Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[armorfirelady]

This block does have some good stuff in it and yep, concentrated. It turned their poop dark dark. It has a lot of molasses! That is what I am thinking Bee, feed it a little at a time.

@Armorfirelady... does it make your yolks darker?

I've noticed darker feces but nothing with yolks. Of course they are usually dark from the ff they are fed.

The Purina Flock Block costs about $14 in my neck of the woods....how about where you guys live?

I think I paid about $12? But it was on sale when I bought it. When they go on sale again I will buy another

 
The Purina Flock Block costs about $14 in my neck of the woods....how about where you guys live?

That's more than I pay for 50# of layer mash!!!  What in the world are you guys buying all that expensive supplement for when the fermentation already boosts your nutrients, vitamins and minerals to such a degree? 

It's a supplement since my guys are getting grains only. I add some fish meal and alfalfa pellets to the grains before serving. But I refused to pay the high price for nutribalancer so the flock block is what I am trying as supplements.

Right now they are not devouring it. I gave it to them out 31st and only the top corners are gone. I rarely see them eating it. I'm guessing because they are getting the required nutrients in their area they forage.

@Bee... what do you think about horse manure/shavings that's on its way to being compost as deep litter?

I have never put it in my DL but I do get a dozen bucket fulls and dump them in the veggie garden where the girls are during the winter. Usually a few people near me post it for free all I need to do is pick it up the girls love scratching thru it

 

[Triple Willow]

I've noticed darker feces but nothing with yolks. Of course they are usually dark from the ff they are fed.
I think I paid about $12? But it was on sale when I bought it. When they go on sale again I will buy another
It's a supplement since my guys are getting grains only. I add some fish meal and alfalfa pellets to the grains before serving. But I refused to pay the high price for nutribalancer so the flock block is what I am trying as supplements.

Right now they are not devouring it. I gave it to them out 31st and only the top corners are gone. I rarely see them eating it. I'm guessing because they are getting the required nutrients in their area they forage.
I have never put it in my DL but I do get a dozen bucket fulls and dump them in the veggie garden where the girls are during the winter. Usually a few people near me post it for free all I need to do is pick it up the girls love scratching thru it

I have noticed that some of my breeds have a deeper colored richer looking yolk than others do. Out of the Australorps, Columbian Rocks, Speckled Sussex, White Leghorns and Delawares that are laying - the Delawares have the best yolks followed by the Sussex. I don't know if the block is making any difference or not. I need to check that out.

 

[armorfirelady]

My yolks got darker last year on the older girls once I switched them over to ff. I haven't noticed a difference in yolk color with the tots but they have been on ff since I got them.

 

[Lacy Blues]

Well! I give up trying to go through the 30 pages I missed.

We have a new problem in the yard. A horrible grey tabby with a blue collar (no tags) has begun to visit my yard every morning. Normally my coop door just stays open every morning to no incident so the birds can get up at dawn without me... No longer. The cat scares the animals so much they all start running and when the chicks try to escape they slip through these tiny gaps in the fence that I can't even locate and then get picked off. I only have two chicks now.

If I find that cat it's going down. I'll either catch it and sick my killer husky on it, send it home covered in spray paint, or send it off to the APL. If I can find the owner they're paying me damages for their illegally roaming cat eating my legally confined chickens! The other cats keep their fat butts out of my yard or they get bit by the dogs. Not this one, it just jumps up on the fence and laughs as the dogs jump trying to get at the cat. I am starting to seriously resent cats.


I did end up eating my hen. She was very good. I had to hunt around for a coq au vin recipe that wasn't created for use with modern broilers/fryers. :|

And one of my hens (my last golden buff) is causing a serious issue with the chicks. She keeps grabbing them and throwing them. She has terrorized the chicks so much that they won't feed with the flock. I have taken to standing there with a stick and giving the Golden a good WHACK (no mercy there!) when she gets close to the chicks eating, but the stick moving scares mama and the chicks too and they all take off. Golden is a food hog so she always comes back before the chicks do and then the chicks never come back either because she's there or because of the stick. :| The golden has even chased the chicks around and they run chirping in terror. Copper (mama) is the bottom of the flock so she can't do anything. It's sad. Any suggestions? The flock is on FF now.

Darkangel; I have a Wacom too! It's been a while since I did any commission work but I used to draw hardcore all the time. Now that's kind of petered off...

Just 30?

I'm down by 153 pages and I know I will NEVER catch up, therefore, I'm jumping to the end. Hope y'all didn't say anything really important in the last month.

I'd suggest eating Golden too!

 

[Darkangael]

Quote: I agree eat Golden, aggressiveness towards other birds or people should not be tolerated.

@ChocolateMouse I love to draw but have not been doing much due to the fact I have so little extra space to do it in these days. I will likely pick it up again when circumstances get a little better for it.

 

[hellbender]

I've been following this thread for months. I have far too many birds to feed ff to all but I have been feeding it to the youngsters in the brooders with what I consider excellent results. As for fermenting the mash, I use two 15 gallon crocks in my barn and I have wrapped them with heat tapes and then, wrapping each with half of a water heater insulation jacket. This is working far beyond my expectations.

RON

 

[TexasLisa]

I've been following this thread for months. I have far too many birds to feed ff to all but I have been feeding it to the youngsters in the brooders with what I consider excellent results. As for fermenting the mash, I use two 15 gallon crocks in my barn and I have wrapped them with heat tapes and then, wrapping each with half of a water heater insulation jacket. This is working far beyond my expectations.

RON

Good Morning Ron!

Thank you and your son for his service to our great country!

Lisa

 

[Hennyetta]

Sorry if this question has already been asked, but I don't have time to go through this whole long thread to find the answer!

I'd like to try ff, but I don't have anyplace inside my house to do it where it's warm. I could do it in the little lean-to in the back of our house, and if I keep it right up against the house wall, it probably won't freeze, but it's definitely not going to be warm out there this winter! Would it still work, or do I need to wait until spring?

 

[hellbender]

Good Morning Ron!

Thank you and your son for his service to our great country!

Lisa

Thank you Lisa!

 

[Shellz]

I've been following this thread for months.  I have far too many birds to feed ff to all but I have been feeding it to the youngsters in the brooders with what I consider excellent results.  As for fermenting the mash, I use two 15 gallon crocks in my barn and I have wrapped them with heat tapes and then, wrapping each with half of a water heater insulation jacket.  This is working far beyond my expectations.

RON

That's great! Love your avatar.