Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Beekissed]

I decided to try the good idea of using an ice chest for keeping the FF in the coop this winter...will monitor and report results as time goes along. It certainly holds more than my buckets, so I can ferment more feed at once, insuring it all gets well fermented even when the cold keeps the yeasts metabolism a tad slower. Sure hope the smell comes out of that cooler come spring....

If this doesn't work, I'll get a heated bucket and use it instead. No more FF in the bedroom, though it wasn't a mess or too much inconvenience, it's just easier to have it where I feed.

Spent the day with the last minute winter tucking of the animals and just in time...winter has officially arrived. Found the water frozen over this morning and so will be putting in the heated water buckets and bowls tomorrow for the dog and birds. Raked a full ton of leaves today to finish my storing of bedding and I've added all that I can to the coop without losing the chickens in a sea of leaves. Dog and chicken lounge area is also full of leaves now. Coop is tucked in and battened down, dog house is fully insulated and full of sweet hay...pooch should be good and warm this winter.

Supposed to get snow tomorrow...yippee!!

Love this time of year.....saw a beautiful winter sunset this evening..simply dazzling!

Will probably be killing BUD this week~he's looking very plump and filled out, BTW~ along with some other hens, and canning them and the last ones processed this weekend. Soup meat!!! YAY! I calculate at least 16 jars of meat and stock out of that batch. Also will be canning some deer meat at the same time, so more meat there as well. Hope to put another deer or two in the jar before the season is over, if the Lord is willing.

 

[armorfirelady]

We are going to have freezing temps the next few night but I refuse to plug in the heated dog bowls until the temps stay freezing.

Its snowing here.............but its only sticking to the streets. I am never going to get my leaves picked up. Its been raining every other day and I cant get the tractor on the grass to pick them up & this cold makes my arthritis unbearable if I am outside to long

ETA if I could convince the hens to help scratch the leaves together as well as they kick out of the compost pile I would be golden

 

[Darkangael]

Aww the poor unchicken.


I am sure he will be tasty if a little putrid what with being an unchicken and all...

 

[Beekissed]

We are going to have freezing temps the next few night but I refuse to plug in the heated dog bowls until the temps stay freezing.

Its snowing here.............but its only sticking to the streets. I am never going to get my leaves picked up. Its been raining every other day and I cant get the tractor on the grass to pick them up & this cold makes my arthritis unbearable if I am outside to long

ETA if I could convince the hens to help scratch the leaves together as well as they kick out of the compost pile I would be golden

Oh, mine were scratching leaves today like machines...it was definitely death to bugs day here. But...alas...none were being kicked up on my leaf tarp. The dirty birds were following around "the big hen" with the very large scratching up tool and gleaning all the bugs uncovered by her furious scratching of the leaves.

I dared them to step claw on that leaf pile I was generating.....

 

[beverly evans]

Supposed to work like blinders on a horse...but for chickens. If they cannot see the bird in front of them, they cannot peck the bird in front of them. They can see straight down at food, to the sides but not straight in front, so they cannot confront one another. At least, that's the idea...I've never tried them but they are worth a shot, as many say they work.

I'd buy them just to use on Halloween or to blow some friends away when they come to see my chickens. They're hysterical! Too bad they are kinda hard to put on and take off. I'd be afraid they couldn't see the hawks.

 

[Angelicisi]

3 weeks still on 1st bag of feed (50lbs bought & fermented)
Chicks are lovin the coop. They went out this weekend and so far great.

 

[Angelicisi]

Need a scoop?

 

[RoseMarie1]

Oh, mine were scratching leaves today like machines...it was definitely death to bugs day here. But...alas...none were being kicked up on my leaf tarp. The dirty birds were following around "the big hen" with the very large scratching up tool and gleaning all the bugs uncovered by her furious scratching of the leaves.

I dared them to step claw on that leaf pile I was generating.....

yours sound like mine these days. It's like there's going to be a shortage of bugs so they are really working it now.

 

[RoseMarie1]

3 weeks still on 1st bag of feed (50lbs bought & fermented)
Chicks are lovin the coop. They went out this weekend and so far great.

AWEEEE that is sooooo cute!

 

[JesNflock]

I decided to try the good idea of using an ice chest for keeping the FF in the coop this winter...will monitor and report results as time goes along. It certainly holds more than my buckets, so I can ferment more feed at once, insuring it all gets well fermented even when the cold keeps the yeasts metabolism a tad slower. Sure hope the smell comes out of that cooler come spring....

If this doesn't work, I'll get a heated bucket and use it instead. No more FF in the bedroom, though it wasn't a mess or too much inconvenience, it's just easier to have it where I feed.

Spent the day with the last minute winter tucking of the animals and just in time...winter has officially arrived. Found the water frozen over this morning and so will be putting in the heated water buckets and bowls tomorrow for the dog and birds. Raked a full ton of leaves today to finish my storing of bedding and I've added all that I can to the coop without losing the chickens in a sea of leaves. Dog and chicken lounge area is also full of leaves now. Coop is tucked in and battened down, dog house is fully insulated and full of sweet hay...pooch should be good and warm this winter.

Supposed to get snow tomorrow...yippee!!

Love this time of year.....saw a beautiful winter sunset this evening..simply dazzling!

Will probably be killing BUD this week~he's looking very plump and filled out, BTW~ along with some other hens, and canning them and the last ones processed this weekend. Soup meat!!! YAY! I calculate at least 16 jars of meat and stock out of that batch. Also will be canning some deer meat at the same time, so more meat there as well. Hope to put another deer or two in the jar before the season is over, if the Lord is willing.

Aww man...I was enjoying following the saga of BUD the unchicken lol