Fermenting feed for layers?

[Beekissed]

Maybe what you are seeing are more cecal poops?

 

[Cooper Farms]

How long do u ferment the feed for?

 

[pegm]

Bee, I am not sure what a cecal poop is, but the runny poop occurs any time day or night, and I thought cecal poops were dark and nasty smelling, which they are whatever color they come out as, light caramel color or dark brown. The ones in their roost usually are dark brown, but not always. Sure make a heck of a mess on my coop door.

 

[Beekissed]

Bee, I am not sure what a cecal poop is, but the runny poop occurs any time day or night, and I thought cecal poops were dark and nasty smelling, which they are whatever color they come out as, light caramel color or dark brown. The ones in their roost usually are dark brown, but not always. Sure make a heck of a mess on my coop door.

This guide will help you and has helped many on BYC who can't decipher poops: http://chat.allotment.org/index.php?topic=17568.0

 

[pegm]

Thank you Bee, that was very informative! I did, however, stop eating my M&M peanuts after I opened the link. Think I'll wait a minute or two before I finish the last 2. OK, their poos are normal. So far today they have hardly eaten the ff, it's now 3 pm. I did give them some kale and weeds I pulled, but not a whole lot. Hope they clean it up before dark, I will be upset if they quit eating it at all. I do want them to have the many benefits of ff. OK, just popped the last two M&M's, so I'm good now. Thanks again for the info, the comments after the "lesson" were pretty good. You are a treasure to this forum!

 

[TeaChick]

Starting some fermented feed Read an article on a study of layers and fermented but wonder about the additonal shell thickness.I lntend on hatching .Worried the shells might be too thick to allow hatch as some are thick now .Anyone feed ferment and hatch too?

I do. Thick shells weren't a problem. =)

 

[Michelle82]

Quote:
Read the article on dry-hatching on this site. It works for me.

 

[DaniellePage]

I only have 2 cups (dry measure) to feed in the AM to 5 hens. I dump it out on a flat, elevated rock in the run (after draining of course).


edit - this was supposed to be in response to an earlier question on how they feed it to the birds. Not sure why it did not feed under the question I was fielding.
edit 2 -oh... I was supposed to use "quote" not "reply". It has been a while since i have been on BYC :-/ I apologize.

 

[LindaB220]

I haven't experimented with it. I've not done side by side comparisons at all because, as you've said, I'm very results driven in this feeding method. As a nurse I have a fair idea of the importance of GI health in regards to the immune, cardiac, endocrine and nervous systems as one cannot be separated from the others. It's a ripple effect and the old doctors knew that...I've got old magazines where ads for laxatives for children are frequently shown and seemed to indicate that laxatives were not just for old people back then. These ads even stated about how the general health was driven by the GI health and that is still as true today but you won't find anyone trying to improve their children's bowel function as a regular health practice.

What amazes me is that a very large part of livestock health concerns revolve around the digestive tract but no one seems to connect chickens into that information stream....except for agriculture scientists in other countries:

http://www.hindawi.com/journals/vmi/2010/479485/ This one compares villus length/height after feeding organic acids.

This one is a general study but didn't have a lot of specifics and comparison information: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/19373724/

This one has some great comparisons of villi with different concentrations of fermentation, but they are studying fermented soybean meal and not cereal grains, specifically: http://www.pjbs.org/ijps/fin640.pdf

I find this one to be the most comprehensive study on the different types of organic acids in the fermentation and the results of each: http://www.ajol.info/index.php/ajb/article/viewFile/60378/48610

It's a sad fact that not many studies are being done on how to naturally improve poultry health in this country as I feel they view their agricultural practices as "live hard, die young" and find them adequate for feeding the masses without any necessity to explore a healthier bird life for those fast lived poultry.

What I can give is a list of reported results from cumulative studies and anecdotal ones from the many people trying this method and though this can only be considered anecdotal, some of these results were so common among the results that one can only conclude it is indeed caused by the fermented feeds.

Outstanding, Bee. Probably the best "all in one spot" benefits of fermented feeds yet.

 

[snafuinsight]

This is all very interesting. Thanks to all for the info!

I have a question - I currently use an organic starter/grower crumble (manufactured by King) for my 4 chickens (21, 20, 15 and 13 weeks). I had planned to continue using the starter/grow mix indefinitely and add oyster shell (or some other source of calcium) when the older ones started laying (soon, I hope!!!). The protein content of the feed is 22%. It seems like, from what I've read here, a higher protein content isn't optimal if you're going to ferment. So, would I be OK using the current feed, or would it be better to switch to a layer feed, with a lower protein content, when they're all laying? Unfortunately, I don't have any strictly grower feed available where I live. Thanks in advance!