Fermented feeds - does it really cut food use in half?

[LindaB220]

I just started feeding fermented feed to my layers 2 weeks ago.

My egg production is up

My feed use is less. Not sure if it is 50% less at this point, but it is a lot less.

I am filling up their water fountain every 2-3 days instead of daily.

They love their fermented food.

They are not kicking and scratching the food out of the dish and wasting it.

You are so right dragonlair. I have fed fermented feed from day one to my chicks. Healthy, hearty and I do save money on feed plus having to water less. The lack of smell alone is worth the fermentation process. I use deep litter and never even see poop. It dissolves right into the litter. Instead of being sceptical about it just give it a trial period with a few chickens. I fill a 5 gallon bucket 1/2 full of grains or feed and add 1 to 1.5 gallons of water. Stir daily for 4/5 days and feed out with the consistancy of thick oatmeal. No need to add apple cidar vinegar. You can add 1-2 T of ACV with mother to speed it up to about 3 days. I feed about 4 cups 2 x daily for my 15 teenagers. 11 wks.

 

[dragonlair]

I started giving my hatchling Polish X chicks and their mom the fermented chick started....WOW! I mean WOW! They dove on it and refuse to eat the dry crumbles. As you said, the poop smell is so much less. And the growth on these little guys is incredible. They feathered out quicker and are growing faster than when fed on just the dry chick started.

I am so sold on fermented feeds. I am going to try mixing seeds in with the layer mash for the older birds to see how that goes.

 

[Angelicisi]

I love that its Soooooo flexible. When I want to add somethin to the mix a scoop out a bunch and mix it in a smaller bucket to test/try. If I like it I dump new mix right into the old. If I don't I didn't lose much.
Seeds and grains do great I have found. Do not try meats...lol for anything fresh (veggies/fruits) I just add on top of their daily rations because certain fruits can go bad in a drunk way, not a the good wine either plus a fruit/veggie is made by nature to give the most nutes fresh.

I started giving my hatchling Polish X chicks and their mom the fermented chick started....WOW! I mean WOW! They dove on it and refuse to eat the dry crumbles. As you said, the poop smell is so much less. And the growth on these little guys is incredible. They feathered out quicker and are growing faster than when fed on just the dry chick started.

I am so sold on fermented feeds. I am going to try mixing seeds in with the layer mash for the older birds to see how that goes.

 

[Triple Willow]

Hello,

I've seen ths  claim many times.  I'm skpetical...
I have a bucket that is I guess about a 2 1/2 gallon bucket that I feed out of as well as use to mix up my fermented feed. If I just feed DRY feed it takes nearly that whole bucket about twice a day. That's a lot of feed. If I mix up my feed which fits in that same bucket and put it in a five gallon bucket and add water and give it a few hours to ferment, I get OVER twice as much feed out of the same amount- that's over two feedings from what would be one. (My 2 1/2 gallon bucket of dry feed will make a 5 gallon bucket of FF.) Simple fact.

Do factory chicke farms use fermented feeds?  They work very hard and constantly monitor growth per pound of feed.
The chicken houses and equipment belong to the farmer. A commercial chicken house is about 40 feet wide by 500 feet long. There are LOTS of feeding and watering equipment in each house that costs LOTS of money. It would cost a lot more money to change the feeding equipment/set-up in order to feed FF. FF for chickens is a relatively new concept. Even the idea of manufacturing equipment that would feed FF in a 500 foot long commercial chicken house hasn't been considered. Also, it would be on the farmer to pay for that equipment. Most chicken farmers have more than one chicken house, some several. ALSO you have the problem of the company delivering the FF. The companies would all have to purchase new fleets of trucks equipped to deliver FF. Another huge cost. Also the feed mill would have to figure out how to mix/make huge huge quantities of FF. It is much cheaper to carry on as is.

Factory farms also have large university research groups behind them.  They have plenty of resources to evaluate these things.

If fermented feed would cut that cost in half, they would all immediately switch.  Their food cost is a major part of their cost strip.

So, what am I missing?
To those who feed their chickens FF it is like a miracle drug. To some who don't it is looked at like poison. You either try it for yourself and see, or you don't. Dairy cattle have been fed fermented feed for years and years and years in the form of silage. They don't drop dead.

 

[Triple Willow]

@MadAngler... Good luck to you in whatever you decide.

 

[pfields]

Help, my H&H fermenting chicken feed smells like poop. I fear I've waited it all. I've had it in the house in a Folgers red plastic coffee can with a plastic cover with holes since Tuesday. Should I throw it out? It's bubbling but does not smell good at all.

 

[LindaB220]

Help, my H&H fermenting chicken feed smells like poop. I fear I've waited it all. I've had it in the house in a Folgers red plastic coffee can with a plastic cover with holes since Tuesday. Should I throw it out? It's bubbling but does not smell good at all.

Some feeds have animal proteins in it and it can get a little smelly. It probably is not bad. Check your bag and see if it has animal by products. I'd try to feed tomorrow morning. Does it have a yeasty or sourdough smell? Let us know

One more thing, are you stirring it daily the first 4 days. A must do.

 

[pfields]

Yes, I've been stirring it but it really doesn't smell good. I bake all our bread so I know what a yeast smell is like. I don't want to make them sick. Should I have left the cover off the container?

 

[LindaB220]

Yes, I've been stirring it but it really doesn't smell good. I bake all our bread so I know what a yeast smell is like. I don't want to make them sick. Should I have left the cover off the container?

If you feel better, start over. How many chickens do you have? Maybe make a bigger bucket. And leave it cracked at the top. It should smell like pickles

 

[pfields]

I have 23 chickens, two are roosters. H&H isn't cheap and I really wanted to try fermenting. Okay, mine smells nothing like pickles so I'm throwing it out. Thanks for the help.