FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[bradymars]

Looks good, that's the Scoby on top. You can thicken it up as this is soupy, I assume this is a crumble and no grains. You should soak fermented whole oats by themselves and feed as well, very good for them.

 

[theuglyduckling]

this is the first batch i made. there are two more batches, the second one is a little thicker and third one is like peanut butter. the first one i wasnt sure about the thickness but i made the others after that thicker.

is it okay if some small flies land in it? i have just left the flies in the FF and mix it.

 

[Molpet]

this is the first batch i made. there are two more batches, the second one is a little thicker and third one is like peanut butter. the first one i wasnt sure about the thickness but i made the others after that thicker.

is it okay if some small flies land in it? i have just left the flies in the FF and mix it.

free protein

 

[lazy gardener]

Tomorrow's batchView attachment 1115391

Excellent pic of developing scoby. When you feed that batch out, you can just thicken it up to the peanut butter consistency when you use it. Don't be concerned if they reject it at first. Chickens hate change. If all they are used to is dry feed, the idea of getting something stuck on their beaks is... un-natural to them! Simply take away the dry feed, and perhaps sprinkle some of the dry feed on top of the FF, and they will figure it out.

 

[tigger19687]

Ok, my Hens got WISE ! Since I use 3/4 New Country Organic (like cruched grains) and 1/4 Organic Crumbles.
Damn hens started to eat the CORN BITS !!!

When this bag is done I will have to go to Organic Crumbles.
It swells better anyway.

darn hens

 

[FlyWheel]

Try sprinkling some mealy worms on top, they'll go after the worms and find out the FF is good to eat too.

 

[tigger19687]

Oh no, they eat it all, just notice they pick out the corn first, then go free range and come back at some point to finish it.

 

[Tikkijane]

this is the first batch i made. there are two more batches, the second one is a little thicker and third one is like peanut butter. the first one i wasnt sure about the thickness but i made the others after that thicker.

is it okay if some small flies land in it? i have just left the flies in the FF and mix it.

free protein

X2. If you're lucky, you'll get wigglies in there, too.

I have to say - not getting every reply in my email stinks.

 

[theuglyduckling]

X2. If you're lucky, you'll get wigglies in there, too.

I have to say - not getting every reply in my email stinks.

good to know the wigglies are fine. i was worried that it wold make the FF go bad some how. if i let it sit and dont mix it, i can bet it would be loaded with them.

 

[ChickNanny13]

Ok, I'm going to hijack this thread for a bit although it still pertains to FF...
I LOVE FF as do my girls however I'm limited to 4 - 6 chickens & I live in a residential area so no crowing. Since I learned about fermenting been doing it but recently have had a small issue. Feed here comes only in 50# bags, yester - years I could get 25# but that was a long time ago
Anyway being that I only have 4 BOs, it's been warm & humid, I can never finish that bag fast enough. Prior to these I had 5 Blue Wynadottes from Oct - April and had the same thing happen....Feed mites when I get down to about 20# left (30# in 2 months). Past 2 bags of Flock Raiser I didn't finish & dumped. Both times I washed down the bin & dried it well, sprinkled DE. I've never had this problem since I started raising chickens (2013) & picking up my feed from the same feed store.

Questions - Are the mites in the feed, with the weather "hatching"? Or is it the storage at the feed store? Would changing to a grain feed have less chance for mites? Should I start buying 10# bags?

The feed store I go to don't sell FR in smaller bags, they do sell Dumor which I don't like the results. Another feed store does sell (Nutrena) feed in 10# bags, end up costing a bit more but no more mites? I hate tossing the feed although I take it to the landfill where there's alot of feral chickens so it's not really going to waste.

All your opinion & advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you