Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Triple Willow]

Right now my feed is 1 part flax seeds, 4 1/2 parts starter/grower and 4 1/2 parts rolled oats. The flax is about 25% protein, starter/grower 18% and oats about 12% - so that is around 16% mixed and ready to eat. I'm feeding it to my 32 & 19 week olds as well as the two week old chicks and everybody seems to be doing well on it. Fermented it looks like a big bowl of oatmeal. Maybe I should add some raisins! lol When this new bag of oats is gone I plan to switch from oats to scratch for the winter. The reason is that corn is a high energy food and it will help the birds keep warm. (I may gradually add the scratch because of the two week old chicks. Maybe 1/2 oats, 1/2 scratch to start.)

What are you guys feeding?

 

[tsetse9]

Wondering if it is beneficial or if there would be any issues with adding the water I get in the bottom of my vegetable steaming pan to the ferment after it cools? I used to throw it out onto my plants and flowers because of the nutrients, I was figuring it would add more nutrients to the feed than the plain tap water but figured I should make sure there is no problems with this. Usually its the residue water from broccoli, or squash, cauliflower.

 

[Shellz]

I've got 4 parts duck grower (18% - have call ducks too) to 1 part scratch. Have 15% grower dry ration as free fed between FF feedings. I have a mixed age flock (from 12 weeks to over 3 years old) so I'm hoping this is all a good balance for them. Its interesting to see what other recipes folks have for their birds too.

Good luck with the diet. I just have to cut out most breads & sugar, then the weight falls off. Hardest part is getting started when you've stopped though.

 

[Beekissed]

Right now my feed is 1 part flax seeds, 4 1/2 parts starter/grower and 4 1/2 parts rolled oats. The flax is about 25% protein, starter/grower 18% and oats about 12% - so that is around 16% mixed and ready to eat. I'm feeding it to my 32 & 19 week olds as well as the two week old chicks and everybody seems to be doing well on it. Fermented it looks like a big bowl of oatmeal. Maybe I should add some raisins! lol When this new bag of oats is gone I plan to switch from oats to scratch for the winter. The reason is that corn is a high energy food and it will help the birds keep warm. (I may gradually add the scratch because of the two week old chicks. Maybe 1/2 oats, 1/2 scratch to start.)

What are you guys feeding?

Psst! TW! Whispers, "Corn won't help keep your chickens warm...that has no basis in fact, merely a conclusion based on the fact that corn is high in carbohydrates, which burn at a quicker rate than do proteins...but it causes no appreciable added warmth to the chickens as it is metabolized. No more than corn makes you warmer when you eat it. No studies have been done that actually measure chicken body warmth on different feed grains. )

Just feeding layer ration, barley and some BOSS..nothing fancy.

Wondering if it is beneficial or if there would be any issues with adding the water I get in the bottom of my vegetable steaming pan to the ferment after it cools? I used to throw it out onto my plants and flowers because of the nutrients, I was figuring it would add more nutrients to the feed than the plain tap water but figured I should make sure there is no problems with this. Usually its the residue water from broccoli, or squash, cauliflower.

That will be fine...no worries!

 

[Beekissed]

Y'all following the Dave Leghorn murder over on "What is this chicken thinking" thread? Getting exciting!

 

[tsetse9]

Thanks bee! One other (possibly silly) question. When I first started researching before I got chickens, most info I read said...."CHICKEN SCRATCH IS A SNACK, NOT FEED!" But I see lots of people on here use that for their fermented feed. Is it just because the ff makes it now nutritious enough to be used for feed or is it the thought that that is more of a myth propagated by the feed industry?

 

[Beekissed]

Thanks bee! One other (possibly silly) question. When I first started researching before I got chickens, most info I read said...."CHICKEN SCRATCH IS A SNACK, NOT FEED!" But I see lots of people on here use that for their fermented feed. Is it just because the ff makes it now nutritious enough to be used for feed or is it the thought that that is more of a myth propagated by the feed industry?

