Fermenting Feed for Large Flock

[NickyPick]

No, I've never had a problem with mold. We stir daily, before we feed and when we add more dry, I use the hose to clean off the sides.

 

[mwash]

No, I've never had a problem with mold.  We stir daily, before we feed and when we add more dry, I use the hose to clean off the sides.

How much do you put out for 50 birds? I'd like to try this...

 

[Percheron chick]

How much do you put out for 50 birds? I'd like to try this...

If you follow the 4 oz of dry per hen per day, that would be 12# dry before you ferment. I would start with no more than 1/2 that (5-6#) and still offer the dry layer on the side. If they clean it up, you can increase it or still go 50/50.

 

[NickyPick]

I usually fill up an 8 quart Fortiflex bucket of the wet feed each morning. In the spring/summer, I cut back a bit when they start leaving some by evening - they fill up on other stuff as they range during the day. Basically, if there is feed in the troughs at night, then I feed less the next day. If they've picked the troughs clean, they'll get a bit more, but that bucket is my standard.

https://www.smartpakequine.com/pt/fortiflex-pails-2029

 

[mwash]

Alrighty. I have about 100 full size and another 100 couple month old chicks. I'll start with a five gallon buck and go from there! Thank you. Though I quite like the buckets you posted a link for. Where did you get the big barrel that you have your continuous stuff going in?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I had less than 100 birds last year and I had four 5 gallon buckets going at a time.

 

[couloir007]

I'm new raising chickens and I'd like to know how many pounds of dried feed can fit in a 5 gallon bucket for fermenting? Half full doesn't tell me what I need to know. I'm trying to calculate how many buckets I need for 50 meat birds. Thank you.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I'm guessing about 15 lbs..
However, you'll have to play it by ear since their consumption will continue to increase.
I usually keep about 40 to 50 chickens and 2 buckets is about all I use, sometimes 3 but no more.

 

[TheBeardedNerd]

I feed 50 birds on one bucket of Fermented Feed. I add 20 cups of Layer Pellets to the bucket after I fill the bucket up 3/4's full with water. I stir it in the morning and pour it in troughs.

 

[TheBeardedNerd]

Also, I've found that the best solution for doing Fermented Feed on a large production scale is to do it in Trash Cans or 55 Gallon Barrels and using a Ceptic Tank Pump with Valve that can be opened and closed to mix the feed and then pipe it through a tube that you can use to feed into a bucket or directly into the troughs for feeding.

I hope I didn't make it sound too complicated, but it's really simple and easy to use. This is obviously for flocks of birds in the several hundreds. One 55 gallon barrel could probably safely hold about 45 gallons of feed and 5 gallons of Fermented Feed is enough for 50 birds. 1 Barrel and Pump system could easily feed 400-500 birds.