Fermenting Chicken Food

[EmmaRainboe]

I am fasinated by fermenting chicken food but all the fermenting tutorials I can find are fermenting scratch not actual feed. Can you ferment normal chicken food like all flock raiser or is it just a scratch thing? If anyone has any good threads or tutorials I'd love to check them out!

 

[Stefrrr]

I feed my chickens scratch and peck grower feed dry and i ferment. Just put it in a bucket, cover with an inch-ish of water, and keep at room temperature with a loose lid. I usually do two days worth at once because you want to use it within three days and the chickens seem to like it even more on day two.

 

[EmmaRainboe]

I feed my chickens scratch and peck grower feed dry and i ferment. Just put it in a bucket, cover with an inch-ish of water, and keep at room temperature with a loose lid. I usually do two days worth at once because you want to use it within three days and the chickens seem to like it even more on day two.

Like an inch above the surface of the food?

 

[Stefrrr]

Like an inch above the surface of the food?

Yep. I’m far from precise about it and it always works out well. I started with gallon jars, filling them halfway with food and then to the 3/4 level with water, well mixed, and that worked too. The bucket is just easier. i used to keep it in my well house, but with the November temperature drops I had to move it into the laundry room.

 

[Stefrrr]

I empty the dry feeders into the fermenter every week or so to get all the fines fermented. It’s great because otherwise they don’t really eat the powder.

 

[EmmaRainboe]

I empty the dry feeders into the fermenter every week or so to get all the fines fermented. It’s great because otherwise they don’t really eat the powder.

Ohhh! That's smart!

 

[Stefrrr]

Ohhh! That's smart!

Let me know how fermenting works out for you!

 

[EmmaRainboe]

Let me know how fermenting works out for you!

Will do! Thanks!

 

[Sally PB]

I'm saving up the fines from my feed bowl as well. I know I could just dump it in with pellets to ferment, but I haven't taken the leap yet. Will be following along...

 

[alwaysthere4chickens]

Here's a fermenting feed thread.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/fermenting-chicken-feed-good-idea.1428752/