Scratch grains are not a balanced feed ration for layer birds as grains are mostly carbs and are pretty low in protein compared to meat or soy proteins. That's why folks call them snack food for birds. Whole grains have been a part of my fall and winter feed ration for some years now as a cheap filler and bulk for the months when the birds are in a slow down. With the FF, the protein levels in the regular layer ration are so augmented, that one can mix cheaper scratch grains in the mix without losing much on protein...this all adds to the total feed cost savings. Any time you can cut your more expensive feed with a cheaper feed and still get the same nutritional levels, it's a good day.

But then....I found out at my feed mill this week that scratch grains are no longer the cheaper feed...they were $5 more on the 50 lb bag than layer mash. I'm wondering if this doesn't have something to do with the power of the urban chicken craze and their use of scratch grains for "treats", driving the price of that item upwards due to supply and demand. I'm not complaining...I get cheaper layer mash with more nutrients per pound and I get to feed it all winter, which means I can actually feed less total feeds...once again, it works out to a savings for me.

 

[Triple Willow]

Corn is a high energy/lower protein feed. When a good energy source is needed but not necessarily more protein, corn is a good choice (but not the only one).

http://cattletoday.com/archive/2011/December/CT2638.php

"Every living organism needs energy. Energy is like the gas in your car, it's needed to make many if not all of the body processes work properly. All activities of the body require energy, and all needs are met by the consumption of food containing energy in chemical form. The human diet comprises three main sources of energy including carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Of these three, carbohydrates most readily provide the kind of energy needed to activate muscles. Proteins work to build and restore body tissues. The cow's body transforms chemical energy derived from forages and feed by the process of metabolism, an activity that takes place in the individual cell. Molecules of the feed substances providing energy pass through the cell wall. Inside the cell, chemical reactions occur that produce the new forms of energy and yield by-products such as water and waste materials such as heat and those which are later processed into feces and urine. What remains in the body is used for the production of tissue (such as muscle or fat) or milk.

When we limit the amount of energy needed, some of the processes are then limited. The cow's body prioritizes how it uses nutrients and energy is of particular concern. When energy is limited a variety of undesirable affects occur:

1) Loss of body condition (fat) –while this is often a good idea for people, it is seldom a good thing in cattle.

2) Reduced milk production.

3) Reduce growth of calves (both prior to and after birth).

4) Reduced function of the immune system.

5) Reduced ability for the animal to keep itself warm or cool.

6) Reduced reproductive function.

7) Reduced ability to get out and travel..."

 

[Beekissed]

That still doesn't conclude that corn will keep a chicken warm in the winter nor does it mean it will make them hotter in the summer. That merely states that when energy sources are low in the feed, the animal may not be able to keep warm~that's a given...low nutrition can lead to lack of available fat stores, low nutrient and oxygen delivery by the blood stream, and lack of ability to keep warm. There are many, many cattle that are only fed hay in the winter months that are not any less warm than those fed corn.

Carbs are a quick energy and proteins a slow energy, so if one feeds all quick energy foods such as corn the energy is quickly burned, as is any heat generated by this energy exchange. As most feed mixes have a mix of corn, other grains, and sources of protein not derived by cereal grains, it provides both slow and fast energy sources, giving a more even burning of energy to the animal, no matter the season. Adding more corn will not turn up the heat on that system...it will actually just burn off the heat of the energy much quicker, causing one to have to stoke corn to the animal constantly to keep them at a steady rate of energy production for their body. Meanwhile it takes the place of other nutrients in the daily feed ration that could be providing a more even burning of energy.

If corn were necessary to keep animals warm there are a whole lot of animals out there in the wild that are going to be freezing their buns off this winter...especially the poor carnivores.

Adding corn for winter months is simply not necessary, nor is it necessary to not feed them in the summer to prevent over heating the birds. Chickens are just not that fine tuned...my granny fed just corn all year round and they free ranged as well.

 

[Triple Willow]

All animals need a balanced ration, not just high energy or high protein. When the weather is cold it is better to feed more energy (which corn is high in but corn is not the only source). Roughage is probably best to produce body heat in cold weather... but feeding chickens hay? Even a higher fiber energy source than corn would be better.

I will agree to disagree with you.

*no "corn" is not necessary in the winter but more energy is used when any animal is burning calories to keep warm so it is logical to me to add a little energy if I don't want the animal to lose body condition and suffer in other ways. If the energy needed is not in the feed they will burn body fat to keep warm. Blah blah blah... lol