I would assume if it makes sense to ferment feed than it makes very good sense to ferment the feed for chicks.
I make my own food from equal parts: cracked corn, rolled oats, barley, wheat bran, alfalfa with 5% fish meal and 5% BOSS. The mixture ferments for three days and is fed to 23 chickens and 2 ducks. I keep the old water and use it for my new bucket. Grit and oyster shell are freely available.
This spring when I receive my heritage chicks I plan to grind this mixture, use the same fermenting routine and feed it to my chicks.
I'm very nervous about doing this. The chickens I have now where all started on medicated feed. I only read about fermented feed and natural methods when they were a few months old, than I switched to fermented feed.
The chicks I will be receiving this spring are important to me and my breeder. How do I know if my food is good? 20 mixed hatchery hens are giving me 8-10 eggs a day with a real hard shell. We live in NH it's been fairly cold. Can I assume my hens must be healthy and hence the feed fermented and not spoiled.
I make my own food from equal parts: cracked corn, rolled oats, barley, wheat bran, alfalfa with 5% fish meal and 5% BOSS. The mixture ferments for three days and is fed to 23 chickens and 2 ducks. I keep the old water and use it for my new bucket. Grit and oyster shell are freely available.
This spring when I receive my heritage chicks I plan to grind this mixture, use the same fermenting routine and feed it to my chicks.
I'm very nervous about doing this. The chickens I have now where all started on medicated feed. I only read about fermented feed and natural methods when they were a few months old, than I switched to fermented feed.
The chicks I will be receiving this spring are important to me and my breeder. How do I know if my food is good? 20 mixed hatchery hens are giving me 8-10 eggs a day with a real hard shell. We live in NH it's been fairly cold. Can I assume my hens must be healthy and hence the feed fermented and not spoiled.
