Fermented Feeds

[Leigti]

Most people use this method https://tikktok.wordpress.com/2014/04/13/fermented-feed-faq/
They started out with a soupy FF that needed to be drained and found the dryer FF was producing the same results with the poultry with less work.

I definitely find this method to be the easiest. Just one bucket. Are usually keep the same bucket going for a few months. Then I completely clean it out and start over. Occasionally I'll put a little butter milk in there, or maybe a little apple cider vinegar but otherwise just feed and water.

 

[Blosing101]

I definitely find this method to be the easiest. Just one bucket. Are usually keep the same bucket going for a few months. Then I completely clean it out and start over. Occasionally I'll put a little butter milk in there, or maybe a little apple cider vinegar but otherwise just feed and water.

VERY GOOD article!!!!

 

[SueT]

Last week I made way too much ff for my 4 chickens who ate a huge amt. at first, then cut back to about 2 cups a day. (I fermented the flock raiser crumbles that we had) We have an old fridge in the barn, so I plugged it in 3 days ago and put my bucket in there to prolong its life. (there's about 3/4 of a 5 gallon bucket) I am hoping it will go dormant and not mold or spoil. .Next week I am going out of town for 10 days, and leaving my husband to care for the chickens, hopefully this feed will be stable for at least that long. Any advice on this?

 

[lpyrbby]

It took me a couple of days of concerned effort, but I've finally made it through the thread LOL

I started trying to ferment a few days ago. I started with 6 buckets to do the 3-day system. I drilled holes in three of the buckets then nested them in the remaining three. Initially, I started out with plenty of water over the top of the feed, trying to keep that 1" recommendation. The first day I went to feed though, what a MESS. That was also about the time I read through that others were using less water to make it more manageable. After doing that, it's MUCH easier to deal with. So far, the chickens seem to approve.

This first photo is about the consistency I feed to the birds. I pull the inside bucket with holes and that's holding the feed out of the solid bucket, and put it on a colander over the solid bucket to let it drain out. After a couple of hours, I slop the feed out into these two rubber feed pans. I have 12 birds total and am currently fermenting about 1 quart of dry layer feed for them. I let the food sit out in the feed pans overnight so it's ready to go for me in the morning. These are the 2 gallon rubber feed pans from TSC.


I've started experimenting with adding oats and BOSS. This is tomorrow's bucket, with a bit much water in it, but when set to drain over the colander, it's not really a big deal.


This is Monday's bucket. No oats in this one. All the BOSS floats to the top. I hope that's not too much for them.


This is the bucket I just started tonight Notice the bucket is cleaner? Yeah, home girl wasn't considering cleaning the buckets in the previous batches until someone mentioned the old feed possibly molding. I check the new bucket throughout the rest of the evening to make sure it's got enough water in it. Then, I just stir whenever I think about it, at least 2-3 times a day.


I put both bowls out in the morning when I let them out and I just leave them. I work during the week and don't have the 30 minutes to wait around and supervise. They are eating a large majority of it in just an hour. I'd say by the time early afternoon comes, they've cleaned the bowls. I'm still putting about a quart or so of dry feed in their feeder to give them another option, since a couple of the girls tend to get bullied so I want them to have something available to them.

Does anything that I'm doing sound amiss?

 

[Mccluckers]

Hi Everyone,

Have been trying to ferment some of my chicken food, I think have to start again, it grew rapidly and burst out the top, exposing itself to oxygen (a bad thing i gather) i stirred it back in and it is alright now, it smells sour, tangy but also a bit like sick, I have fed a tiny bit to the chickens but i am worried it will make them ill, what has gone wrong? I just used water and chicken food, it would also float at the beginning but now it settles to the bottom.

Thanks in advance

 

[lpyrbby]

Hi Everyone,

Have been trying to ferment some of my chicken food, I think have to start again, it grew rapidly and burst out the top, exposing itself to oxygen (a bad thing i gather) i stirred it back in and it is alright now, it smells sour, tangy but also a bit like sick, I have fed a tiny bit to the chickens but i am worried it will make them ill, what has gone wrong? I just used water and chicken food, it would also float at the beginning but now it settles to the bottom.

Thanks in advance

The only thing you're doing wrong is sealing the container. Let it breathe! I've read that others drape a towel over theirs or just set the lid on, but don't secure it. I have my buckets on a counter in the kitchen and they're completely exposed. I don't really see any reason to cover. Settling is fine. It's absorbing the water. Don't fret. You should be able to feed it out to the girls and see what they think.

 

[Mccluckers]

The only thing you're doing wrong is sealing the container. Let it breathe! I've read that others drape a towel over theirs or just set the lid on, but don't secure it. I have my buckets on a counter in the kitchen and they're completely exposed. I don't really see any reason to cover. Settling is fine. It's absorbing the water. Don't fret. You should be able to feed it out to the girls and see what they think.

I didn't seal it but it over flowed and smelt badly of sick, I have chucked it as i was nervous and will start again making sure it stays under the level of the water.

 

[Brada Puhi]

McCluckers, You most likely threw away good feed. Just keep stirring at least 4x per day, and use lots of water. You can add dry feed 5 minutes before feeding to thicken it back up. Aloha, Puhi

 

[Brada Puhi]

Aloha Blosing101,

The feed needs to soak(and be stirred) for at least 4 days to get the good stuff going. After that add feed hen half way pau after the afternoon feeding. The remaining half will be full of beneficial bacteria and work on the new feed overnight. Your bucket should be big enough to last 4 days and add new feed every other day or so.

Also, no need for all these contraptions that one guy made. 1 bucket, feed water, stir.

Aloha, Puhi

 

[Brada Puhi]

Aloha kākou,

I was writing on another thread that Iʻve seen a decrease in eggs with FF and an increase when I switch to dry.

I also see my feed lasting a little longer with FF.

I also like to add oyster shells in FF because the acid dissolves the shells, making it more available to the digestive system.

I also see less flies with FF, especially if I add DE every few months.

If any of you have switched back and forth, what have you seen?

Thanks, Puhi