Fermented food question - smell and how to feed

[KRS57]

Hi, I am fermenting Scratch & Peck Naturally Free Organic Layer Feed which is a whole grain feed. I am fermenting it in a 5 gallon food grade bucket with non-chlorinated water and a little apple cider vinegar. It smells terrible!! I use a scooper to get the feed out, careful not to get anything on my hand, but my hands smells like the fermented food even after washing them. Is this normal? Is there anything I can do to help with the smell?

Also, my chickens are not very interested in the fermented feed. I have 13 chickens and give them 3-4 cups of the fermented food. They always leave about a cup even when I give them a smaller amount. I do have feeders with pellet food for my chickens. I wanted to add the fermented food as a special treat and to help with their feathers, but it seems kind of like a waste.

Any tips or information would be appreciated. I am attaching photos of the fermented feed, the bowl I use to give my hens the fermented feed, their regular feeder set up, and a few chicken pictures that show how dingy their feathers look.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I don't add ACV so you might want to try making a small batch without it to see if that impacts the smell. I keep my FF in the house so minimizing the odor is definitely important to me!

I'd also try making it with a lot less water... my birds at least do NOT like this stuff wet and prefer it as dry as thick, stiff oatmeal, which in my climate means adding enough water to dry feed to cover about 1/2", and that's about as wet as they'll take it. I begin serving at the 24 hr mark and usually use up a batch in about 3 days, so that also helps minimize the sour smell.

Overall you might be giving them too much. I currently have 10 birds and they get somewhere between 2-3 cups of finished FF a day, along with dry feed, and that seems to be a good amount for them.

 

[SourRoses]

The color is not right. That looks moldy to me. I'm not sure that the kind of feed you are using (whole grains) is compatible with fermenting as it can't process all the way through in the same amount of time.

We, like most keepers, gave fermented feed a go and gave up because of the labor, odors during processing (3 days), and the messy feeders / chickens.

The smell on you is from microbes. Try washing your hands with antibacterial soap 3x lathers & rinses. That might kill it. Maybe use some bleach. Or listerine. Or hot lava from a volcano.

 

[Perris]

If it is labelled this

Layer Feed

it is not just

a whole grain feed

It may have whole grains in it, but there are other things added to classify it as a layer feed.

A properly fermented whole grain feed should not be a grey colour and it should not smell bad. The chickens' instincts are right not to eat that.

If you want to try again, how to make a whole grain fermented feed is explained in detail with photos here
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...eat-tears-a-calculator-or-deep-pockets.78655/

 

[rosemarythyme]

To clarify, that is what fermented S&P feed looks like - the muddy color in the water is all the vitamins and minerals and protein that's added into the mix. Add to that the heat of summer and mine's covered in a thin layer of yeast as well. All the more reason not to add so much water, as you want those things to stick to the grains so the birds eat all of it, rather than letting it leech out in the water.

 

[Daisy June]

Hi, I am fermenting Scratch & Peck Naturally Free Organic Layer Feed which is a whole grain feed. I am fermenting it in a 5 gallon food grade bucket with non-chlorinated water and a little apple cider vinegar. It smells terrible!! I use a scooper to get the feed out, careful not to get anything on my hand, but my hands smells like the fermented food even after washing them. Is this normal? Is there anything I can do to help with the smell?

Also, my chickens are not very interested in the fermented feed. I have 13 chickens and give them 3-4 cups of the fermented food. They always leave about a cup even when I give them a smaller amount. I do have feeders with pellet food for my chickens. I wanted to add the fermented food as a special treat and to help with their feathers, but it seems kind of like a waste.

Any tips or information would be appreciated. I am attaching photos of the fermented feed, the bowl I use to give my hens the fermented feed, their regular feeder set up, and a few chicken pictures that show how dingy their feathers look.

I only have six chickens, so I don't need as much as you do, but the website that gave me the best and clearest information is Homestead and Chill. I am not much of a science gal, so keeping it simple helps me connect with the whys and hows of fermentation. My girls get a helping of fermented in one dish and a helping of dry in a feeder. It's all gone every day. My efforts have not been wasted as my girls are beautiful and full of life, and their eggs are wonderful. The strength of the shells, the weight of the eggs, and the depth of yolk color are undeniable.

 

[Daisy June]

Let me add that we have well water, so that makes it even easier for me as I don't have to leave the water out before the process. Also, I do not add anything other than their feed. So feed and water--that's it.