Fermented food update!

[BastyPutt]

Ok - I had mentioned previously that I was going to ferment the quail started and I have been, and wanted to share back.

Since this is my first time with quail chicks, I don't have any kind of a "baseline", but I have ran into a few snags.

First and foremost, they really like it. They gobble it up and don't want the dry crumble when offered. This is also my first problem.

After losing 2 chicks the first night to what I believe was my negligence in not grinding the food, I had some PTSD and only feed then fermented mash for a few days. Now, when I put both ferments and dry out, they won't touch the dry stuff even when the fermented dish is gone. I know there are a lot of studies with chickens and feeding solely fermented food, and it being fine - sometimes even more beneficial , but I just wish they would eat both. I have also tried feeding just a mash, before it ferments. They don't want that either. That is problem one.

Problem two is the only way to really feed fermented food is by way of an open dish at this point because they so small. And i entirely underestimated how messy these little things are. With that said, i out the dish down and it is like a mud bath. They get covered in it. I haven't lost any others, but I get concerned with them getting their down so messy.

I am going to work on fabricating something today where they will be able to eat it and not get into it.

 

[Nabiki]

I wish I knew where I put the external drive with all of my pictures, but you could take an empty plastic jar and put very small (chick head size) holes in it and put the feed in there. The holes have to be small, or you'll end up with the entire chick inside your feeder.

 

[BastyPutt]

I wish I knew where I put the external drive with all of my pictures, but you could take an empty plastic jar and put very small (chick head size) holes in it and put the feed in there. The holes have to be small, or you'll end up with the entire chick inside your feeder.

On it now. I have a mayo jar that I think will work nicely. I'll sand the edges as well so they don't get cut.

Thank you.

 

[eddie_van_quailen]

On it now. I have a mayo jar that I think will work nicely. I'll sand the edges as well so they don't get cut.

Thank you.

I had decent luck with those plastic takeout containers also, but it is a bit harder to cut such thin plastic without breaking it.