Fermented Feeds

[RoosterLew]

Ah, that would be a good thing to check! Thanks. Unfortunately it's the only feed available locally though, so switching isn't really an option.

I'm good with an all-scratch ferment, I just want to know that I'm not shorting them on nutrition in the process, because they'll prefer the ferment to their dry feed. So what I'm mostly looking for is what grains & ratio to include in the ferment to get a decent protein/carb balance, and how much to limit that feed so that they'll eat enough of their dry crumble as well.

How about mixing the dry into the FF as you feed it? Make a mixed mash?

 

[moomoodiddy]

...

im pretty sure boss is just another word for with he mother... hey yall i am also interested in starting ff im just tryin to come up with a mixture to add into it what do yall add in? and is it ok to store ff outside?[/quote

Boss is black oil sunflower seeds. Not related to the vinegar.

yea i know that now .... it was an uneducated guess

 

[5moore]

How do you find out what each breeds protein, vitamin, and calcium requirements are? I just assumed as long as they were not meat birds the requirements would be the same. Also once you know what your specific breeds' requirements are, how do you figure out the nutritional values of what you mixed up?

 

[moomoodiddy]

go to the specific breed threads and ask around

 

[jsp28504]

Ok, I'm having an issue with my two birds in quarantine. Neither are showing interest in any type of food. I have tried ff, dry mash, strawberries, bread and spinach. Nothing. The roo takes a few bites but the hen looks at it like its all going to eat her. I guess the next thing I could try would be my chick mash... Any ideas?

 

[moomoodiddy]

all chickens love eggs

 

[jjakaus]

So then, you can keep fermenting in the same liquid over and over? Do you ever start over? I read elsewhere to just add new mash to replace what you take out. Is this what you do?

Thanks

 

[moomoodiddy]

yes basically the "mother " stays active as long as there is stuff to grow on

 

[chickeemama]

I have now started all my chickens on fermented feed. I have broilers, 10 day old turkeys, and some asst chicks all in brooders. I have left the dry crumble in the brooder and then in the evening I give them the fermented. They go ape over the fermented now...day 4 of it. I have been scooping some out of my fermenting dish into their dishes, adding some dry crumble to it, consistency of stiff mash potatoes. I need to get some more plastic feeders, only found 1! the rest of them are eating out of plastic or glass dishes...when it is open they tend to jump in it and it gets packed down. It is a bit more work, but I want to give it a go. Started the breeding pens on it as well, I mix high protein feed and whole grains together for them...they are all still acquiring a taste for it. they are eating it, but not as aggressively as the chicks. I will be interested to see what it does for the health of my birds and the chicks that hatch from the breeders.

 

[Trefoil]

If you are concerned with your poultry getting the correct nutritional value from fermented feeds, start out by fermenting a good quality commercial feed. You can ferment any food that you would otherwise eat. I use frisbees as food dishes to feed my ff.