If you are using city water with chlorine or chloramine, it might take you a little longer. You could leave the water in a large mouth container to evaporate chlorine but chloromine will not evaporate, though I would think before long your colonies should over power them.

Ferment your standard layer and leave dry on the side if you like. Use your seeds as a treat, no more than 10% of the total diet. Pretty sure oatmeal and millet are lower than the 16% required to maintain good laying health. Hey, try sprouting those things you bought! It will increase the available nutrients because it breaks down whatever it is that has them locked up until they are ready to grow, making them more digestible.

Put your crushed up egg shells on the side instead of mixing in, so the girls can decide when they want to eat the extra calcium. Unless your internet recipes include a nutritional analysis, I would avoid them so you don't end up with health/behavioral issues in your birds.

So can you use any feed type even if it contains pellets?
Just equal parts water and some apple cidar vinagar?
I had tried with only water and the smell didn't seem right.. it smelt off I think?

I guess part of my response here was actually meant for you, regarding chlorine and stirring extra at the start, but I'm not gonna edit my whole post.

Anyways skip the acv, and it only counts if it raw, unfiltered, with Mother.

Different feeds will smell different. How long did you let it go and what is smell right? Did you feed it out anyways?

 

[FlyWheel]

<Snip!>
My verdict with the dog feed would be ... Omnivorous yes certainly ... give him meat, raw if possible.</Snip!>

Hmm, I have a roommate who is outliving his usefulness......

 

[JonesLaneChickens]

I use a non-gmo non-soy chicken feed that is whole grains and add alfalfa pellets for my chicken feed. I put it all in a 5 gallon bucket. We just add water and let it sit closed up until next feed time. The girls LOVE it!!! We feed it to our ducks as well.

Something we figured out, the feed won't mold as long as you either do small batches at a time, or just make sure all the feed is completely covered with water.

We feed it to our chicks as well. Has anyone else noticed that if you feed chicks FF, they molt right into their adult feathers without ever going completely bald? This is our third batch of chicks and one of the only ones that had full plumage at ~week 6.